Does anyone else suffer from social phobia?

Question

I can barely leave my home on the weekends and am always worried about what people think about me. I usually just go out at night and avoid most crowds unless I have had a few drinks. I have lived with this for 20 plus years and went to Drs and they just want to fill me up with drugs so I stopped that......Most people (including my family) don't know what I am going through and play it off as nonsense. Well, this is REAL and it makes my life a living hell. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The funny and weird thing is, I am a very successful salesman.

Answer 1

That *is* funny and weird (the part about being a successful salesman, that is. That sounds to me like my idea of a living hell).

I have similar problems (which used to be much worse than they are now), but not quite the same. I don't have a problem with sitting on the bus, for example. Or grocery shopping (although I prefer not to).

Basically, if I can get away with not interacting (like when sitting on the bus), or if there are specific rules for *how* to interact (when in the check-out line of the grocery store, smile and thank the cashier and answer her questions), then I'm fine. It's just when I don't have a routine I can follow that I have problems.

My big issue with being with people is this: there's anxiety beforehand, and I spend the entire time afterwards beating myself up over everything I did wrong, or believing that I inconvenienced everyone with my presence, and they hated being with me. Oddly enough, at the time of the interaction (when it's actually going on), I'm often fine. It's just before and after that cause the anxiety and pain.

I've also noticed that I love participating in online discussion forums, but hate online chatting. This is because there's an immediacy to chatting that I hate, because I can't take my time and formulate my response exactly the way I like it.

And it *is* very hard and painful when the people close to me don't understand the absolute terror that I feel at the thought of talking to them, and the guilt of not talking to them. My grandfather is sick, and I've been trying to work up the courage to call him, or send him a card, or *something*, since Christmas.

Answer 2

I have socal phobia, and I am a nurse. I am always wondering what people think, so I am quiet& shy until I really get to know someone, but since I observe people more I have found people to be very fake, and they just tell people what they want to hear, and try to make themselves sound better than they really are, so it is starting to get to the point that I do not socialize unless I have to with people I am not already close with.also, I do the samething, as the person above me. The before and after are the worst part of socializing more then when I am in the moment.

Answer 3

I have the problem also. I love going to the mall but I have to pass most of the stores that I love because there are to many people inside and most of the time the store seems to crowded. I just do allot of online shopping and when I go into the store I know exactly what I want and I run in and out.

Answer 4

I think the only reason I suffer from social phobia is because of my weight. Whenever I step outside my house, I am always worried about what others see when they look at me. I hate it when people stare. But recently my friend helped me out with this. She keeps telling me that people look because they have eyes, they can't help it. Now when I go somewhere I think to myself no one cares what I look like because they are more worried about if they look better. This is the sad part of our existence, life is a competition, and everyone cares only about themselves. And if people are staring, it is probably because they have found someone worth competing with (smile). You have paid a price to live in this world, and enjoy its wonders, why should we blow our money into the air like that right? We only have one chance at living healthy, so why live it indoors and away from people.

Answer 5

Eliminate Social Anxiety And Shyness - http://tinyurl.com/rlrICvN38X