"Social anxiety on my school's football team impeded effective interaction and togetherness, making team dynamics challenging. However, as I eventually opened up and acquired trust from my teammates, the encouraging atmosphere created through shared goals and experiences assisted in alleviating the impact of social anxiety, which enhanced my entire football experience."
"Social anxiety made interactions challenging throughout middle school, but I triumphed over it by incrementally participating in social activities such as school clubs and societies, establishing genuine connections, and realising that other people were likely experiencing similar pressures. Accepting myself and concentrating on the positive parts of social situations were fundamental in overcoming my middle school social anxiety."
"I conquered social anxiety by progressively subjecting myself to social situations, exercising strategies for mindfulness, and obtaining help from friends and a therapist, gradually recovering trust as well as ease in social interactions. Embracing self-compassion and fighting negative beliefs were critical in my path to overcome social anxiety."
“ I am not confident in social situations and try to avoid speaking in them as I stutter. I have attended speech therapy sessions only to be told that I don’t have a speech related issue, I stutter due to lack of confidence in particular environments.”
“ I hated PE class at school throughout highschool as I always felt that kids were laughing at me as I was overweight. I would feel my heart racing with what seemed to be a thousand beats per minute. Over time, I have been able to manage my anxiety thanks to my amazing best friend who was always calm, supportive and positive. She was a ray of sunshine and would always encourage me.”
“I have gone through years of dreading going to school. I would walk into school with sweaty palms and my body feeling tense all over. I have only recently found out that these are symptoms of anxiety. I have since found several coping mechanisms, from doing activities that I enjoy like tennis to meditation. Meditation can be done in a quiet spot right at the time of feeling anxious. I have slowly started to recognize the triggers at school that make me anxious and mediation has allowed me to look in a positive way at situations that make me feel uncomfortable.”
“I recently have experienced a lack of enthusiasm and enjoyment in activities as well as hobbies which I previously participated in. My anxiety about how the situations will play out distracts me from enjoying the actual event.”
“I am going into highschool this September and leaving my old middle school. In middle school I was often made fun of but I got used to it. I am scared to go to a new school where I will have to meet new people. I became accustomed to the bullying and found routine in it in an odd way.”
“ I graduated highschool 10 years ago and next week is my highschool reunion. I am extremely nervous because I haven’t seen my former classmates in a while and I'm worried everyone is going to make a mockery out of me because I am now bald.”
“My mother wants to take me to an amusement park for my birthday with my family. She is truly excited to take me but little does she know is that I do not want to go. This can be because I am frightened that individuals will criticize me for how I dress and how I look. I feel like I am going to be the center of attention which I do not like the idea of but I truly need to make my mother cheerful. I don't know what to do.”
“ I have posters with reassuring quotes on the walls of my room. That way when I wake up, I am surrounded by positive thoughts as opposed to negative ones. “You can do it”, and “I believe in you” are two examples of the posters which I have in my room. Although this may seem “silly” , starting your day off positive can truly help you minimize anxious thoughts.”
“Altering factors in my lifestyle such as the amount of physical activity I partake in, practicing yoga, writing down my thoughts and generally doing things which I love such as painting helped me combat my social anxiety. These daily activities calm me down which in turn benefits my mindset which allows me to tackle facing social situations in a more positive light where I believe that I can do it.”
“I notice myself getting really self conscious of the way I act in public, like when I’m talking to friends at a restaurant I catch myself thinking about how loud I’m talking, the way I’m sitting, and the things I say. I fear the idea of being judged by others around me, and this affects my actions everywhere I go. In order to tackle this I’ve been keeping a journal to monitor improvement and practicing belly breathing which is an exercise my yoga instructor taught me in order to ease anxiety as it can virtually be done anywhere.”
“ Social anxiety’s been a problem I’ve overlooked for too long and this is something that’s had a negative impact on my mental health. The past months, I started to notice more and more how much I cared about the way people thought of me, in any setting, whether it’s in public, at school, on social media, or in private group chats with friends. For example, say I’m walking in a mall, I often feel like I’m looked down on and people around me are judging the way I’m walking, the way I’m dressed, the way I look, and just generally how I present myself. This is a problem with myself that I need to fix, and I feel that it’s something I may have neglected in the past, not because I didn’t notice it, but because I was too scared to face it.”
