Social Anxiety Support

juggernaut · 10-30-2009, 09:33 PM

Hey everybody,

I registered here over 2 years ago after discovering what SAD was and diagnosing myself with it. The relief of reading experiences of people that I could relate to with my social problems was strong and gave me a comforting connection. However I was feeling very overwhelmed with college work and life at the time and found that I was mostly coming here during periods of intense anxiety, depression, and stress, simply to find some comfort in reading the shared turmoil of others. But I was never feeling the urge to post and contribute. Even on the internet I feel socially anxious.

I made it through college somehow and now have fully moved back in to my family's house while I look for a job. I get along well with my family and they're understanding people, though I've never felt comfortable discussing my personal life and issues with them, and I definitely have a lot.

But with my job hunting going slowly I'm finding myself facing increasing pressure from my family to step up the job hunting effort and to get out of the house more. This pressure has been fueling my anxiety lately, which came to a tipping point tonight after I was asked by my brother point blank why I'm not hanging out with anybody. I admitted that I didn't really have anybody living near home that I felt like hanging out with anymore after having lived away from home at college for 4 years and that I would soon get out and meet some new people. While I haven't told anyone about my social anxiety, just saying out loud to someone that I would take action about my social situation has inspired me to come back here and start taking some action. I did initially feel anxious and depressed after my conversation with him, but since I've been feeling overall less overwhelmed and more mentally stable lately I felt that it was time that I truly start actively participating in this community and stop being merely a passive observer.

So I'll leave it at that for now and I'm looking forward to getting to know people here and start making some positive steps toward curing my social anxiety and helping others with it as well.

millenniumman75 · 10-30-2009, 09:38 PM

Welcome, Juggernaut!

Toad Licker · 10-31-2009, 10:38 AM

Hey juggernaut

kuzu · 10-31-2009, 03:02 PM

hi!

Phoenix87 · 10-31-2009, 03:06 PM

Welcome!

Lisa · 10-31-2009, 03:06 PM

Hi

TorLin · 10-31-2009, 09:36 PM

HELLO juggernaut

Welcome to SAS !

Rayacle · 11-01-2009, 10:49 PM

hey jug, sounds like you are going through what i am. finished up college, and hard to find work these days with the bad economy. it took a REALLY long time to convince my family i had social anxiety and even then they didnt believe me until i saw a "professional".

it gets me down a lot not working, but i say to myself, as long as i know i keep trying, there is nothing wrong with me. my family pressures me as well but i shut them up by showing my efforts and statistics showing the terrible unemployment, and now they finally got off my back.

i joined a state funded program which counts social anxiety as a disability, and they help people like us find jobs. even THEY are having a hard time helping me find a job and it has been around 7 months now. i am so bad at talking to people IRL and everyones advice is something along the lines of "just talk to people in public in stores, or grocery stores" yea its easy for them right? i find it even hard talking on the net a lot because of all of the negative attitudes people give.

today im going all out and going to find people like myself to talk to , we deserve happiness too right? im so tired of thinking i have no friends, im going to do what i can and if people can identify with me, great! if not oh well, ill try other forums and keep looking. good luck on fighting your depression/anxiety and feel free to message me on yahoo or something, see you later man!

