I think I might have social anxiety disorder

The other day I heard someone on TV talking about how they had it. I've always been an extremely shy person, and I thought I'd check out more about it online. As I was reading the symptoms it was describing me. I become nervous in any social situation. Little things like talking on the phone or even walking in front of a group of people makes me nervous. When I'm with ANYONE, things go racing through my mind. I'm always trying to think of something to say and feel awkward when nothing is said.

I lost friendships because I don't keep in contact with them. For some reason just calling someone on the phone is terrifying to me. I can't hold conversations with other people because I feel they are looking down on me and I just don't have anything to say. I feel like such an outcast in social situations. I can't even remember the last time I went out with someone to just hang out. It's been so long. I'm even shy in front of my family. I can't express myself to anyone.

I don't know what to do anymore. I hate being so shy and introverted and I think I might have this disorder.

I was diagnosed with this a while back. I was having a hard time in school because of it so I was put on Effexor. It was very helpfull! I decited after a year or so to taper off of it. It was extremely difficult and I felt like an even bigger mess than I did before I took it. But that was just the side effects of my body re-adjusting. Ive learned that the best way to get over it is to put myself out there and just get use to it. Sometimes I still get completely terrified, but Im learning to cope. Have you ever been to a therapist?

when you class anything as a disorder, it immediately will make your mind feel as if you have a more serious, deeper, un-removable problem. And you wouldn't want that, as that would simply mean you're darned!!

LOADS of people will feel nervous when with other people, or even walking past a group (particularly of the opposite sex)! Phone calls, yes, they can be stressful, especially if you make them, as then it feels as if the responsibility is on you if it becomes silent!

It seems that you seem to have more of a low self esteem than social anxiety disorder. You THINK that there is little to say, as you THINK you are boring.... however this is not necessarily what others will think! If you think of saying something, but then back off, as you fear it may make you seem "rejected" Maybe it's just the time to get some guts and... say it!

If you never say these things, and simply shy away when with others, that can be routable from low self-esteem. And the cure to that, is simply to recognize that it is mainly mental. And we are our minds!! So thereforeeee we can bloody change that. Maybe you should just try being more outgoing. Sure, it'll be deadly uncomfortable, and you may get put down sometimes, but just keep fighting. Remember, you are constantly changing, so the person you felt bad about maybe a year ago, is not you now, and if you say or do something out of your normal character, and get put down for it, then at least you'll learn from it, and usually people will forget about it. BUT if you do something or say something that is funny/makes an impression, that impression will last.

So just try to be more outgoing

Thats true, ostego. Being told you have a disorder can make you feel even worse. I have had times that I felt I could not trust my owm feelings or reactions to things because I questioned if they were legit. I was made to feel that I was all messed up inside. I would rather learn or attempt to get over my fears myself instead of relying on meds. (even though I know you didn't mention meds) I do think that a therapist can be helpfull though. While MANY people have some level of social anxiety, there are others who have it on a whole other level. It can be perilizing. It can't hurt to talk to someone.

iwantittoend,

I believe I experienced this in my younger years (i'm 31 now). I didn't really take initiative to fix it then, so nip it in the bud ASAP.

Anxiety always exists to an extent. Do not let it have control over what you do. I don't have any experience with meds, but I think a speach course or just getting comfortable with the situation at hand will help immensely.

Going into the situation, recognize your bodies response. Do not fight it. Think to yourself, "my heart is racing", "my palms are sweating" don't allow it to snowball. Simply recognize it and override the symptoms.

I remember reading about a famous talk show host (Johnny Carson?) who took 10 years to overcome the stage anxiety. Prior to that, he would vomit every show before appearing on stage.

dude, don't "disorder" yourself. being shy and having fears does not = disorder.

I, too, have been worried about having SAD.

I've read through dozens of websites, symptoms and even identified with the anti-depressant commercials for Zoloft.

Clinically, yes, I probably do have this disorder.

