Just Curious

[Freefall88]

Just wondering how many people feel while suffering from their anxiety and depression like all eyes are on you when you go out? Like the feeling people around you are mind readers and/or are judging you as you walk around or shop etc. As I've become somewhat anti-social now and I always feel like people in malls etc are staring at me and it makes me try to get in and out as fast as possible.

[Starrlight]

Yeah, I get a general sense that some critical eyes are watching me. A lot of the time. I don’t know if it is from anxiety. Is it paranoia I wonder. As a kid I always felt someone was judging me... Today I felt eyes and when I consciously looked around, no one was looking at me. It made me feel better.

[slychichen45]

I feel the exact same way when in Walmart when ever the workers look at me I feel like they think I'm stealing stuff so I try to act like I look normal but then I think what if I'm over correcting I look suspicious and it turns into a spiraling mind prison where I'm stuck thinking everybody thinks I'm stealing stuff but that's probably just haha

[Tutumama]

ALL OF THE TIME....it is why I stay home mostly now. I have a panic attack just thinking of walking into a big store. I've been lucky enough to have a best friend who understands and supports me through this. She is usually the one who does the store thing for me, picking up my meds, etc.

Idk when this started for me, I think when i lost feeling in 1 of my legs and had to use a leg brace and cane at 34 yrs old from a back injury. I didnt just THINK people were looking at me, they really were and still do. They wonder why someone of my age has this injury and limp, some have even asked. I live in a part of the US where people don't hesitate to give their opinion or ask ridiculous questions for some reason. It has gotten to a point where even my kids answer for me bc i don't go anywhere alone lol....sad and pathetic i know. I'm in and out, no browsing here when i do go which is seldom now!

You arent alone in it, believe me! Hoping it gets better for you honey!

[Surrounded-but-alone]

Same here. I was just telling my best friend that it's weird to me, anxiety and depression are a very confusing set of symptoms. They make you think you don't matter at all, and yet they also make you feel like you are the only thing strangers can pay attention to in public. It makes absolutely no sense, and yet they so easily go together. It's self-hating narcissism... There's an oxymoron for ya! Lol