I was reading some descriptions of what social anxiety is for members of a forum and here are some of the descriptions I relate to VERY much.
...you take a longer route to get to your destination because you want to avoid someone
...you feel like your hearts about to burst out of your chest because its beating so fast.
....you hide behind the sofa when the doorbell rings --VERY embarassing for me to admit.
....you take lunch out to your car everyday, regardless of the workplace, to avoid the attempt to sit with others... I go home and eat or I eat at my desk.
you sweat like a **** pig
You've heard the phrase "Why don't you talk?", about 1000 times.
I sometimes think I'm better and I go to the grocery store but last night I went and ran into a lady I knew from my last job and I nearly had a panic attack while talking to her. I was blushing, sweating, shaking. It was awful. I'm not attracted to her either.
...when people tell you to smile cos u look miserable, even though u dont realise it.
When you do say something and the horrible sounds of each word you said haunt you for 2-3 hours.
~when you are the complete oposite of yourself when you drink
~when you don't have a single real friend and the closest person to you is just an aquaintance
When you cant even relax round family members never mind people you don't know...
... you're like a nervous bird at traffic lights, wondering what people are thinking.
... the "self-checkout" lane in grocery stores and other automated interactions (ordering online, etc.) are a relief.
... you get ready for two hours just to check the mail, then berate yourself for walking "strangely" to the mailbox.
...new people give up on trying to make conversation with you in a matter of minutes. Then you never see them again.
>>you haven't talked to a live person on the phone in decades.
...constantly plan how long you will spend in a certain social environment, before you can leave without it looking bad.
When you would rather lay in a pit of snakes than be at a huge social event for ten minutes. I can honestly say that yes, I would.
-you buy clothes online so you don't have to buy them in person
-you CAN'T STAND being in earshot of someone while talking on the phone
-you replay conversations in your head wondering what they thought of you
... you feel like you are being pinned down mentally, and nothing you do can make you free to be yourself.
You feel uneasy and rigid whilst in public.
You act unimportant and evasive to avoid possible embarrasment
-you are extremely relieved when plans fall through
your friends never hear from you
even complete strangers constantly ask you "are you ok?"
- you repeatedly kick yourself after the fact for making an awkward introduction, shaking hands too often, not saying the right thing in a witty and apt manner
...afraid to go out in case the neighbours see you.
You never fail to get anxious walking past people in the street because you think they're staring at you, or you think they can tell that you are nervous by your body language and by your facial expression, or you automatically think that they are assuming bad things about you.
You see a work colleague or someone you know coming down the hall at work and you think to yourself,"oh no, what will I say, should I smile and say hello, will they think I'm an idiot", and a million other thoughts which cross your mind and make you feel like hiding.
...you would rather keep something that is broken/doesn't fit/you didn't really need, regardless of how much you paid, than go to to customer services, return it, and get your money back.
...you're so used to censoring what you have to say that you start to believe you actually don't have anything to say.
...you put off getting your hair cut, cavities filled, or anything else because the idea of making an appointment over the phone terrifies you.
... when being alone is both a relief and a hardship all at the same time...
...when you can't sleep because you are too keyed up thinking about the next day
...when you always look in your rear view mirror when you're driving to make sure that you're going fast enough and that there's no one right behind you
... When you have known someone for years and they don't know much about you
... When you know how irrational Social Anxiety is, yet it is such a part of you that when you are out in public you cannot help but blush, get tongue-tied, etc.
Sigh...