“ I often miss out on attending social events, gatherings and celebrations as I end up canceling on pre planned events. This has had a considerable impact on my relationships and bonds with other people as my actions come off as disrespectful and inconsiderate.”
“ I am in constant fear of being judged, I used to go to the library regularly as the environment benefited my studying which allowed me to focus. However, recently this has not been the case as the library has been more busy due to exam season. I am constantly worried that others are judging me which has conflicted with my ability to concentrate. As a result, I haven’t been studying at the library. I have decided that now I need to take action as social anxiety is taking away from things which I enjoy and impacting a multitude of aspects of my everyday life.”
“ I have social anxiety, and when my friends are patient and understanding it truly makes a difference. I have a strong support system which consists of friends and family who regularly check in on me. If you know someone who is dealing with social anxiety, being patient and checking in absolutely says a lot.”
“ In my mind I replay past events and relive them each time. I feel an upset stomach, muscle tension, blushing and blurred vision in the moment as well as when I remember these events.”
“ I am unable to hold eye contact with people while speaking to them and often find myself fidgeting with my rings and necklaces while holding a conversation. Avoiding caffeine is something which has seemed to help reduce my tendency of frantically fidgeting. When I consume caffeine, my symptoms heighten in terms of magnitude and frequency. Therefore, in order to supplement my coffee I drink fresh juices.”
“A trick which has really helped me with my fear of having conversations with new people and subsequently experiencing judgment is chewing gum. My family doctor recommended this tactic as it distracts you from feeling judged and focuses your attention towards your chewing.”
“When I’m alone I truly feel at ease, although I would like to expand my social bubble and meet new people I often avoid doing so as I have an extreme fear of being humiliated.”
“Setting social goals is a method which I have implemented in order to combat my social anxiety in an effective way. As opposed to throwing myself in situations which I am highly uncomfortable with, I have goals with regards to my social activity which gradually build up in terms of magnitude. This will allow me to reach my overall goal of becoming comfortable in social situations through a relatively tranquil method.”
“Before attending family events I felt nauseous and experienced stomach cramps. I am twenty one and have been seeing them my whole life. However, I still experience these bodily reactions prior to seeing them. I have been so anxious in the past which has led to last minute cancellations being made on my side for significant events such as birthdays and anniversaries.”
“Practicing mindfulness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle has helped me reduce my social anxiety. Exercising regularly, consuming nutritious foods, journaling and practicing other habits which have benefited my wellbeing have directly reduced the intensity of the symptoms which I feel. These daily activities have benefited my overall mindset which has thus allowed me to cope with my condition better.”
“ Following COVID-19, my social anxiety heightened as I was so used to working in the comfort of my own home where I lacked social interaction. Following this, returning to the office came as a huge struggle to me as I was unable to socialize with individuals in person. I found myself stuttering, experiencing trembling, muscle tension and hot flashes on my face.”
“ I always avoid social situations as I have an overwhelming fear of meeting new people due to the fact that I used to get bullied. This provided me with traumatic interactions with respect to my general interactions. As a result of this my self esteem suffered and my socialization skills declined as I resisted attending group gatherings.”
“ Before leaving the house I felt sweaty, nauseous, lightheaded and a rapid heartbeat. These symptoms are persistent sensations which I feel on a regular basis.”
“ I randomly feel the urge to gag in stressful situations, especially situations involving large groups of people. When I discussed this recurring sensation with my family doctor, I was informed that this is a symptom of social anxiety as anxiety creates a reaction in the nervous system due to stress which frequently results in gagging. This is a symptom of anxiety which is not as commonly known and so I was surprised to learn this piece of information.”
“I used to think that I would never be able to face social environments due to my intense anxiety. However, for me I found that as long as I have a close friend or family member accompanying me in these stressful situations I am able to cope with managing the symptoms. Having that additional source of comfort allows me to feel more calm.”
“In order to ease my social anxiety I found that discussing my condition with like minded individuals really helped. Following social media platforms which discuss social anxiety and talking with friends who also experience this type of anxiety really helped as I felt that I wasn’t odd and found comfort in the fact that others are going through similar experiences.”
“ As someone diagnosed with social anxiety who suffered tremendously as a result of the condition, I advise other individuals with the condition to commit to formulating a plan in order to overcome severe symptoms. It took me months of trying out different strategies, for me personally utilizing breathing techniques and mental affirmations is what did it. Don’t give up and seek advice from individuals who are credited in the field of mental health.”
