Stress & Anxiety of social situations.

Growing up my parents would always tell others “Oh she’s just shy” and so I thought for a very long time that’s what it was, I was just shy to other people but I’ve come to realize that just isn’t so.

I’ve always been very friendly, easy to get along with, make friends easily and even worked at an amusement park throughout my teen years on different rides. I had lots of interaction with many, many people during my teen years though I would be stand-offish and would walk around a good bit or very small talk and never any eye contact but friendly.

In school that was very different, people I grew up knowing I was talkative and friends with but others it was difficult to come around to or knowing them. Loud noises like the bell, the hallways and lunchroom were always rough for me but when it came to being in band I had zero problems, felt as one with music.

Now that I’m an adult and mom I find it very difficult to escape home, leaving my familiar settings where I’m comfortable. I wanted to be more active with my boys schools but being closed in in confined spaces is just too much for me not to mention the loud noises and too many people.
Going to the stores is pretty much the same, but if it’s too crowded I leave. I try not to go to the stores when I think they would be overly crowded like weekends or near holidays or just after them. I dislike when standing in line to pay someone comes behind me and gets so close to me I feel them breathing on my neck or their buggy (OK I’m in the south and we call shopping carts buggies lol) so close to me it touches my backside.

I stress so much over what I think are major things but my husband thinks they are trivial to him and I shouldn’t stress or have any anxiety over them but I am unable to help it. Something that I just can’t control but I am in therapy and I’m sure I will be for a long time as my stress and anxiety over social issues has never been treated and I’ve been this way for 40 years!