Social anxiety?

Post Reply New Topic

Hi all,

I had an enlightenment moment today when I realized just how much I suffer from social anxiety. I'm a very empathetic person and take some pleasure in social contact, but I'm also terrified of other people. I panic in every social encounter, even if I'm also enjoying it simultaneously (if that makes sense...?) I never know what they're really thinking and what they expect from me, what will not look right to them.

Is social anxiety a facet of Aspergers, or this is just an individual, personal thing with me? I know Aspergers can cause people not to understand social cues, but does that necessarily lead to anxiety?

Dan

I don't fear society, I just fear the awkwardness it causes.

For me, social anxiety only comes up in certain situations. I have no problem walking through a city crowd because of the anonymity. Nobody wants to interact with you, you don't want to interact with them, we all just tolerate each other's presence in order to get to our destinations.
At conventions I always get nervous at first, but I feel more relaxed when I start talking to other people there because we're all basically on the same level. We're all there to have fun in whatever interests we share.
However, I tend to panic when dealing with customers at work. I know retail isn't the best job for someone with Asperger's, but it was the only job I was able to find. Strangers coming up to me and asking me questions makes me feel uncomfortable, especially when there's so many of them and/or I'm having trouble helping them. It's like I have to lock up all my emotions inside to keep myself from breaking down in front of everyone.

I do the exact same thing - I lock up my emotions so as not to appear stupid or "freaky." The problem is, I get so panicked about appearing freaky that I have a double panic attack - I'm anxious about understanding others and then I'm anxious about them noticing that I don't understand them!

I would love to know I'm not the only one who experiences something like this... I'm afraid that I may be...

Dan

I don't think Social Anxiety comes with Asperger's. I think Asperger's can help cause it though. I am diagnosed with Asperger's, and I'm sure I have Social Anxiety, although I'm not diagnosed with that.

I don't have social anxiety, but I know that it can be a part of AS. Possibly a consequence of rejection (but it can also lead to further rejection, of course), or of being unsure how to act. I can also see that social situations can overwhelm autistics. However, I think that "pure" social anxiety (like, as it is defined in DSM) is different from AS. It may of course be comorbid to AS.