Hello,
I'm Melissa, and I'm 30. I'm pretty sure I must have been born with SA. I can't remember ever being outgoing or not afraid of what people thought of me. People around me always just considered me to be really shy, and it wasn't until my mid-20s that I even ever heard of social anxiety. However, I immediately knew that it described me, and was diagnosed shortly thereafter. It some ways it was a relief to know that there was a term for the way I had been all of my life: Blushing and sweating when I had to talk to a group, having to rehearse conversations before making a call, panicking at the mere idea of having to meet someone new, etc.
I have made pretty big strides in recent years, doing things I never would have done even five years ago, but it's when I take those steps backward that I get frustrated at myself. I still find myself occasionally struggling with the simplest things, such as making a phone call or eating in public. My loved ones are certainly sympathetic, but no one ever seems to "get" my SA, so I thought I would seek out those who might have a real understanding about how I feel, which led me here.
I'm Melissa, and I'm 30. I'm pretty sure I must have been born with SA. I can't remember ever being outgoing or not afraid of what people thought of me. People around me always just considered me to be really shy, and it wasn't until my mid-20s that I even ever heard of social anxiety. However, I immediately knew that it described me, and was diagnosed shortly thereafter. It some ways it was a relief to know that there was a term for the way I had been all of my life: Blushing and sweating when I had to talk to a group, having to rehearse conversations before making a call, panicking at the mere idea of having to meet someone new, etc.
I have made pretty big strides in recent years, doing things I never would have done even five years ago, but it's when I take those steps backward that I get frustrated at myself. I still find myself occasionally struggling with the simplest things, such as making a phone call or eating in public. My loved ones are certainly sympathetic, but no one ever seems to "get" my SA, so I thought I would seek out those who might have a real understanding about how I feel, which led me here.
