Anxiety

[Unregistered]

In social situations I can end up acting incredibly awkward. If I ever meet someone in a certain setting where there is something to talk about I am fine. If I was to meet some random person in class or on the street I kind of just blank and do not say anything besides to respond. When I was younger I was just called shy, but now that I am older I kind of feel like a freak. Many times I will deliberately avoid people so I don't have to talk to them. Thinking about socializing with people my age can make me so anxious sometimes I feel sick all day.

But what I don't understand is that it is not all the time. I can go away on a trip for school and meet a lot of people and make a bunch of new friends but there was always something to talk to them about so it was easy. And also it is not stage freight, I feel perfectly fine in front of huge groups of people because it is just me talking and I don't have to hold a conversation.

Why do I feel so anxious in common social situations?

[2NDFLOOR]

You are not alone! Everyone feels anxious at times, especially when they are in new or uncomfortable situations. Sometimes being around new people or people we don't know too well can be anxiety-provoking. We don't always know what to say or anything about the person to be able to talk about common interests. There are a couple of things that you can try, which might be helpful. First, when you start to feel anxious try talking a couple of deep breaths. Taking deep breaths is a helpful way to calm your body and your mind! Second, you can try to think of common phrases that you can say in order to prepare for anxiety-provoking situations. For example, if you know you are going to be around new people in an uncomfortable situation, come up with an open-ended question ahead of time. You can use a phrase like "how are you doing today?" or even come up with some interesting information about yourself that you are willing to share. Often, phrases and open-ended questions are a good conversation starter. Lastly, it would be helpful to mention this to your parents or an adult that you trust. They may have additional suggestions for you! Please call 2NDFLOOR anytime at 888-222-2228 for more help!