“ At restaurants I can not order food for myself as I am so scared of being judged, in public environments I am extremely timid around people who I am not familiar with.”
“ As someone who has moderately intense social anxiety, something which really helps me is that I have a great support system. My friends and family are all aware of my condition and so when they recognize me exhibiting the symptoms in public they try their best to intervene and help me out. I am fortunate enough to have that strong support system and recognize that everyone does not have this privilege. I would advise other people with social anxiety to reach out for help and seek support from friends and family as people are often more willing to help than you may think.”
“ I didn’t walk my year 13 graduation…… that sounds crazy. What else can I say, I did not walk my year 13 graduation due to my extreme social anxiety. I was an international student studying in the UK and so my parents were not attending the event anyways. If they were attending, I would have had no choice but to walk with my graduating class. I called the school to report that I was extremely sick the morning of graduation and would therefore, pick up my diploma the following day. That was four years ago and since then I have developed strategies to face my social anxiety and therefore, deeply regret what I did in year 13. Although it sounds illogical and extremely irrational, the intensity of fear in the moment is something that can not be understood by one who has not experienced this condition.”
“ I am that person at parties who is blackout drunk and always unconscious by the end of the night. People have a poor perception of me due to this as I appear “sloppy” and “uncomposed.” I drink excessively as it is an unhealthy coping mechanism which I rely upon in order to ease my social anxiety.”
“I am a social person however, I have an extreme fear of being judged for my appearance due to my low self esteem. In person, I don't mind meeting new people and making small talk with them. However, I have an extreme fear of pictures being taken of me. It is so intense that my parents do not have a picture of me from after the age of nine, this includes family pictures or birthday pictures of any sort. My boyfriend of three years has no pictures with me nor do any of my friends. After speaking with my family doctor about this, I learned that this is a symptom of social anxiety which I had no idea that I had due to my social nature.”
“ I am an adult who currently suffers from extreme social anxiety. I think it's quite interesting to dissect the root of this occurrence in my day to day life. Many people may assume that social anxiety is something one is simply born with, but environmental factors play a vital role in my case of social anxiety. My parents are introverted people who liked to stay in the house and barely called people over nor attended gatherings. As a result of this, I grew up with a lack of exposure to social environments throughout my childhood. In high school and middle school I found myself not knowing how to act at birthday parties or play dates as I wasn’t used to being with groups of people outside of school. This made me fear these events as I was paranoid of acting in a way which would attract judgment and attention. If my parents were extroverted and socialized me at a young age I believe that the severity of my social anxiety would be minimized.”
“ My younger sister’s wedding was two weeks ago, most guests expected me to give a speech as I am her only sibling and the groom’s younger brother was delivering a speech. I coldly told the guests who asked that I wasn’t inclined to do anything. Most people thought that I was being inconsiderate and deliberately being cruel. The truth is, I spent months coming up with a speech and weeks reciting it. When it came to the wedding day, I had a panic attack the morning of and realized that I truly couldn't do it. In hindsight, I probably could have but it was in the moment the intense feelings impacted my ability to be rational.”
“ I have never been able to have the full college experience, parties and large gatherings of people intimidate me. I have just completed my master’s degree and never allowed myself to attend affiliated club meetings, social gatherings of any sort or parties, I truly feel that I have missed out. My social anxiety held me back from forming meaningful connections and building memorable experiences which I could have potentially done had I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and recognized the fact that I have social anxiety earlier.”
“ On social media I appear to be a completely different person, I have a considerable following on social platforms. However, in reality I do not have true friends and I fear judgment and interactions with others. I am able to act extroverted and bubbly in front of my phone but fail to act in this mannar in person. I do not have time to attend therapy sessions due to my hectic work schedule so instead have phoned local anxiety crisis lines where I am able to receive mental health support.”
“I transferred to a new university half way through the year, I was feeling overwhelmed by the huge class sizes as it was new to me. It was extremely difficult for me to contribute and discuss questions with my classmates or professors as I felt that everyone was out to judge me.”
“Before I started going to the gym, I was extremely self conscious of my appearance as I was insecure about my weight. I tried extra hard to make great impressions as I felt that my looks were inferior. My low self esteem made me feel socially anxious in particular scenarios. Once I was able to develop strong self esteem and self confidence, this frequency of this issue tremendously declined.”