There are some situations that I absolutely HATE. Sometimes people will make pleasant, polite small talk with me and I just feel so shy that I don't respond or respond in such a stitled manner that things get awkward.

I know what you mean about your mind racing; it's like right in the midst of a normal situation you retreat into yourself; then you begin to berate yourself for retreating into yourself. THEN you just feel like the worst person on the face of the earth for letting yourself overcome YOURSELF.

I've toyed with the idea of going on some kind of medication but I'm not interested in taking drugs so I can lead a normal life. Like someone above said, it then becomes difficult to live your life without the medication.

For me, SAD has meant holding myself back in every aspect of life.

I'm about to be a senior in college and even though I LOVE my major (English) you'd never know it if you were in class with me. I almost never speak up in class, when I do I'm always extremely nervous. Yet I consistently receive near-perfect scores on assignments and my professors have suggested, several times, that I present some of my research and papers at national conferences.

Up until now, I've always turned them down because the conference involves me orally presenting my papers THREE times.

But after recently being let go from a job I was planning to quit (partly because of my extreme shyness) I've realized that I have a choice to make.

Either I sit back, scared and timid, watching my life pass me by or I move forward and work past the shyness.

It's only been a few days since I had my little epiphany, but I'm trying to improve myself a little bit at a time.

I contacted my professor and told her that I'll present my paper at the conference. I'm absolutely terrified, yes, but it's something I have to do.

My mind still goes blank and races sometimes when I don't know what to say, do or act...and tonight I just avoided hanging out with some friends because I didn't feel "comfortable."

As much as I can, though, I'm trying to recognize that even when it feels like my anxiety is getting the better of me, I'm still--and ALWAYS--in control.

It's tough, but it's better than living life scared.

I have to agree with ostego. It doesn't sound like S.A.D is your problem. It sounds more like low self-esteem and general shyness. Although it could be a mild form of S.A.D. It's hard to tell without more details.

Here are some links to help you decide if you really do have this disorder:

Real-Life Examples - link removed

WebMD Symptoms List - link removed

But ultimately only a properly trained therapist can give you a difinitive answer. In the more severe cases of S.A.D a person can actually develop Agoraphobia, keeping them trapped inside their own homes (or rooms within their homes).

I'm new here, but for the past couple years I've been wondering whether I've had some sort of anxiety in adulthood, and/or whether I've been having it constantly since I was about 4 or so (I'm actually 30 now).

Why I'm posting this particular reply, though, is slightly different. I see a popular school of thought here that it's better to just work through your own issues and force yourself to fight it than to pay someone to tell you that you have a disorder. That is, the notion that once an "expert" tells you that you have "X", or that "X" is what's wrong with you (be it anxiety or something else), that it changes your perception of reality and reinforces a belief that something is wrong with you, which might make it easier to become complacent, play the victim, and/or victimize yourself, etc.

But for a long time I had been wondering about almost the opposite paradigm. I had been under the impression that naming the problem took power away from it and gave you power over it. The analogy that was presented to me was basically the story of Rumplestiltskin. When he was an unknown persona he was able to act like he was in charge, but once his name was revealed he was rendered powerless. Once you name something, once you label something, you begin to describe it, and by definition its boundaries. Isn't this an important step towards overcoming the problem, through examination and demarcation, to try and pin it down and find ways to beat it?

thank you very much for sharing guys

ok so i've been dealing with this social phobia for about a month now and its ruining my life. i cant even walk into a grocery store with out feeling anxious and sick to my stomach. i used to have a great social life but i started to develope this phobia of what people think of me. i literally start breathing hard to the point of hyperventilating. its bad sometimes i'll pass out and wake up and be fine. im scared of what people think of me when they see me, so thats why i sit in my house all day everyday. i even quiet my job because i couldnt handle dealing with people and authority. i had a nervous break down when i was arrested. i dont want people to feel sorry for me, i just people to understand that social phobia is real and that im not making this all up.