I might have social anxiety, but I don't know for sure. Share your experiences, comments, and opinions. Thank you!

[Feri19]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, and it's my first question to post here.

In the past, I had been lonely and told myself I'm just extremely shy when I grew up everything would be different. But, it didn't go. sometimes, I am good when with one person or along, I can be myself and I don't stutter. However, if I am among many people, it will be hard for me to interact and socialize and stutter if among many people.

Has anyone experienced something similar or the same as what I've mentioned above?

if so, what have you done about it?

regards,

your friend, Feras.

[ginger01]

Hi Feras! Social anxiety is a huge deal, but we really are our own worst enemies We judge ourselves when others don't. I always took it to heart when my daughter would get angry with me for not wanting manicures, or for not doing what she considered "normal". I felt less than who I should be😭 then something wonderful happened, I realized that I'm exactly who I need to be!

I do not like crowds, and I'm not a city girl. I love animals and enjoy the outdoors, and a good time to me is sitting on my patio feeding birds and squirrels... no I'm not 90 haha. If you are comfortable with one person and/or happy alone there is nothing wrong with that, or you! You are perfectly made and loved by the ONE who created you💝 The beginning to healing is accepting yourself and realizing you are 👌

[Purrsona]

I've always been the person who likes reading and wandering around alone, or spending time with just one person, and hates most partying and big gatherings and noise. There's no shame in it. I actually became extraverted for some time when I moved to a new city, although I would still have a lot of anxiety about crowds. But with the break from the pandemic I finally realized how exhausted I was from all that interaction.

In my opinion, if you don't absolutely need to be extraverted, there's nothing wrong with embracing your anxious self and keeping to small gatherings, one-on-ones and alone time. It all depends on you. Would you feel lonely if you stopped forcing yourself to be social in groups, or would it be a relief to spend more time with just one or two friends? Therapy can definitely help you cope with social anxiety, but I don't think you should see it as something "wrong" with you unless it is actually hurting your quality of life.

That's just my opinion, though.