Social Anxiety Support

Smitten · 11-06-2009, 06:31 PM

there it is!!

Haydsmom2007 · 11-06-2009, 06:33 PM

Where's the poll? lol

bhj867 · 11-06-2009, 07:51 PM

I over analyze everything to the point of making dumb conversation with nothing but facts and numbers. I bore people easy with my giant brain.

MavenMI6Agent009 · 11-06-2009, 08:30 PM

I chose the third option. part of my sa stems from thinking im unintelligent which is not true.

anonymid · 11-06-2009, 09:35 PM

#3

quiet0lady · 11-06-2009, 09:45 PM

I know I'm a pretty intelligent person, but my anxiety makes me unintelligent at times, if that makes sense. For example, in school I know I was fully capable of getting A's, but that didn't always happen because my anxiety would interfere.

nothing to fear · 11-06-2009, 10:00 PM

I think I am unintelligent and it causes me to have anxiety in social situations and low self-esteem

not so much the low self-esteem, but my anxiety is worsened.

Prakas · 11-06-2009, 10:01 PM

Pretty interesting results so far. I consider myself intelligent, but don't believe it affects my SA in any way shape or form. I do overthink things like many others here, but its not from intelligence, its because I'm constantly worried how others are judging me. Alot of this is due to bad experiences in my childhood I believe and low self-esteem, etc.

Smitten · 11-07-2009, 06:53 PM

159 views and only 21 votes

VipFuj · 11-07-2009, 07:03 PM

hard to answer for me. I dont think I'm dumb but not that smart, but i definitely get self conscious about what I have to say being/coming off as dumb. Then if people think I'm dumb then I must be (lol. i know its not true but my brain still says that). So my intelligence, or lack of, isnt really connect to my anxiety.

Part of it is that I cant put my thoughts to words (refer to above paragraph), which causes anxiety and makes me look unintelligent

Man Is An Island · 11-07-2009, 07:33 PM

Terrific poll, and it identifies a theory I have always had for my own SA and depression.

I believe I have an inability to perform in social situations primarily because I am slow-witted and unintelligent, at least relative to the average person. I am unable to think of clever things to say. If my mind operated faster, I would be able to interact normally. My slow response time often leaves me embarrassed not just in socializing, but any job situation, as it takes me a long while to learn things and make them routine, while regular people can pretty much "pick them up" immediately. Then, to compound the problem, anxiety sets in further derailing my efforts. If I only had the lack of intelligence, as opposed to the anxiety in addition, I might at least be able to function as a normal human being. Oh well.

nightrain · 11-07-2009, 08:08 PM

#1, although I don't think I'm that intelligent, just higher than average.

odd_one_out · 11-08-2009, 03:13 AM

I'm not sure what the poll is getting at.

Banzai · 11-08-2009, 04:07 AM

Interesting poll. It depends though. Either 1, 3 or 4. Not 2 since if I was unintelligent then that definitely would cause me to have low self esteem.

And, like Marooned said, it depends on how you measure intelligence. In terms on schooling and grades, if I was one of the most intelligent person in the class for that particular subject then that alone would boost my self esteem (if not, on the wee bigheaded side). If I was not one of the most intelligent person in that particular subject then yes, I probably have low self esteem.

If my intelligence were to be vastly different to the people around me then that would cause me to stand out and so, causes me to become very self conscious and hence anxiety/self esteem comes along.

Marooned · 11-08-2009, 04:13 AM

Intelligence is largely subjective and is something I try not to give much thought to when I consider what might be causing or contributing to my social problems.

What does it mean to be intelligent? If defined as the capacity for reason, is that not something we all possess? I have an idea of what it means to be knowledgeable about a subject and have the desire and ability to learn, yet I'm not very confident in my knowledge about anything in particular. Should I consider myself to be generally more or less intelligent than one who can claim expertise in a certain field?

There is, of course, an innate component to intelligence which can account for the extremes--prodigies and the mentally disabled. Such cases are rare, however, and don't serve as very good models for comparison; most of us fall somewhere in between, where the lines of demarcation aren't so clear.

