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Hello everyone.

I wanted to share my experience with social anxiety and get a little insight on it.
I don’t know where or when it started, I can say from the age of 10 I believe I’ve dealt with it. I get very anxious when it comes to going places, for example out with my friends, a party, dinner with my girlfriend, doctors appointments, etc.

My blood pressure goes up, my hands get sweaty, sometimes I get an upset stomach and I become very irritable. 90% of the time, I end up canceling or finding a way not to go. This is obviously affecting my life in a very negative way, thank god my girlfriend is understanding, and for the most part my friends understand.

But, again it defiantly affects my life, and I don’t have much control over it. I have sat down and picked my brain to figure out where and why I get so nervous, but I can’t.
I was on medication a year or so ago, but once I applied for my job, I had to get off it, or I wasn’t pass the cut.

For instance, tomorrow I have training, and I am very nervous about it, for no reason! I have been to this location many times, I know the person. My brain is telling me to cancel, but I have no chose in the matter.
Does anyone else deal with this, or is it just me?

I am very similar. Ordinary medical and dental appointments, work meetings with people whether new people or people I have comfortably interacted with for years, extended family functions, house parties, dining out, etc. -- They all cause me either anticipatory anxiety or fear that I will be caught off guard saying something I will regret and not being able to correct the embarrassment.

One outcome that I hope will happen as I stay on this forum is to be able to weather the anxiety and get by. I think it may be too much at this point to say defeat anxiety and go on the offensive, but rather to get by and sustain.

Oh yes, for sure. To be honest, I feel more anxiety around mundane outings and being around people I know, rather than completely new people.



Nothing gives me more anxiety than seeing someone that I haven't spoken to in a long time. My mind races with all the possible things they must be thinking about me.

Communication is a two-way street. If you haven't spoken to them, they also haven't spoken to you... Why should everything be your fault, and fall upon your shoulders... It's not always about us. Hope this helps