I Have Social Anxiety

And I wish I had people who I could relate to. Instead of people who think because I'm quiet and reserved that I'm mean, intimidating, or upset in some form or fashion.

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FaeLuna · 31-35, F

I was scolded heavily as a young child for talking out of place, so that left me being very quiet and not knowing when to speak up, and being afraid to do so. So everyone just assumed I was shy or timid, and later just unfriendly and not social.

It wasn't until way later in life that I realized just how bad the social anxiety was. I'm doing better thanks to understanding friends, but it's still a daily struggle, so I know exactly the feeling.

Slink · 26-30, F

@FaeLuna
I'm sorry you had to experience this. 😕
How did you meet these friends? I'm glad they came around.

FaeLuna · 31-35, F

@Slink It started with my college roommate freshman year, and she ended up finding a group of friends that I eventually got absorbed into, and they're all great people. So really, I'm just lucky.

Slink · 26-30, F

@FaeLuna
I'm afraid to attend any classes where other people are learning around me. Lol.. I don't know how to explain that.

FaeLuna · 31-35, F

@Slink That does sound rough. I'm not sure I have any good advice for that except for maybe online classes? Maybe the interactive kind where everyone participates at once, but not in the same room?

Viper · M

@FaeLuna I honestly feel the same way... scolded for speaking up, so I got very quiet. 😕

Learning to find your voice and knowing when and where to speak up can be rough

FaeLuna · 31-35, F

@Viper I've been trying to learn for almost 30 years, and I still haven't gotten it fully figured out yet. It's a lifelong lesson, it seems.

Viper · M

@FaeLuna Yeah, I'm in the same boat, so you're not alone. I think it'll stick with us forever, but we just got to keep improving on it.

Though, I've also realized I've got some skills that others don't because of it.

I can usually (not always) read people a lot better than others. I think it's because I'm reading subconsciously reading different things than most.

FaeLuna · 31-35, F

@Viper Me too! From what I've been told, my ability to read other people is a great skill for my own writing. Just being able to sit on the sidelines of society and observe how others act in real life translates really well into writing believable characters apparently.

Viper · M

@FaeLuna That sounds like a great skill 😏 Just wish I like writing more now lol

But I've been told when I have I've come up with very realistic things as well, weather it was a paper I had to write. Or coming up with a realistic strategy on how to handle people or problems and how they'll react to such things.

FaeLuna · 31-35, F

@Viper It seems our curse keeps us grounded in reality better than the rest of them!

Viper · M

@FaeLuna Yes very much so! Though reality is sometimes depressing, at least for me. And sometimes I need to jump out of reality to recharge.

Or other times, just need to let loose and go all in for something, even those I know how unlikely it is.