Do you recognise other people with anxiety?

[little_fairy]

This might sound like an odd question...

But as someone with anxiety, do you think you can tell if someone else has it? Notice them in a room? Once you have got to know them?

Its just that I have recently moved into a house share and there is a girl my age who is really nice. We have got to know each other quite well and get along great. We have shared quite a lot of personal and past stories etc. She knows about my history with anxiety, depression and panic attacks etc.

She says that she gets anxious too and she has panic attacks.. I will sound awful saying this.. but I don't believe her.. I feel she says it for attention and it all seems so fake when she is apparently 'panicking'. She is always desperate for attention from her boyfriend and I feel that this is part of that. It is starting to upset me and bother me a little as I feel like she is pretending and if she actually knew how it felt to be anxious or have a panic attack, then she certainly wouldn't want to pretend!


Sorry to rant, just I can't stop thinking about it, but then I feel guilty not believing my housemate.. but its my gut feeling not to!

Thoughts?

Peace & Love xxxxx

[Markoo]

Well you'll always get people like that, no offense but especially girls..came accross it myself.. i suppose the only way you'd find out is by asking her what symptoms she would get etc.. then youll know if shes talking pie or not.

[little_fairy]

Thats true about girls! some people think if they have had a bad day then they have had a panic attack. I appreciate that everybody has problems and bad days... but don't say that its something it isn't..

[Markoo]

Well you know yourself you wouldnt wish it upon your worst enemy.. but yeah it can be annoying ppl saying they have had one or have them as if its a walk in the park.. well sure hopefully they wouldnt experience the real mc coy.

[Anxious_gal]

I too notice anxiety in others .
One thing I struggle with , is Telling the difference between a socially anxious person and a person who just has no interest in talking to me.

[Markoo]

The sad thing about that is, the placebo effect has very strong effects in my opinion and can actually lead to problems you say/think you have or make them worse further down the line, ive witnessed this happen to people.

---------- Post added at 04:29 ---------- Previous post was at 04:26 ----------

How i can tell sometimes with people because i do it myself, y would be a sudden quietness, followed by a deep breath along with getting agitated, like scratching there nose or something..a friend of mine who is all good now would get the odd panic attack, i was in his car with him talking to him, he suddenly went quiet and scratched his nose.. on the way back home after the gym, i mentioned it to him sayin did u get panicky/anxious on the way down, he was like yeah felt a bit weird , think he was shocked i knew and mentioned it..