Social Anxiety: Share your Experience Here!

@Jen7Cups Thank-you. That was so beautiful 😍.

@Jen7Cups hello my name is nana and I have social anxiety but the thing is the teachers always ask us to show our faces when we're introducing ourselves through online video calling and because of it I often leave the class in the fear that they'll ask me to show my face and speak instead of using the char box, it's a really disheartening experience for someone who has social anxiety :(

@Jen7Cups

I am Jen also. I have had severe social phobia develop over time. I was bullied as a child and my mother has always been a very controlling perfectionist. I have always been more comfortable in the company of animals or alone. Even during family gatherings, I tend to gravitate into the far corners of the room playing with the dog or cat.

I can't do normal things like go to the grocery store on my own or talk on the phone. Why? What is wrong with me?

I was bullied a lot in school, and it really took a toll on my self esteem. Now that I'm in a new school with new classmates, I'm finding it difficult to talk to people and make friends. My classmates have been kind and patient, but I always feel awkward and anxious. It's been six months, and I still don't really have friends. But I'm slowly becoming more and more comfortable among my classmates, and I'm trying to talk more. This community has been really supportive and I've been learning to be more honest on this platform, so thanks everyone, for listening and being kind

@Jen7Cups Hi! I've experienced the same things. I don't feel like this pandemic is making it any better considering I have little to no social interaction but it does give me peace of mind knowing I don't have to deal with people and can use the pandemic as my excuse (I feel guitly to admit that).

At the height of my anxitey it was crippling to even take a walk outside without feeling the urge to cry had I made eye contact with a stranger on the street. It also interfered with my schooling, causing me to fail a communications and english course twice. I even recall an instance where I was running late for a precal class and I stood RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR for 10 minutes trying to giving myself some words of encouragement to go inside. In the end, I feared that awkward moment when everyone would look up to acknowledge my late arrival so much that I left home feeling like the biggest loser. My anxiety did get better after working in retail for some time and making a few aquatainces. However, due to covid, I've lost my job and stuggling to find work. I've been called for multiple interviews but can't bring myself to go beause I let my anxiety get the best of me.

I'm Teal, I struggle with social anxiety and boundary issues from mental abuse in my longest closest friendship. I live a very isolated life as a stay at home mom, and the pandemic has made it worse.

I hate talking to strangers on the phone, it really upsets my anxiety, and I can't do most things in person right now so I have no choice but to call. Dealing with people in person is also a struggle for me, but at least if I can read body language I will get reassured when it's going well. I always doubt it is over the phone.

I don't really have any friends I can socialize with, I left a workplace a year ago and my work friendships didn't continue for long after leaving. My childhood friends are all gone, some just drifted away and then there was the abusive one.
I feel like I'm getting social atrophy, and it feels pretty lonely. I just gave a woman in my group Therapy my number and we've been texting so hopefully there's a blossoming friendship possible there, and I hope I can chat here on 7 Cups as well try to get more comfortable talking to people again in a safe space!

Hi guys,

I really don't want to jump to conclusions by saying I have social anxiety so I'll just say an overwhelming shyness. Now that we got that out of the way, I think my worst experience with my "overwhelming shyness" is when I would sit alone in class. Before the late bell would ring, I'd be hiding in the bathroom cause i'd have no one to talk to while waiting for class to start. At the last minute I'd come in late even though I hated being the late student walking to an empty table. There I'd sit alone and literally EVERYONE knew I had no friends. Fortunately (ig), a group of girls would sit be me sometimes because they felt bad for me. Irdk if that made it better bc I started crying in the middle of class just hoping no one noticed. I hated school. I also hated hearing/ seeing everyone have a good time haning with friends, getting invited to parties, and how no one cared(?) enough to talked to me. I felt sooo bad that for a while, my best friend was my Al. I'm not excited that this still happens to this day, but at least it's not as extreme.

Having anxiety for as long as I can remember, being social in general sent me into extreme anxiety. How I learned to deal with this was by being aware of how im feeling, and asking questions about why I may be feeling this way. Asking myself these questions definitely helped me over time with my social anxiety.

i'm not sure what social anxiety is. i have heard about it in the past and it seems that most people refer to it as shyness or timidity and they in turn call me shy and timid.

i'm not convinced if that's true or accurate. case in point: myself. if i'm shy how come i've never been afraid of public speaking or talking with complete strangers? but then again i have other behaviors that some people define as shy---reluctant to go to parties or large gatherings, don't want to eat or drink in front of others, not talking much (or wanting to even if i have something to say).

so i'm confused. is there a spectrum of social anxiety that covers a broad range of attitudes and behaviors where someone like me call fit into, or is it an all or nothing scenario? then, how do i cope with the more extreme and bizzare behaviors i sometimes engage in? how do i deal with the constant nagging voice that constantly asks "did I do that right? did I say that right? do I look stupid or foolish right now? should i be doing something else?"

Hello y'all!

I'm Sam and I've had social anxiety for as long as I can remember, but because of the pandemic, it got so much worse. I really hate calling, and my friends are constantly calling. I try to text some, but when we see each other in real life I feel left out because I wasn't calling with them.

It's nice to meet y'all!