Any advice on how to conquer complete social avoidance due to social phobia stemming from negative reactions to my facial scarring.

[Mishamisha77]

I have facial scarring which can’t be camouflaged. I just wondered if anyone else struggles with social phobia as a result of something similar.

[EvaChangingFaces Partner]

Hi Mishamisha77 and welcome to the Changing Faces online community! Thank you for posting your thoughts here and for reaching out to connect with others that might have experience similar feelings to yours.

I'm sorry to hear that you are avoiding social situations completely at the moment and struggling with social phobia because of other people's negative reactions. A of people tell us that they find that one of the biggest challenges of having a visible difference, dealing with other people's reactions and getting unwanted attention. Understandably, this attention can be upsetting, annoying or make you feel anxious.  I'm sure that a lot of people here can relate to what you say and might have been through periods of feeling the same themselves.

I'm including a link to some self-help resources from our website specifically on how to cope with people's reactions to have a read through if you think that it might be helpful: changingfaces.org.uk/advice...

Take care,

Eva - ChangingFaces

[Solocat Community Ambassador]

Hi Mishamisha77! Welcome to our corner, so glad you can reach out, ask questions, and find support! What you relate to resonates with us here. Sometimes we feel ok with ourselves and then we start thinking about what others would think of us...and then we start worrying. And it's just natural to think like that...we all want to be loved and accepted, so it's no wonder we too want that....

There's some good news and some bad news about that... the bad news is none of us can reach the ideal of pleasing someone else's whims... the good news is you can tell the difference between REAL persons and people who cannot understand that beauty is all but skin deep, which reveals their own fears of rejection too! In so doing they too reveal their tiny worldview and being like that they don't deserve much of our care and attention. As Adam Pearson says, "Those that matter don't care, and those that care don't matter".

I'm sure you will find valuable support and care here, and hopefully some answers to your question about camouflage! Please Please check the resources Eva mentioned...it's the best material in town I've ever read about visual differences with a difference, if that makes sense!

Again, Mishamisha77, I hope you make yourself at home here, Please write soon!! 😀😉

[Hidden in reply to Solocat]

"Those that matter don't care, and those that care don't matter".

Look all, we need team T-Shirts with that printed back and front! Big like ....😀

And so very true. Well found saying that Solocat! Nice one.

[Mishamisha77 in reply to Hidden]

Get those T Shirts in print!!!!

Bring them on!!!

[Hidden in reply to Mishamisha77]

you may have to speak to Solocat for merchandising opportunities!! 😆😆😆

[Solocat Community Ambassador]

Great guys...I love that you're working on those t-shirts...I wish I could print a couple of thousands until the message gets to someone...😅 But again I don't know where Adam Pearson heard it say, I'm just copying him as it is so true and so real...so credits to the guy!

Love guys!