“ I am seventeen years old, when I see people my age in public settings I freeze up and forget how to act. I genuinely panic and feel the need to leave the setting. Although my reaction is only so severe with individuals in the same age range I am also unable to socialize with other groups of people. Paying attention in class is extremely hard to do as I am so focused on appearing “normal” and not weird. When I feel like I am being judged my mood is directly affected.”
“ I have been struggling with social anxiety for years now. I am currently in my mid twenties and made a decision to seek medication from my doctor as my therapy sessions haven't been too effective. I’m not going out to say that therapy won’t work for everyone as it seems to help most people, but my disorder is so severe to the point where coping mechanisms genuinely do not help me at all. After seeing a psychologist for four years, I decided to ask my family doctor for an anxiety related prescription. She prescribed sertraline and it has truly helped me so much. I’ve been on this medication for a year now and after a few weeks I noticed a difference. Of course this is not to say that one should jump straight into taking medication but to rather remind people that medication is something one can pursue if therapy and natural remedies are not working over a long duration of time as it really helped in my case.”
“Social anxiety manifests itself in contrasting forms depending on the individual. Personally, in social environments I experience a fear of being heavily judged by my peers in class which is why I never participate in lectures for class discussions. My twin sister on the other hand also has severe social anxiety, however, is completely comfortable with freely participating in lectures and class discussions or as a matter of fact, public speaking in general. Contrastingly, she has an irrational fear of meeting new people.”
“The past replays in my mind, I overanalyze past social interactions and while I’m reliving them I feel trembling, dizziness and muscle tension. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety by my family doctor however, I find that my symptoms are more concentrated in social environments. In social situations, I find myself getting overwhelmed and while rethinking these moments I feel the same intense symptoms.”
“I was always very extroverted and outgoing throughout my childhood however, when I reached highschool this all changed. I was confused as interacting with others was always something which came very naturally to me. As a result of puberty, emotional and mental state begins to alter. This often increases the prevalence of social anxiety which is what I experienced as well as contrasting social stimuli playing a role. I became extremely self conscious of what others thought about me and feared partaking in daily activities which I previously was involved in. In order to learn how to better deal with this condition I discussed methods with my school counselor.”
“ Throughout middle school I was severely bullied for my south asian features as I looked different from my peers. I had a prominent nose and thick facial alongside body hair as a female which was heavily frowned upon. From grades six through nine I was teased so badly that I remember pretending to act sick in order to miss school. At the time I hadn’t realized that this was something which would stick with me for years to come. After being bullied so intensely, I experienced a drastic decrease in my self esteem and confidence. I became more conscious of my appearance and graphically remember begging my parents for a nose job throughout high school as a result of the bullying reducing my self esteem. I am still working on overcoming this condition however, I believe that the after effects of trauma are not commonly discussed particularly relating to social anxiety.”
“ After years of avoiding situations which stimulated my social anxiety such as going to parties and crowded areas such as malls I decided that enough was enough. I was going to try and overcome this intense feeling individually before making the decision to consult with a therapist. I researched techniques which are efficient in helping people with social anxiety and exposure therapy was the most recommended. Exposure therapy is a common method recommended by psychologists in coping with anxiety disorders. For me, it worked extremely well. I chose to expose myself to environments which I viewed as fearful through vividly envisioning them and facing them in real life.”
“ Social anxiety is something which has obstructed my ability to form meaningful connections and participate in collective group activities. From grade one, I was never able to take part in standard activities which children around me appeared to partake in such as attending summer camp, joining group sports, or even participating in gym class. I had an intense fear of being scrutinized by others for the way in which I behaved. During compulsory gym periods throughout elementary school and middle school I experienced lightheadedness, a rapid heartbeat, trouble breathing and stomach cramps due to the social nature of the class. My report card comments all throughout school noted poor learning skills which I believe is a direct result of my social anxiety.
“I lead my school’s public speaking club so a lot of people wouldn't expect me to be someone with social anxiety. Truth is, I started the club to help people build their confidence and skills with respect to delivering speeches as it is something which I tremendously struggled with throughout childhood. I have been attending therapy sessions for approximately three years now as I started in tenth grade. Within my cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, I develop coping mechanisms with my therapist which I then implement in my day to day life. Although it takes a lot of courage and effort hosting these weekly meetings, I get so much satisfaction knowing that I am escaping my comfort zone and helping others in a field which I struggle with pursuing.”
