How bad is your social anxiety?

Rosemarie said:
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.
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So, it’s more like you don’t trust people, not that you don’t like people. There are some petty good people out there in the world. Some that I would even trust my life to. But, just the same, there’s also some that I wouldn’t trust either.
 

911 said:
So, it’s more like you don’t trust people, not that you don’t like people. There are some petty good people out there in the world. Some that I would even trust my life to. But, just the same, there’s also some that I wouldn’t trust either.
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I get what Rosemarie is saying especially with everything that’s going on in the world today and accusations and lawsuits it makes you want to hideaway but I’m trying to overcome that it’s hard sometimes.....Sending you all a hug!
 
Lc jones said:
I get what Rosemarie is saying especially with everything that’s going on in the world today and accusations and lawsuits it makes you want to hideaway but I’m trying to overcome that it’s hard sometimes.....Sending you all a hug!
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Yes, hugs needed all round, I think.

I think it's true that I either attract unpleasant people or I bring out the worst in people. I'm just too nice for my own good, and I don't want to become even more cynical than I already am. Bitterness eats away at you.
 

Rosemarie said:
Yes, hugs needed all round, I think.

I think it's true that I either attract unpleasant people or I bring out the worst in people. I'm just too nice for my own good, and I don't want to become even more cynical than I already am. Bitterness eats away at you.
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There’s a study that has shown that empathetic people attract sociopaths, psychopaths as well as Narcissists. They feed off of empathetic people who are kind and giving. Maybe you’ve experienced this, I know I have.
 
Lc jones said:
There’s a study that has shown that empathetic people attract sociopaths, psychopaths as well as Narcissists. They feed off of empathetic people who are kind and giving. Maybe you’ve experienced this, I know I have.
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Thank you for telling me that. It explains a lot.
I'm probably making a mistake saying this...but I have also attracted unpleasant 'spirits' who feed off my positive energy.
 
Rosemarie said:
Thank you for telling me that. It explains a lot.
I'm probably making a mistake saying this...but I have also attracted unpleasant 'spirits' who feed off my positive energy.
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Check out YouTube there’s a bunch of info on this.
 
Lc jones said:
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.
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But, you know that many professional people who deal in cognitive behavior have stated that most of us are products of our environment. IOW, our parents treated us as they may have been treated (or raised). There are many reasons why some parents hold their children back, rather than allowing them to be who they are. It may have been that you would have been an introvert or maybe you would have been an extrovert, if they would have just let nature’s take its course, as they say.

I know several people, who I also knew their parents. In a lot of those cases, the children reminded me of their parents through their actions and the things they would say. In high school, I kind of hung around with a kid whose dad was a little man, maybe 5’5”, about 120#, and he was as meek as a mouse. The kid was about 5’10” about 160# and just as meek as his dad. He could have passed for the definition of an introvert. He couldn’t even ask a girl for a date. He would show up at the school dances, but never dance. Just sort of wander around talking to different guys. Thinking about it now, maybe I felt sorry for him and that’s what drew me to him. IDK.

This is a good topic. I think I may have just learned something about myself.
 
Like chronic CPTSD, my social anxiety fluctuates from barely noticeable to almost completely debilitating. Fortunately, I am usually able to avoid most triggers which can flatten my defences. My chosen career is a challenge in that regard. Sometimes I do fall.
 
When I was a teen, I had a paralyzing fear of getting up in front of a group. My neck and back would lock up and I'd have the feeling that my head was being pulled backwards so I'd grit my teeth and try to keep my head upright. It made me look like I was demonstrating the aspects of lockjaw.

I got over it in college, but I can't say I like public speaking unless I'm telling jokes.

A speech teacher told us to envision the audience naked and we wouldn't be nervous. It just made my eyes water......
 
I guess I'm the minority here, but I love being among people in general, and usually like most of them. I'm not particularly self-conscious, though I do get annoyed when younger people write me off as irrelevant because I'm too old to matter.
 
Rosemarie said:
Yes, hugs needed all round, I think.

I think it's true that I either attract unpleasant people or I bring out the worst in people. I'm just too nice for my own good, and I don't want to become even more cynical than I already am. Bitterness eats away at you.
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interesting post rosemarie. I Sometimes I think im too nice. But am I? Maybe Im too weak. Afraid to show an uncompromising part of me. Or is it the people pleaser gene in me? Theres an annoying blind spot in many of us we will never see. We can spend our whole lives being a slave to it.
Self awareness. Its a cliche but I still strive for it. We never fully know ourselves.
Now I sound like a self obsessed naval gazer. 😁
 
Sunny said:
I guess I'm the minority here, but I love being among people in general, and usually like most of them. I'm not particularly self-conscious, though I do get annoyed when younger people write me off as irrelevant because I'm too old to matter.
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sunny
you come across as condescending sometimes but i love your wit so you win again
 
I have a chronic anxiety disorder which manifests itself in different ways. I would say I have some social anxiety too. Sometimes I want nothing to do with anyone and avoid people. Then I come out of myself as I can for some interaction with people.
 
Ruthanne said:
I have a chronic anxiety disorder which manifests itself in different ways. I would say I have some social anxiety too. Sometimes I want nothing to do with anyone and avoid people. Then I come out of myself as I can for some interaction with people.
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you come across as quite social to me Ruthanne.
 

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