can't take it

[henersmilo]

Hello. This is the first time I've written on any board. I'm a little scared. That sounds so pathetic. I have very difficult social anxiety. I've had life-altering social anxiety for 9 years (I'm 28). I've actually told my close friends about my problem over the last few years, but lately I feel like they don't understand how serious it is. In my new job I have to go to conference meetings where we all sit around at an oval table in the dead, dead silence of a corporate room and talk about our various activities. Although
I'm able to maintain composer during the one to two hour meetings, I'm in a panic the entire time. One second I'm listening to the other workers speak, the next second I dread I'm about to blush and start to feel like the meeting is a dream- like I'm not sure if I'm really there and I don't know what's happening. It's TERRIBLE! By the time I get home, I've spent my day going through the phasesof panicking and then trying to calm myself down through breathing exercises, etc, and when I get home, althoug I have tons of work to do, I'm soooo exhausted I just sit on the couch. Then I try to tell my friends how tired and upset I am and all they can see is that I've "pulled it off." This makes me want to kill myself!!!!! Anyone else? I can't take it anymore. I'm in PAIN.

[Meg]

Welcome,

What sort of professional help have you had for this over the years ?

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[3faces]

Hi there

You are really not alone with all this....I think as anxious/panicky people we are great at giving the impression everything is fine and we're coping. If people only knew what goes around inside our heads. It's good that you've been able to tell your friends about your problems, it's always best to be honest about how you're feeling. Well done you for actually going to work and attending those dreaded meetings. I've been desperately trying to go back to permanent work for seven years and not been very successful. A good thing to remember when you are in that meeting is that you are probably not the only one feeling uncomfortable. You've said you keep your composure and others do that as well so its difficult to know who suffers with anxiety.

Be kind to yourself, praise yourself for going into work and admitting you have problems. Remember, you are definitely not alone.

Take care

Jem xxx

[Caz Fab Pants]

Think I can safely say we all know how you feel and its horrible.

The best advice I can offer is dont EVER stop going to those meetings. No matter how awful you feel, whether you have to go to the toilet 20 times during one meeting, just make sure you keep going.

It will get easier providing you dont avoid. Try not to dwell on these negative feelings and concerntrate on the positive fact that you DID actually attend.

Good luck
C
x

[Anj]

Have you spoken to your doctor about this? You could find that a very mild medication might make you feel calmer. Worth a try perhaps?