“ In public settings such as the mall or at my university campus, I constantly find myself feeling judged and scrutinized by other individuals. It throws me off completing tasks such as studying at the public library or shopping at malls as I can’t concentrate on the task at hand. I started wearing headphones in public due to the fact that they simply look good. As time progressed, I realized that through listening to music or turning on the noise cancellation feature I feel more relaxed and comfortable in social situations. I have spoken with a few of my friends who also have social anxiety who have mentioned that they also tend to listen to music in public surroundings in order to mitigate negative thoughts. I didn’t realize that the noise cancellation feature and music were helping me distract myself from having overwhelmingly negative thoughts.”
“ I’m scared I’ll never get a job, I’m only in highschool so my resume isn't too impressive. However, I have applied to about fifty local jobs in the last month. I received seven interviews and heard back from none of them. I know that it isn't because of my lack of experience because these roles require minimum to no job experience and I made it through that part of the process. I fear that I’ll never get a job, my social skills are extremely poor, and I lack the ability to make eye contact with others. I know that it's social anxiety and not simply me being an introvert as my fear of communicating with others is so persistent and genuinely destroys my enjoyment of participating in activities which require social interaction. (birthday parties, concerts, etc.)”
“ It is currently summer break and I am really dreading returning to school in two months. During COVID my social anxiety reached its peak as I was getting used to being in an isolated environment. Although I am only a few weeks into summer break, I already am starting to feel panicky and anxious in social environments such as the grocery store. I know I need to familiarize myself with being in socially stimulating environments and am glad I have noticed my distress in social environments early on. For me, the key to coping with my social anxiety is keeping a journal where I log my symptoms and feelings.
“ I don’t want to be a victim but instead I want to share what I have put in place to help manage my anxiety. I am able to identify my triggers. I try to avoid these situations and if I am unable to I use breathing techniques to mitigate my panic attacks. I have also started keeping a journal of when and where my anxiety kicks in. This helps me and my doctor in understanding the frequency and allows me to set goals for myself. Please do reach out for help. It can be a friend, family friend, or even your family doctor or teacher. Do not suffer alone.”
“ I always felt I was in some form of danger and seemed to always feel a sense of panic. It had taken over my life for some time. I decided to take charge. I didn’t want to take medication or see a psychologist. I decided to make changes to my lifestyle, starting with yoga and meditation followed by ensuring I had a proper sleep routine. I started with once a week yoga and meditation and then gradually increased it. I am now at a point of my life where I can literally meditate on the spot internally whenever I feel my anxiety kick in. This has been life changing for me.”
“ I am on a varsity swim team which I attend three times a week, and I’m seriously considering quitting. I can’t interact with my teammates and dread attending practices as I’m so socially awkward. Practices run for four hours and I find myself looking at the clock every other minute. I enjoy swimming but maybe it's not the sport for me. I have spoken with my parents about this, but they insist that I stay on the team as I have been doing the sport for so long, and have gotten so far. I have booked an appointment with a therapist to seek further help and counseling on my social anxiety.”
“ I attend university in addition to working at my school’s library to help with paying tuition. Although working at a library seems like a relaxing job environment, it really isn't for me. I see people from my classes at the library and familiar faces which I do not like. I feel like I’m being judged all of the time, during my 5 minute breaks I smoke marijuana to help ease the anxiety. It's a vicious cycle which I am ready to end.”
“ Before going to parties or dinner parties, I routinely consume unhealthy amounts of alcohol in order to get me out of my shell. When I drink, I become more lively and enjoyable to be around. Without alcohol, I am quiet and unable to socialize with others, especially when large crowds are involved. I reached out to my family doctor to discuss sources of help. I am currently attending therapy and have formulated strategies to overcome this issue during my sessions.”
“ I was in a relationship with my ex boyfriend for six years, we started dating back in tenth grade. I grew reliant on him to a degree as he became an integral part of my life. A few months ago, I found out that he was cheating on me by seeing him at the mall with another girl. Ever since then, I have started experiencing really bad trust issues and have developed extreme social anxiety which may be a result of my now low self esteem. I am trying to tackle it through building new habits. While overcoming my low self esteem and social anxiety are difficult battles to overcome, I have faith in myself that I can do it.”