-Ray

10-30-2009, 09:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
juggernaut Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Long Island, NY Gender: Male Age: 22 Posts: 2	Long time lurker, first time poster Hey everybody, I registered here over 2 years ago after discovering what SAD was and diagnosing myself with it. The relief of reading experiences of people that I could relate to with my social problems was strong and gave me a comforting connection. However I was feeling very overwhelmed with college work and life at the time and found that I was mostly coming here during periods of intense anxiety, depression, and stress, simply to find some comfort in reading the shared turmoil of others. But I was never feeling the urge to post and contribute. Even on the internet I feel socially anxious. I made it through college somehow and now have fully moved back in to my family's house while I look for a job. I get along well with my family and they're understanding people, though I've never felt comfortable discussing my personal life and issues with them, and I definitely have a lot. But with my job hunting going slowly I'm finding myself facing increasing pressure from my family to step up the job hunting effort and to get out of the house more. This pressure has been fueling my anxiety lately, which came to a tipping point tonight after I was asked by my brother point blank why I'm not hanging out with anybody. I admitted that I didn't really have anybody living near home that I felt like hanging out with anymore after having lived away from home at college for 4 years and that I would soon get out and meet some new people. While I haven't told anyone about my social anxiety, just saying out loud to someone that I would take action about my social situation has inspired me to come back here and start taking some action. I did initially feel anxious and depressed after my conversation with him, but since I've been feeling overall less overwhelmed and more mentally stable lately I felt that it was time that I truly start actively participating in this community and stop being merely a passive observer. So I'll leave it at that for now and I'm looking forward to getting to know people here and start making some positive steps toward curing my social anxiety and helping others with it as well.

10-30-2009, 09:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
millenniumman75 Status: Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dayton-Cincinnati, OH Gender: Male Age: 34 Posts: 38,668	Welcome, Juggernaut! __________________ millenniumman75 You are a success story waiting to happen! Live and let live VACUUMS more than a Hoover.... Live and HELP live is better!

10-31-2009, 10:38 AM	#3 (permalink)
Toad Licker Status: Broken Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: A Fruitloop Daydream Gender: Male Age: 44 Posts: 29,632	Hey juggernaut __________________ All will wither, go to sleep The ones you love you may not keep All you touch will fall apart The dreams you kill will break your heart There's no mercy, there's no rest The void will scream within your chest No one knows and no one will So leave this place that makes you Ill - Madder Mortem

10-31-2009, 03:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
Phoenix87 Status: King of the Phoenix Realm Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Canada Gender: Male Age: 22 Posts: 260	Welcome! __________________ I intend to live forever. So far, so good. When in doubt, mumble. I Fuking Love to Cuddle! You can't have Manslaughter, without 'laughter.' Don't bother me... I'm wasting potential! FACEBOOK*

10-31-2009, 09:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
TorLin Status: MayTheForceBeWithYou Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: California Gender: Male Posts: 17,058	HELLO juggernaut Welcome to SAS ! __________________ MTFBWU (May The Force Be With You) - TORLIN AIM, MSN, YIM: T0RL1N Skype: Tor_Lin Visit me at; ToryLing.com \| LivingAnxious \| Facebook \| Myspace \| Last.fm

10-31-2009, 03:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
kuzu Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: usa Gender: Female Posts: 9	hi!

10-31-2009, 03:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
Lisa Status: Missing her friends!!!!!! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Britain Posts: 2,069	Hi

11-01-2009, 10:49 PM	#8 (permalink)
Rayacle Status: Healer Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Midwest USA Gender: Male Age: 28 Posts: 32	hey jug, sounds like you are going through what i am. finished up college, and hard to find work these days with the bad economy. it took a REALLY long time to convince my family i had social anxiety and even then they didnt believe me until i saw a "professional". it gets me down a lot not working, but i say to myself, as long as i know i keep trying, there is nothing wrong with me. my family pressures me as well but i shut them up by showing my efforts and statistics showing the terrible unemployment, and now they finally got off my back. i joined a state funded program which counts social anxiety as a disability, and they help people like us find jobs. even THEY are having a hard time helping me find a job and it has been around 7 months now. i am so bad at talking to people IRL and everyones advice is something along the lines of "just talk to people in public in stores, or grocery stores" yea its easy for them right? i find it even hard talking on the net a lot because of all of the negative attitudes people give. today im going all out and going to find people like myself to talk to , we deserve happiness too right? im so tired of thinking i have no friends, im going to do what i can and if people can identify with me, great! if not oh well, ill try other forums and keep looking. good luck on fighting your depression/anxiety and feel free to message me on yahoo or something, see you later man! -Ray __________________ Click here to read my story of Social Anxiety Disorder and Depression [--------- Positive Thinking is the Key ---------] " Because we deserve happiness too!" -Rayacle