General Chat

We went into town yesterday, quite early to avoid the crowds, only went to one shop and started to get very anxious and panicky, came home right away , I was fine when we got home, but I find that if I can be in the fresh air I feel not so bad, We now go to small supermarkets just as they open so am back home before the shoppers arrive....sad aint I....Jean x

One of my daughters things even now after getting over all these anxieties is knowing where the exit doors are where ever she is!!!!!
She has come on in leaps and bounds in the last 3 years.So Teddy you can do it too,and you will I'm sure.

Asperger's Syndrome sufferers can have similar symptons too. Dislike/fear of social activities, telephone, meetings etc. They can lead very lonely lives. Hope your treatment helps.

You know, Jean, that last bit you mentioned reminds me a bit of me. I never thought of myself as being particularly extroverted as a teenager, but compared with the current me, I really was (relatively) extroverted.

I don't know why it happened but as I've got older (so, in the last ten years) I have become more and more introverted. In fact, I'm so non-confrontational that I actually annoy myself.

Good on Ya Teddy....keep your head held High n if you get a Low day come on here n find someone to talk to.

All the best xxx

Thank you all soooooooo much for adding to my thread, it means a lot just to think that there are others out there who feel the same. Yes I am getting treatment soon, first though they are taking me off the antidepressants that I have been on for quite a while 60mg down to 20 at the moment, have got to back on the 8 December to change pills.

At least I can say one positive thing, I have not started drinkning again ! Feel quite proud of that.

Thanks again everybody.

xxxxxxx

I have to force myself to go out most of the time , if I dont I would not bother, my confidence seems to have diminished as I have got older, but will keep trying...

Jean x

My Daughter has suffered big time from this.But after many years seems to have conquered it.Not to say there won't be a relapse.She is 25 now ,and we believe it started when she was 4,when she choked on a toffo when in the woods on a walk with her dad.He had to do the (sp) Heinmich manouver.From that day she wouldn't eat ,or rather wouldn't swallow food.It then escalated that she wouldn't go to friends houses where she had to stay for tea.After seeing a Psychologist ,he said she may have problems being in scary or new situations where she felt unsafe or uncomfortable.She would stop eating and refuse to go somewhere.
Every time she felt not in control of her feelings she had to come home.That happened when she went to Uni .She had to leave and come home and go to uni nearer home.This worked fine.She still had problems going out to clubs etc, but gradually over the last 5 years I feel she has overcome this horrible problem.She is an assistant psychologist now !! It may rear the ugly head again but I think she has a better idea of how to deal with it.
She was taught by a councillor how to make her brain think in a different way.
Sorry if this sounds a bit rambling,but it;s not so easy typing it out.Much easier to verbally express.

teddy I can understand a lot of what is on here.
I used to curl up on my bed and cry frightened to go to a party. Make up any excuse not to talk on the phone. Still don't like it. If it is any help to you please join us on depression and anxiety thread. Lots of understanding people on there.
xxx

Thanks Ann, I think it would be just as traumatic leading up to it but at the same time alil easier knowing I've done it before.

Sharon, I called my wedding off to my Ex because I couldn't bare the thought of everyone looking at ME....standing in front of everyone & having to speak...OMG it terrified me. Good job tho, we only lasted 12 years n I left him after he turned violent.

I feel for anyone who has this or any other problem like it. It's something not everyone will or wants to understand.

I had kind of wondered if I had it but think it just a matter of not going where I don't want to or being forced into doing something that is not my idea.Not that keen on other people anyway.

Partner and I have been together for three broken mirrors now.Reasons we are not married are all down to me,selfish tart.

Wouldn't want to dress up,make a contract in public,pose for photographs,take part in rituals e.g photo line up,signing that book,carrying flowers for no reason,wearing jewelry,cutting cake,making speeches,dancing.Don't like discos,hate parties,too many people doing something pointless.

Still he stays,must feel sorry for me.

Jules, well done for hosting the party, I remember some time ago you were worrying about it. glad it is over for you. Now you have done it would another one be any easier or just as traumatic? This isn't something i have come across (well until you Jules spoke about your feelings), it must be very frustrating and inconvenient.

hello Jen, good to see you, I have always imagined you to be very confident.

Teddy, sorry to hear you have this, are you having treatment now you know what you have?

Ann
glos

Glad it's of interest, Jules.

Well done for hosting that party; I wouldn't dare!

Last party I went to I fainted after 30 seconds in the house! It was new neighbours and I just *knew* they would all think of me as "the fainting one".

Teddy.....what's the GP doing for you...??

Thanks for that Jen....I can related 100% to that.

When people look at me I think they look because they DONT like what they see & given a chance will critacise.....whereas, they may be looking at me beacuse they LIKE what they see.....

It's all about Automatic thoughts - we automatically think negative about a situation therefor not giving a positive thought a chance.

I had a party of 17 to host last weekend, for months I worried myself sick about it. If I could I would have done anything to get out of it. They were all friends of my OH who I have only met on a few occasions. I got thro it but it was very very painful...but felt good that I survived.

Sorry to hear that, TW Girl.

I wish you luck finding ways to manage it.

I am pretty sure I have APD myself but I won't see enough people to find out.

I was diagnosed yesterday

In it's simplest terms social anxiety or 'SA' is a fear of people: of being around, having to interact with, being watched, criticized or judged negatively by, other human beings.

For sufferers of SA, everyday tasks which most people take for granted - working, socialising, shopping, speaking on the telephone, can be a wearing ordeal marked by persistent feelings of anxiety and self-consciousness.

Sufferers typically experience feelings of dread and nervousness in the build up to the feared situation, and analyse or 'replay' the situation in their mind when it's over, ruminating on how they could have 'performed' better.

Sufferers may also experience physical symptoms such as trembling, blushing or sweating.

At a deeper level, sufferers often experience chronic insecurity about their relationships with others, hypersensitivity to criticism, and deep-rooted fears of being judged negatively, mocked, or rejected by others.

There are two forms of SA, performance social anxiety where these feelings only occur in a few specific situations such as public speaking, eating in public or dealing with authority figures, and generalized social anxiety which affects most, if not all areas of the sufferers life. The latter is the most common type, affecting around 70% of SA sufferers.

A related condition, Avoidant Personality Disorder (APD), is believed by many to be the severe form of SA, and many people with generalized social anxiety may also suffer from APD.

(from social-anxiety.org)

Thought it was....

I'm a sufferer of this & other things related, tho not as bad as some. It doesn't stop me doing daily things like shopping or work even tho I do sometimes get anxious in certain circumstances but I fear going out, say to meet a group of freinds or going into a pub, with me it's a self confidence/esteem thing. My negatives about myself overide any positive there might be. I started CBT yesterday to help (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

yes that's the one