Do I have social anxiety?

will369 · 1 December 2017 at 8:56AM

Hi all,

This has been playing on my mind for years now and is effecting my life. Any help I really would appreciate it. I am male, 26 years

For years I have suffered with embarrassment, but that is quite a normal thing? Some people get embarrassed easily, some don’t.

But that’s not just what is playing on my mind. Let me give you some examples of how it affects me.

Say I go out shopping for the day and I bump into a friend in a shop, a friend I am really friendly with, and I will go red in the face. It’s not as bad if I bump into them outdoors, but it’s worse in a shop. I am always looking around the shop hoping I don’t see anyone.

At work, we had a big huddle on the floor with our manager, around 60 of us stood in front of our manager whilst he gave a talk. At the end he asked if any of us had any questions. The girl stood next to me did. So everyone turned round to look at her, and cos I was stood close to her I went red in the face.

My hand is always shaking. My friends notice it more than me. If I get nervous it shakes.

I do come across as a really confident lad, but this whole embarrassment does get on my nerves.

When I speak to someone I can’t always get all my words out and up mumbling. Nothing major. But my lips just feel all weak. My words just don’t flow and I end up not making sense.

I even go red when talking to family members.

I hate talking in front of groups and try to avoid it.

I googled social anxiety, and that’s what I recon I have.

They say visit your local GP, but what can they do?

I honestly would pay thousands to get rid of it, that’s how much it annoys me and makes me sad.

Any advice really would be appreciated,

Ames · 1 December 2017 at 10:54AM

We're not allowed to give medical advice and certainly can't diagnose you.

If you go to the GP there's a range of treatment options - medication, short term CBT therapy, referrals.

Money_maker · 13 February 2018 at 1:49PM

#3 is spam. Shame really as up until the last couple of lines it was quite useful. Self promotion is not allowed on here.

[Deleted User] · 13 February 2018 at 9:48PM

I would say that the sort of embarrassment the OP describes tends to lessen as you get older, at least thats what I found, now nothing and I mean nothing embarrasses me, but a lot of things used to.