How bad is your social anxiety?

H

hypochondriac

Senior Member
Location
Australia
Of course many or most of you dont have it. Mine is much better than it used to be.
I would describe it as crippling self consciousness. It has varying degrees. Mine was mild but at times quite severe.
Paranoia. Fear of other people. Especially more than one. How different the dynamic of more than one person.
I found counselling helps. Its mainly caused by unhelpful self talk.
 

I get anxiety but not the cant breath type hypo' sometimes I could be in a conversation and wham it hits u '
u just wanna walk away as everything starts to spin ' god knows why 'had it for a few years but not every day -
how I hate it ; think stress levels cause it ...would u say its paranoia?
 
Today I don't think I have much of any, at least that I can notice. When younger, I was anxious in some situations. Never felt truly comfortable when giving an environmental talk to strangers as a part of my job. At different towns or cities in our district when highway construction was to take place.

Now-a-days, I care little about who or what's around me. Just hobbling about is enough of an effort without worrying about what anyone might think. Naturally, I do worry about health or problems that face members of our family but you have to be brain dead to not have those concerns.
 

hypochondriac said:
Of course many or most of you dont have it. Mine is much better than it used to be.
I would describe it as crippling self consciousness. It has varying degrees. Mine was mild but at times quite severe.
Paranoia. Fear of other people. Especially more than one. How different the dynamic of more than one person.
I found counselling helps. Its mainly caused by unhelpful self talk.
Click to expand...
Hypo...just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean people aren't chasing you...lol. And that just might be a double negative non-
declarative sentence, too!
 
hypochondriac said:
Of course many or most of you dont have it. Mine is much better than it used to be.
I would describe it as crippling self consciousness. It has varying degrees. Mine was mild but at times quite severe.
Paranoia. Fear of other people. Especially more than one. How different the dynamic of more than one person.
I found counselling helps. Its mainly caused by unhelpful self talk.
Click to expand...
In person, I am socially self-conscious due to having a colostomy--online, NOT SO!!
 
I'm enjoying all of Hypo's questions. They're all thought provoking. Too many for me to enter into all of them but there's always something here and there that I want to join in on. Its fun to see new material everyday that catches my eye.

On topic: I have some social anxiety if I'm going to be put on the spot. It's better now.

I did 3 things that were somewhat successful:

1. A turning point was when my father noticed my low self esteem (even my mouth shook when smiling at others) so encouraged me perform onstage for TV at the age of 14. I pushed myself to perform in front of a huge live audience by blocking out the reality that it would be shown nationwide. I found that I couldn't see the audience very well due to the bright lights so it was easy to make my mind forget they were even there. I even spoke alone unscripted into a mic. And there were a few celebrities with me you would all know. It all went so well and was a lot of fun. I learned alot. But when I returned back to previous life some of the anxiety returned...just not as much. The experience made a significant improvement though. (I'd rather not give details about the TV performance.)

2. Upon reacclimating back my previous life at the age of 18, I found I still couldn't do public speaking in smaller more intimate venues so I joined a Dale Carnegie Public Speaking class much like Toastmasters club. Over the course I improved but it was because I grew to know and trust the same weekly audience who were fellow classmates. When I left I realized it really didn't work long term.

3. I matured so its improved today...but still avoid public speaking.
 
I think I told this story once before. I froze at a piano recital once. Halfway through and just walked off the stage. How embarrassing was that. never got another piano lesson nor played it since.
 
C'est Moi said:
I don't have social anxiety; I basically just don't like people. :D

View attachment 74228
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Sorry to say it but I feel the same....and the more I learn about people, the more I dislike them. When people watch wild apes on nature programmes,they are fond of saying 'how like humans they are'. I would turn that round and say...it shows what brutes humans still are.

I avoid people as much as I can and have learned that it's best not to get too involved with anyone.
 
Rosemarie said:
Sorry to say it but I feel the same....and the more I learn about people, the more I dislike them. When people watch wild apes on nature programmes,they are fond of saying 'how like humans they are'. I would turn that round and say...it shows what brutes humans still are.

I avoid people as much as I can and have learned that it's best not to get too involved with anyone.
Click to expand...
misanthropy? misanthropic? well I have a bit of that too. we are all a weird mixture
 
I always enjoyed public speaking, if I had time to prepare, and also singing in public. I have sung in front of many types of groups and while in high school, I sung in a rock band that played mostly songs from the late 50’s and early 60’s.
 
Rosemarie said:
Sorry to say it but I feel the same....and the more I learn about people, the more I dislike them. When people watch wild apes on nature programmes,they are fond of saying 'how like humans they are'. I would turn that round and say...it shows what brutes humans still are.

I avoid people as much as I can and have learned that it's best not to get too involved with anyone.
Click to expand...

Just curious and you don’t have to answer, but can you give a reason as to why you don’t like people?
 
911 said:
Just curious and you don’t have to answer, but can you give a reason as to why you don’t like people?
Click to expand...
Don't take it personally.
Surely anyone who keeps up to date with the things that are happening in the world must be horrified at the terrible things humans are capable of.
I am also heartened by the compassion and empathy that is often shown.
Bringing it down to a personal level and not being paranoid, I have not had good experiences at the hands of other people. Now that I'm older, I've decided it's better to stay aloof.
 
Lara said:
I'm enjoying all of Hypo's questions. They're all thought provoking. Too many for me to enter into all of them but there's always something here and there that I want to join in on. Its fun to see new material everyday that catches my eye.

On topic: I have some social anxiety if I'm going to be put on the spot. It's better now.

I did 3 things that were somewhat successful:

1. A turning point was when my father noticed my low self esteem (even my mouth shook when smiling at others) so encouraged me perform onstage for TV at the age of 14. I pushed myself to perform in front of a huge live audience by blocking out the reality that it would be shown nationwide. I found that I couldn't see the audience very well due to the bright lights so it was easy to make my mind forget they were even there. I even spoke alone unscripted into a mic. And there were a few celebrities with me you would all know. It all went so well and was a lot of fun. I learned alot. But when I returned back to previous life some of the anxiety returned...just not as much. The experience made a significant improvement though. (I'd rather not give details about the TV performance.)

2. Upon reacclimating back my previous life at the age of 18, I found I still couldn't do public speaking in smaller more intimate venues so I joined a Dale Carnegie Public Speaking class much like Toastmasters club. Over the course I improved but it was because I grew to know and trust the same weekly audience who were fellow classmates. When I left I realized it really didn't work long term.

3. I matured so its improved today...but still avoid public speaking.
Click to expand...
Your dad was very wise, I suffered all kinds of issues with social anxiety when I was young and I was very sheltered, consequently it took me a very long time to gain confidence in the world. I have confidence now because of the experiences I’ve had in life and the successes I’ve had. But perhaps my insecurities would have been shortened if I had been encouraged to get out of my shell a bit more. I place no blame on my parents they were doing just what they thought was best for me.
 
Thanks for the great question hypo as usual you’re spot on!
 

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