Fear of writing in public!

[Kathleen]

I don't really like going anywhere that I think I will have to write in public. My hands start to shake when I try to sign my signature and God forbid it is a form of some sort - a panic attack sets in. Anyone else have this one?? My handwriting was always very nice before and now it is like chicken scratch on a good day!

[maddie]

So good to meet you. I'm exactly the same! I also have trouble writing at home. People used to comment on my handwriting. Now it looks like a fox has got in amongst your chickens.

I have notified the bank of my problem, as my anxiety was increased thinking that my signature was so bad my cheques would be returned.

[Kathleen]

So good to meet you. I'm exactly the same! I also have trouble writing at home. People used to comment on my handwriting. Now it looks like a fox has got in amongst your chickens.

I have notified the bank of my problem, as my anxiety was increased thinking that my signature was so bad my cheques would be returned.

Yah...the bank had to go and verify my signature and make me redo the papers to show the new one. So different!!!

[hopers]

i had to fill in forms at my daughters nursary i could feel my self getting hot theni was theni was shacking i the end my homestart worker took over and completed themfor me its a funny thing to be scread of doing but sitll its petrafting

hope you are ok

huggels hopers

[Kathleen]

i had to fill in forms at my daughters nursary i could feel my self getting hot theni was theni was shacking i the end my homestart worker took over and completed themfor me its a funny thing to be scread of doing but sitll its petrafting

hope you are ok

huggels hopers

I haven't been on here for a long time..but thank you for your reply. It definitely helps to know that others go through the same thing. I keep thinking I can beat this but I haven't and it saddens me. It is actually humiliating that I can't do something so simple. Have you had any good progress?

[itsamystery]

I know this is a really old thread, but in the hopes of helping anyone here; I struggled with this fear for years before admitting it to a psychiatrist (after almost having a nervous breakdown and quitting my job).
I thought I was the only one and thankfully he had treated several others for the same thing.
He prescribed Inderal (a beta blocker that blocks the adrenaline that surges when you feel fear). I use a very low dose whenever I am faced with such a situation (imagine I almost didn't marry my dear husband because I was afraid of signing the marriage license).
10 mg works for me (and it goes up to 80 mg). When I first began using it, I would still feel fear, and then feel the adrenaline block and bingo--no shaking hands. I still feel anxiety (this pharm doesn't eliminate fear or anxiety), but it solved a very debilitating problem for me.

---------- Post added at 17:33 ---------- Previous post was at 17:29 ----------

btw a general doctor can and will prescribe this (if yours won't find another) because it isn't addictive and has been used for decades. If you are afraid to ask the doctor for it, just tell him you have a social anxiety and fear of performing and you'd like to try Inderal or propranolol (you don't have to tell him what because sometimes they look at you like you're from Mars).

[lhappylife]

Have you tried a tapping technique or imagery to side-track you while writing for a few minutes? I am wondering if this might help?

[diane07]

This writing thing started about ten years ago for me, if i had to sign something in front of someone, i would immediately start shaking, the way i dealt with it was, if i knew i had to sign or write something out in front of someone, i would start up a conversation with them, about absolutely anything, i found that by talking to them it was distracting my thought pattern and because i had distracted them also, they weren't watching what i was writing but looking and talking to me instead.

di xx

[Sweetpea6]

Hi,

Maybe when you're writing in public you are conscious of the fact that you are going to have to remain in that situation until you have filled out the form/signed your name (obviously you could leave if you wanted to, but there is a pressure to stay.) This pressure could make even the simple task a challenge. This happened to me when I was signing out in the school office, feeling v anxious and just wanting to get out. My writing was a scrawl (I'm usually super neat) and just to fill in the little information required seemed to take ages, although in reality only took about 10 seconds.

This may not be relevant at all though?! Does it have a large impact on your life, or can you manage it quite well?

[Kathleen]

It actually does have a fairly big impact on my life because I am a clerk who deals with the public all day. Most times I can just tell them that I will fill everything out and get back to them but every once in a while it has to be done on the spot and it all kicks in. Would I ever love to sit and talk with some of you all in person...just so I don't feel so crazy...you know what I mean. Thanks for the reply!