My social anxiety...

[Nori00]

I'm 30 yr old mum to one amazingly sweet girl and pregnant with another.. However I'm very socially anxious.. I actually have 2 very close girlfriends but I have trouble meeting and connecting with new people so much so that it actually prevents me from doing the things I want to do.. I even avoid taking my daughter to busy parks because I don't want to be in a surrounding where people might see me as awkward or weird.. I don't know what's wrong with me.. I work 3 days a week but in an office with only 4 others and I've been in that job for 10yrs so don't have to socialize there really .. On the weekends my husband works so we don't get a lot of time to actually socialize together and I kind of hate going to family or couples events on my own...the funny thing is my husband has heaps of friends and is extremely good with people, he can put anyone at ease which is one of the reasons I love him so much but it also makes me feel incredibly inadequate...most of my days off work I spend with my 2 friends (1 has kids) or my parents because these are the only people I trust and feel comfortable around however it makes me feel weak, isolated and lonely that I can't make friends easier for my own sake as well as for my daughters sake..I feel depressed about it all but I don't want to go on any medications... I've always believed that exercise and diet is a natural antidepressant and I know they say you have to make time for these but between work, my daughter and house duties I just feel exhausted! 

[Chris_B]

Hi Nori00, welcome to the forums and sorry you haven't had a reply to your thread. 

We do have a number of posts on this topic which you might want to contribute to, this is often a good way to get involved in the community and meet other members in similar situations:

Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety - tips for communicating better with others?

Social anxiety by sarah272

Social anxiety is ruining my life

Social anxiety - by Katie 101

I can't handle the social anxiety anymore - by Kelliew

Social anxiety - by Jukee

Sensitivity and social anxiety

[Halevic]

Hey Nori00

I understand where you are coming from and in some ways position is very similar to yours. My husband is a very social person and I attend most of his events but my anxiety about the way I look and how I talk to someone, what if they don't understand me, what if I have to repeat myself, what if they if i say the wrong thing or what if I don't head that person properly, these thoughts sticky and a trap.

I also have a couple of good friends and I am happy with that. It's esier.

However over the years I have come a long way and you can too. I do the thing that make me anxious becuase if I didn't I wouldn't do anything. And if you don't challenge these thoughts then they grow and grow and become more powerful. 

Acceptance is key. Go to the park, accept you may have anxiety and alowe yourself to feel it. It won't be nice and you will feel like absolute crap. But you will get through it and then the next time it will become a little esier. The more you challange these thoughts the more aware you become about them and the esier it will become to keep them in check.

I still have extreme anxiety before I do all social things but I can honestly say that at the end most events I was happy I went and I did it.