Does anybody feel like nobody knows your “true” self because you are so anxious all the time?

[feyre56]

I feel like nobody (except for a few close family members) truly see me for who I am because I can’t be myself to them. Whenever I am in a conversation (even when I’ve known them for awhile) I always get so anxious and stutter or come off as uninterested (when I really just have bad social anxiety). Afterwards, I always spend hours overthinking everything that I did wrong and I just feel paralyzed by it.

[Hb2003]

Same here i have social anxiety . I guess i do know my true self 😄 . Lots of kindness and support 🙏🫂

[feyre56 in reply to Hb2003]

Thank you for this. This was my first post on here and you just made me feel less alone💛

[Hb2003 in reply to feyre56]

Your welcome ☺️ . Your not alone 🙏 in fact social anxiety is common

[Agora1]

Hi feyre56 and Welcome to this safe and kind forum of virtual friends.This is one place where we are able to let down our guard and be ourselves.

No judgment, no ridicule, just love and acceptance. I'm happy that you are

with us. xx

[Marysblue]

I used to do that. But then I figured out that everyone has such a short attention span now from using technology, that most people aren't even really listening to what I say.

[fauxartist]

It sounds so frustrating for you, and I hope you know that you didn't do anything wrong. The rumination of what you didn't do right or did wrong is torture. And anyone who is worth your friendship anyway, will always see past what any social anxiety, they will see you for who you are. Sometimes we have to just change who we choose to let into our boundaries. Like you said, you have some family who understand you, and eventually you will also have friends who do the same. The thing to remember is... in life... we will in reality only have a very few close friends, the rest will just be acquaintances, and they come and go.

[Clynn34]

Hi feyre56, I too feel this way and have for a long time. My anxiety disorder makes me tense majority of the time and give off awkwardness. As I get older I tend to give myself some grace with it and it helps to know others can relate as well.

[Saraia]

You’re not alone. I feel like that too, with some people. Anytime it’s important or a confrontation, no matter how mild, I lose my words and I come off sounding like a complete idiot/ uncaring/ even mean. My immediate family understand and I don’t talk to many others because of this. …this increases the social awkwardness but hey. …less people = less conversations = less people I accidentally offend!