“ I found I was constantly over analyzing any interaction or situation. I overthink every situation or scenario. I have been able to partially overcome this with the support of my family of friends. They helped me avoid hiding from situations, and encouraged me to pick up the phone and voice challenges which I faced as I am studying 8 hours away from my hometown. Previously, I would have sent a text message. I started by going out more frequently but to non crowded places.”
“Joining social clubs at my school was a great way for me to meet new people during the pandemic where my social anxiety reached its peak. I was able to interact with people from school through the comfort of my own home. In grade 9 (my first year of highschool) my school year was fully virtual as a result of COVID - 19, I joined my school’s Model United Nations team. I was just a member, and in grade 10 joined again. At this time, my school was half virtual half in person with cohorts being enforced. This year, school was fully in person and I am so glad in grade 9 and 10 I made those decisions to join as I am now my school’s marketing executive and in grade 12 (this fall) received the role of being my school team’s MUN president. (meaning I am teaching lessons and coaching students in younger grades) I am so glad I went out of my way to look for an opportunity to socialize with others as opposed to remaining comfortable being antisocial. For other students with social anxiety reading this, my biggest piece of advice would be to challenge yourself and seek opportunities which involve socialization such as joining a school club.”
“ I had a fear of seeing people, being judged in public spaces and would often experience increased heart rate. Once I got a dog for my birthday, I began having to constantly be in public settings as I was incharge of walking my dog. Being exposed to neighbours and having to make small talk with them really helped me get used to these settings which overall has seemed to benefit my social skills.”
“For the last several years I have been non stop experiencing nausea and stomach cramps. I went through several tests from lactose intolerance to celiac testing and then allergy testing with all test results coming back negative. I recently discovered that the nausea and stomach cramps were actually due to me having anxiety. This pain and discomfort would always be accompanied with clammy hands and my heart racing. I have been able to manage my symptoms of anxiety with regular yoga and breathing exercises.”
“My social anxiety has gotten to the point where it has begun to influence my academic performance. I spoke to my school’s guidance counselor in order to inquire about qualifying for learning accommodations as I believe that writing tests in a separate room would benefit my assessment scores. My school has been unable to accommodate for this condition, I believe that raising awareness towards social anxiety is crucial especially in 2023.”
“I want to leave my house as I am stuck in it all day during summer break because of my social anxiety. Whenever I go to the grocery store or social events I panic. I sometimes even gag and throw up.”
“ I can’t speak enough about how exercise changed my life. I was diagnosed with anxiety recently. Rather than being a victim of social anxiety, I wanted to bear and overcome my anxiety. I took to exercising and I can’t speak highly enough about how it lifted my self- esteem, boosted my energy and left me feeling positive. Doing intense workout was a way for me to release all the extra energy that I had and enabled me to change my negative mindset into a more positive one.”
“I was able to overcome my social anxiety by keeping a journal and gaining the confidence to speak to others who were going through the same thing. Through using a pen and paper I was able to actually write about what made me anxious. By speaking to other people in the same situation it made me realize that I am not the only person in this situation. I am not alone. I was surprised to hear how many people are experiencing what I experienced.”
“ I find anxiety has impacted all aspects of my life. I was unable to stay focused at work, my mind would often go blank. The anxiety sucked the joy out of my life. I started going to the gym and I can’t believe how it changed my life for the better. I was able to get a good night's sleep, get up in the morning feeling energized and ready to face the day.”
“When you think of my job role, social anxiety is not something you would associate it with. I’m a grade 11 and 12 physics as well as math teacher. Teaching lessons daily is something which I am honestly not too fond of. Not because of the teaching part but because of my social anxiety which I deal with. When I was in teacher’s college, that was my biggest concern as being a teacher is a job which heavily involves social interaction as well as presenting to large crowds. I get over my fear and anxiety through reminding myself why I love this profession so much and got into it to begin with. My passion and desire to educate students on a subject which I thoroughly enjoy is what overpowers my worries and anxiety.”
