Social Anxiety

I panic about answering the door, The phone. Going to the store or out to a restaurant. anywhere really..I panic about being in a new situation, Not knowing what to say or do. I panic When someone asks me a question. I Practice what I’m going to say over and over again in my head because I don’t want to mess up or sound stupid. I literally ran upstairs and asked my older brother if he could answer the door because I couldn’t. I remember being in the grocery store with my dad, Packing the grocery’s into the bags and an employee walked over to me and asked if I needed help. I Said no, It was a simple conversation but I wasn’t expecting it. When we got back into the car I felt light headed and I was breathing heavy and my hands were shaking and I wanted to cry.
I want to get better, But I cant get over the feeling that They’re judging me. I would much rather stay in my room forever and never have to do anything, Then answer the front door.

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Amelia-B

2 Answers

I suffer from this too. Find it very hard for small talk with people I don't know well. There isn't much we can do about this besides putting ourselves in more of these situations so we can try overcome this fear. Actually making ourselves approach someone or making phone calls randomly and trying it out with practice till it becomes better with practice. It's a fear we can overcome when we try and practice every day.

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Crystallight

The first half of your text perfectly describes me- I also have social anxiety and I'm an introvert too so.. Well, in the last time I got better. For example one year ago I had to call my old dance teacher to come with him in another crew. He's much older than me and in the beginning I REALLY didn't wanna to but then I listened to the radio for a while and I said 'Fuck it!' and pressed the button. When I did it I wasn't ready but I did it anyways ;also, I saw somewhere about a theory about life-that it is only a huge illusion and yeah it sounds a little stupid but it makes me say 'fuck it!' everytime. And don't believe that you're less than others: now if someone unknown calls me I'm getting a lit anxious but I don't want to answer more because there are many idiots xD About the face to face conversation, I don't know what to say, it happens to me a lot. Try to stay straight, 'get out of your head' and convince youself you are a confident person. But if you don't know whether to do or not smt, like going somewhere or calling someone, just do it without thinking and then see what happens. Do you know that moments when you have a knive in your hands for example and you know you could kill smb? I can't be the only one lol xD That random decision for me is like anxiety situations- but in the 2nd one nothing that bad happens- Like me now: If I press the button many people could see my message which is kinda messed up... fuck it.

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Iulia