As a concept that to me seems so nebulous and relative, intelligence makes a very poor criterion by which to judge oneself. That's not to say it won't creep its way in. When I encounter someone who appears to be very knowledgeable about something in which I have taken an interest, inevitably I will feel some degree of inferiority and envy. It is not, however, something around which I wrap all of my social inadequacies and treat as their source. My anxiety is automatic, deep-seated, and will be present regardless of what or how much I know or don't know.

epril · 11-08-2009, 04:14 AM

I'm intelligent according to the grades I've received, the honors I've received, the college degree I have, the high test scores I have...but, I don't feel I am and come across, imo, as scatter-brained, ditzy, etc. I now try to owe that to A.D.D. and S.A. and not lack of intelligence, to try to boost my self esteem.

Toad Licker · 11-08-2009, 11:05 AM

I chose the 1st option.

XxArmyofOnexX · 11-08-2009, 12:07 PM

tres

Haydsmom2007 · 11-08-2009, 12:25 PM

i chose 1. I think I'm intelligent but I don't really see what that has to do with SA.

Jaiyyson · 11-08-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothing to fear

I think I am unintelligent and it causes me to have anxiety in social situations and low self-esteem

not so much the low self-esteem, but my anxiety is worsened.

Relatable. I will second this.

View Poll Results: I'm interested how intelligent you percieve yourelf to be and how it affects anxiety
I think I am intelligent and it does not cause anxiety in social situations or low self-esteem	27	34.18%
I dont think I am very intelligent but doesn't cause anxiety in social situations/low self-esteem	3	3.80%
I think I am unintelligent and it causes me to have anxiety in social situations and low self-esteem	28	35.44%
I think I am intelligent and it causes me to have anxiety in social situations and low self-esteem	21	26.58%
Voters: 79. You may not vote on this poll

11-06-2009, 06:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
Smitten Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Australia Gender: Female Age: 24 Posts: 142	How do you see yourself? Take 2 there it is!!

11-06-2009, 08:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
MavenMI6Agent009 Status: Cook Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: EL Crapo, Tx Gender: Male Posts: 13,647	I chose the third option. part of my sa stems from thinking im unintelligent which is not true. __________________ "The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares." (Henri Nouwen) -------------------------------------------------------

11-06-2009, 09:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
anonymid Status: gulping for shape Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Chicagoland Gender: Male Age: 30 Posts: 2,077	#3 __________________ "He who has not the courage to suffer either death or life, who will neither resist nor flee, what can we do with him?" - Montaigne

11-06-2009, 10:00 PM	#7 (permalink)
nothing to fear Status: silence is sexy Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 4,840	I think I am unintelligent and it causes me to have anxiety in social situations and low self-esteem not so much the low self-esteem, but my anxiety is worsened. __________________ everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt. ~ i really like music. and photography, though i'm nothing special.

11-06-2009, 06:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Haydsmom2007 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Kansas City Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 198	Where's the poll? lol

11-06-2009, 07:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
bhj867 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 40	I over analyze everything to the point of making dumb conversation with nothing but facts and numbers. I bore people easy with my giant brain.

11-06-2009, 09:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
quiet0lady Status: Hopeful Join Date: Sep 2009 Gender: Female Age: 21 Posts: 41	I know I'm a pretty intelligent person, but my anxiety makes me unintelligent at times, if that makes sense. For example, in school I know I was fully capable of getting A's, but that didn't always happen because my anxiety would interfere.

11-06-2009, 10:01 PM	#8 (permalink)
Prakas Status: Failure - Life Sucks Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Delaware Gender: Male Age: 21 Posts: 434	Pretty interesting results so far. I consider myself intelligent, but don't believe it affects my SA in any way shape or form. I do overthink things like many others here, but its not from intelligence, its because I'm constantly worried how others are judging me. Alot of this is due to bad experiences in my childhood I believe and low self-esteem, etc.

