Social Anxiety Support

shy67 · 09-27-2009, 02:52 PM

I think I have SA but I also have a bunch of other symptoms that could be other disorders. It's like they keep adding up and I seem to get more as I get older. I looked into avoidant personality disorder. Is this the same as SA, because I fit the description really well. Also, I realized the other day that a problem I have is I'm afraid of failure/making a mistake. This is why I don't take initiative a lot, or act "slow". I want to ask a question but then feel like it's a dumb question so I don't. Then I don't do something because of fear of making a mistake. I also have a lot of phobias like most animals and driving a car (although I seem to have overcome that b/c I will soon be taking my driver's license exam). I also have OCD like symptoms. Anyone else have a big group of symptoms like this?

Kelly065 · 09-30-2009, 09:53 AM

I have a long list of symptoms. I have a touch of OCD as well. I also have the fear of failure or making a mistake. It seems like 'normal' people think things like "things should really go this way", and I think of things like "things HAVE to go this way". I get extremly nervous to the point of making myself sick.

Somebody took my wombat · 09-30-2009, 07:11 PM

I know what you mean. I've been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and borderline personality disorder.

Today my therapist told me I have an avoidant personality. I guess I pretty much already knew this, because I tend to avoid situations that cause excessive anxiety, but when I actually started looking up the symptoms of avoidant personality disorder I thought, "how is this different than social phobia?" I mean, I see how they're sort of different, but from my understanding of what social anxiety is, based on my own feelings and experiences, it's hard for me to comprehend how someone could have one without the other.

I really don't want to believe that I have "Avoidant Personality Disorder". That sounds like such a permanent thing. Arrgh...it's scary. I don't want to be too scared to interact with people forever!

I can definitely relate to the fear of failure thing and the acting slow thing. Sometimes someone will say something to me and I'm like, "What?" even though I heard what they said. Or I'll say "Uh..." before I answer. I can't just answer off the top of my head, I have to buy myself time to think about it, even when the response doesn't require a lot of thought. For example:

some person: "How old are you?"
me: "Uh...21" What? Why did I have to think about that first?

I do it because I'm afraid of making a mistake or sounding dumb, but saying "uh" all the time really just ends up making me sound even more dumb.

shy67 · 09-30-2009, 09:28 PM

Thanks for responding. I just feel like soon, I will have so many symptoms I might not be able to leave the house. I'm scared of that.

Knife · 10-01-2009, 02:35 AM

I have the problem of always believing I'm going to make a mistake too...
It feels like it's totally ingrained in me, so anything I do I feel I'm going to mess up. I have this geniune belief that I can't succeed in anything and it's ****ing up my education at the moment.

Somebody took my wombat · 10-01-2009, 04:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shy67

Thanks for responding. I just feel like soon, I will have so many symptoms I might not be able to leave the house. I'm scared of that.

I'm sorry.

That's a scary feeling. Are you seeking help for your problems at all--like therapy or anything?

09-27-2009, 02:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
shy67 Status: SAS Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 62	Not sure what I have I think I have SA but I also have a bunch of other symptoms that could be other disorders. It's like they keep adding up and I seem to get more as I get older. I looked into avoidant personality disorder. Is this the same as SA, because I fit the description really well. Also, I realized the other day that a problem I have is I'm afraid of failure/making a mistake. This is why I don't take initiative a lot, or act "slow". I want to ask a question but then feel like it's a dumb question so I don't. Then I don't do something because of fear of making a mistake. I also have a lot of phobias like most animals and driving a car (although I seem to have overcome that b/c I will soon be taking my driver's license exam). I also have OCD like symptoms. Anyone else have a big group of symptoms like this?

10-01-2009, 02:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
Knife Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: London, UK Gender: Female Age: 21 Posts: 533	I have the problem of always believing I'm going to make a mistake too... It feels like it's totally ingrained in me, so anything I do I feel I'm going to mess up. I have this geniune belief that I can't succeed in anything and it's ****ing up my education at the moment. __________________ All fear is nothing more than the ego's expectancy of an upcoming contradiction. Most of it is not real. Dissipate its power by refusing to buy the emotion. Make fear your friend. Talk to it. Accommodate it as a helper and ally and most of your fear will change or disappear completely. - Stuart Wilde

09-30-2009, 09:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
Kelly065 Status: Emotional Mess Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Asheville, NC Gender: Female Age: 23 Posts: 96	I have a long list of symptoms. I have a touch of OCD as well. I also have the fear of failure or making a mistake. It seems like 'normal' people think things like "things should really go this way", and I think of things like "things HAVE to go this way". I get extremly nervous to the point of making myself sick.

09-30-2009, 07:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
Somebody took my wombat Status: SAS Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 41	I know what you mean. I've been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and borderline personality disorder. Today my therapist told me I have an avoidant personality. I guess I pretty much already knew this, because I tend to avoid situations that cause excessive anxiety, but when I actually started looking up the symptoms of avoidant personality disorder I thought, "how is this different than social phobia?" I mean, I see how they're sort of different, but from my understanding of what social anxiety is, based on my own feelings and experiences, it's hard for me to comprehend how someone could have one without the other. I really don't want to believe that I have "Avoidant Personality Disorder". That sounds like such a permanent thing. Arrgh...it's scary. I don't want to be too scared to interact with people forever! I can definitely relate to the fear of failure thing and the acting slow thing. Sometimes someone will say something to me and I'm like, "What?" even though I heard what they said. Or I'll say "Uh..." before I answer. I can't just answer off the top of my head, I have to buy myself time to think about it, even when the response doesn't require a lot of thought. For example: some person: "How old are you?" me: "Uh...21" What? Why did I have to think about that first? I do it because I'm afraid of making a mistake or sounding dumb, but saying "uh" all the time really just ends up making me sound even more dumb.

09-30-2009, 09:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
shy67 Status: SAS Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 62	Thanks for responding. I just feel like soon, I will have so many symptoms I might not be able to leave the house. I'm scared of that.