“Coming off as cold is something which has annoyed me for years, I know I come across as rude and judgmental. Friends have often told me that when they first met me they thought I was cold and simply didn't like them. I get nervous in group settings and my timid demeanor puts people off wanting to interact with me. It's something which I am really working on through counteracting negative thoughts with positive ones in group settings (for example instead of “what if they think i'm weird”, I think “ what if we have common hobbies and could develop a great bond”) which seems to be working.``
“I am someone who struggled with an intense fear of public speaking. At school I remember receiving a zero on two assessments in elementary school. Both assessments required me to present in front of the class, I was unable to do it. I opened my mouth to speak and no sound came out of my mouth. The teacher scolded me letting me know that I would receive a zero in both instances. No one gets it I remember thinking - fast forward nine years later and I have delivered a TED talk and am a chapels prefect at my high school where I deliver speeches to my school daily. Baby steps are crucial, slowly committing to achieving tasks building up to the actual task at hand is something which really helped me. I also use relaxation techniques such as taking deep breaths and counting down from ten before delivering a presentation.”
“ A lot of people, including my younger self, feel that social anxiety means that your life is over. It interferes with your school life, social life and other daily activities which someone may partake in. For me, I found it hard understanding my social anxiety as there were particular triggers in social environments which caused me anxiety. I had a chronic fear of pictures being taken of me. I was completely comfortable with my appearance however, would refuse to get in a picture even if this meant skipping my grade 12 graduation picture. Additionally, I could deliver speeches and presentations to large crowds of people but had a major fear of mingling in crowded spaces with groups of people. Truly learning how my social anxiety manifested in the forms of particular fears was crucial in my learning process of my social anxiety. Everyone's social anxiety is different. Once I realized that my symptoms only became apparent in a certain environment, I did research and consulted with my therapist to come up with techniques to combat these fears. ”
“I am nineteen years old and have not eaten in public since middle school, that includes eating at a restaurant, food stand, at school or at university. I normally find myself getting hungry during the daytime however, I just can’t get over my fear of being judged in public.”
“I have noticed over the years that my anxiety progressively got worse. I am not a victim or looking for sympathy. I have come a long way and have found certain techniques that have helped me to cope and calm me in the moment: using breathing techniques, listening to music that makes me feel good, sipping on a glass of water, jogging on the spot or going for a walk. I am creative and love to draw. Art is a helpful way for me to overcome my anxiety.”
“ The mask mandate was lifted in Ontario last April at schools, I only stopped wearing my mask this April. It's not really because I was insecure with my face but more because it concealed my expressions from others and made me feel secure in a way. I used to feel like I was constantly being judged for simple things like the facial expressions I made or the way I spoke. Wearing a mask oddly made me feel comfortable in social situations, I’ve finally stopped wearing it (June) and it was a pretty big step. I was able to finally stop through finally tackling the situation head to head and taking the mask off one day. The following day I wore a mask however, took it off the day after and eventually got comfortable with having no cloth concealing my face.”
“I always cancel plans at the last minute and although I realize it's rude, I can’t stop doing it. I experience intense anticipation and endless fear before an event or social gathering. I’m trying to stop this habit through going to events where I know there is someone who I am comfortable with. I am hoping I can gradually familiarize myself with social events and eventually be able to go out without having someone who I am close with accompanying me.”
“ I appear to people as disengaged, disinterested and sometimes I can come off as rude but the reality is I am just nervous.”
“Up until eleventh grade, I had a terrible fear that when my parents dropped me to school that would be the last time I would see them. When it was time to be picked up after school, all of my friends seemed to be excited to go home. I would hide my face in my school sweatshirt and take some deep breaths. My legs would be trembling, heart racing, sweaty, clammy hands until I would look up and see my parents smiling face. This was a daily occurrence until I left for university.”
“ My alarm goes off in the morning and once again I am reluctant to get out of bed. Instead of skipping and running into school, (I’m in grade 7) I go dragging my feet. I have no friends. No one is excited to see me. No one notices my presence. I arrive early as I don’t like all eyes on me if I arrive late. I sit alone at lunch or with a group of classmates who I do not speak to. I start my day alone and end alone.”
I have always had a fear of public speaking. I am always reluctant to speak up in front of others in my class. I avoid making eye contact and look down when presenting in front of classmates. My voice sounds shaky and unsteady. I feel sick to my stomach, my hands feel sticky and clammy. My face feels like it's burning. I am always concerned that I will embarrass myself.
I am always worried. I worry about everything which may appear trivial to someone else. I worry about what to wear to school every day. I feel self - conscious around other people. I often experience an upset stomach where I experience diarrhea or feel sick most of the time.