11-07-2009, 06:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
Smitten Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Australia Gender: Female Age: 24 Posts: 142	159 views and only 21 votes

11-07-2009, 07:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
VipFuj Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Caulifornia Gender: Male Age: 22 Posts: 278	hard to answer for me. I dont think I'm dumb but not that smart, but i definitely get self conscious about what I have to say being/coming off as dumb. Then if people think I'm dumb then I must be (lol. i know its not true but my brain still says that). So my intelligence, or lack of, isnt really connect to my anxiety. Part of it is that I cant put my thoughts to words (refer to above paragraph), which causes anxiety and makes me look unintelligent

11-07-2009, 07:33 PM	#11 (permalink)
Man Is An Island Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: SW Ontario Gender: Male Posts: 30	Terrific poll, and it identifies a theory I have always had for my own SA and depression. I believe I have an inability to perform in social situations primarily because I am slow-witted and unintelligent, at least relative to the average person. I am unable to think of clever things to say. If my mind operated faster, I would be able to interact normally. My slow response time often leaves me embarrassed not just in socializing, but any job situation, as it takes me a long while to learn things and make them routine, while regular people can pretty much "pick them up" immediately. Then, to compound the problem, anxiety sets in further derailing my efforts. If I only had the lack of intelligence, as opposed to the anxiety in addition, I might at least be able to function as a normal human being. Oh well.

11-07-2009, 08:08 PM	#12 (permalink)
nightrain Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NC Gender: Male Age: 22 Posts: 825	#1, although I don't think I'm that intelligent, just higher than average.

11-08-2009, 03:13 AM	#13 (permalink)
odd_one_out Status: Active-but-odd Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 32 Posts: 1,215	I'm not sure what the poll is getting at.

11-08-2009, 04:07 AM	#14 (permalink)
Banzai Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: UK Posts: 916	Interesting poll. It depends though. Either 1, 3 or 4. Not 2 since if I was unintelligent then that definitely would cause me to have low self esteem. And, like Marooned said, it depends on how you measure intelligence. In terms on schooling and grades, if I was one of the most intelligent person in the class for that particular subject then that alone would boost my self esteem (if not, on the wee bigheaded side). If I was not one of the most intelligent person in that particular subject then yes, I probably have low self esteem. If my intelligence were to be vastly different to the people around me then that would cause me to stand out and so, causes me to become very self conscious and hence anxiety/self esteem comes along. __________________ When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bike. Then I realised that The Lord doesn't work that way, so I stole one and asked him to forgive me. -- Emo Philips

11-08-2009, 11:05 AM	#17 (permalink)
Toad Licker Status: Broken Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: A Fruitloop Daydream Gender: Male Age: 44 Posts: 29,631	I chose the 1st option. __________________ 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

11-08-2009, 04:13 AM	#15 (permalink)
Marooned Status: SAS Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Gender: Male Posts: 283	Intelligence is largely subjective and is something I try not to give much thought to when I consider what might be causing or contributing to my social problems. What does it mean to be intelligent? If defined as the capacity for reason, is that not something we all possess? I have an idea of what it means to be knowledgeable about a subject and have the desire and ability to learn, yet I'm not very confident in my knowledge about anything in particular. Should I consider myself to be generally more or less intelligent than one who can claim expertise in a certain field? There is, of course, an innate component to intelligence which can account for the extremes--prodigies and the mentally disabled. Such cases are rare, however, and don't serve as very good models for comparison; most of us fall somewhere in between, where the lines of demarcation aren't so clear. As a concept that to me seems so nebulous and relative, intelligence makes a very poor criterion by which to judge oneself. That's not to say it won't creep its way in. When I encounter someone who appears to be very knowledgeable about something in which I have taken an interest, inevitably I will feel some degree of inferiority and envy. It is not, however, something around which I wrap all of my social inadequacies and treat as their source. My anxiety is automatic, deep-seated, and will be present regardless of what or how much I know or don't know.

11-08-2009, 04:14 AM	#16 (permalink)
epril Status: sa challenger Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: arizona Gender: Female Age: 45 Posts: 2,654	I'm intelligent according to the grades I've received, the honors I've received, the college degree I have, the high test scores I have...but, I don't feel I am and come across, imo, as scatter-brained, ditzy, etc. I now try to owe that to A.D.D. and S.A. and not lack of intelligence, to try to boost my self esteem. __________________ "Nobody's ever asked me to a party before, as a friend! Is that why you dyed your eyebrow, for the party? Should I do mine, too?"

11-08-2009, 12:07 PM	#18 (permalink)
XxArmyofOnexX Status: Permanently Canned Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NYC Gender: Male Age: 19 Posts: 541	tres __________________ [13:34] nameless0n: i feel like im becoming more retarded everyone day

11-08-2009, 12:25 PM	#19 (permalink)
Haydsmom2007 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Kansas City Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 198	i chose 1. I think I'm intelligent but I don't really see what that has to do with SA.