Hello Everyone I'm New

[Claireabell]

Hello Everyone. I am new and this is the first time I have ever posted a message. My name is Claire and I suffer from Social Phobia. I have felt this way since I was a teenager but back then did not realise what was wrong with me. Usual things happened, felt like I was going crazy, nobody seemed to understand, generally kept being told to pull myself together.
When I left school I found it impossible to find a job because I could feared interviewes. My dad found me a job at the company he worked for and to cut a long story short I stayed there for 10 years. I dreaded every single day, and everynight I would cry because I would have to face it all again the next day.
Social Phobia ruined friendships that I had, I found relationships impossible.
As I grew older I found out what was wrong with me and knowing that I was not alone made me feel better. My social phobia has never gone away but at times it has been managed more easily. When I am going through a good period, I make myself do things to try and boost my confidence. I have to keep going back and read up on why I feel like this and what can be done and so on....Right now I am facing up to my fears, my daughter is at school full time (yes I went on to get married and have a child) something I never thought would happen. I have enroled at college and want to return to work. All of this scares me to death. At times I think I can't do this, I am going to make a fool of myself infront of others.
Right now I would love to chat to others about similar experiences, maybe help one another get through it, share ideas, have a laugh......
I do apologise about rattling on and on and I apologise if I end up posting this in the wrong area, I look forward to making new friends , Claire

[tony]

welcome to the forum,lots of stuff here to help you
tony x

metal,rock, and hardcore music is my life!

[trac67]

Hi clare,
Welcome to the forum, you will make loads of friends here hun and get a lot of helpful advise, feel free to pm me anytime.
Take care
Trac

its "just a thought"

[seh1980]

Welcome - nice to have you here!!

"Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

[stardust]

Hello and welcome to the No more panic forum! You WILL make lots of friends here and there is always someone for you in your times of need.

[Meg]

Welcome Claire

take your time , settle in and post when you ready

Well done for making such efforts 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 ?

[Jac]

Hi clare, reading your post from the outside makes me look at you and think how well you are doing, you have got married and had a child, now you have enroled in college as well.

These things in themselves are amazing acheivements and difficult if you have social phobia.

I know you don't feel like that inside, but all you have to do is keep trying, people look at you differently than you look at yourself you know, just stay calm on the outside, no matter how bad you're feeling on the inside, and people will treat you ok.

I know life is a hard struggle, I am also social phobic and try to avoid people whenever i can, but I think this makes us feel worse, because when the time does come to meet people we are out of practice, so the more we see and speak to people the better we should get at it? (i'm not so sure about my own advice here) it IS hard to believe, but I suppose we HAVE to keep trying.

Keep telling yourself, "it does not matter what people think of me" over and over again, I know it DOES matter to us, but we must try and overcome this.

Keep trying love, you're doing great!

J xx