The Scariest Social Situation For Me

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^^ Greetings everyone, I am very sorry to bother you all. I perhaps just wished to share a very scary social situation for me, and I am not quite certain why this is the case. ^^ I believe this is when I come across human friends that I perhaps knew very well a number of years past yet have not spoken with them in a very long time. For instance, a number of weeks past I encountered two boys who I have not met in a approximately two years who attended my school and were happy friends. ^^ It was very happy to see them, however I believe I was very possessed.

^^ I was worried that my legs were shaking and felt very very very scared, and this often takes place in similar situations as this. ^^ I sent a happy message on the internet to one of the boys at a later time that day to apologise. May I ask, do other individuals perhaps experience such fear in these situations? ^^ Or perhaps have techniques to avoid this possession? Thank you very much everyone, I am sorry for bothering you.

Hey, no bother. I find old friends/aquaintances can be scary to meet with again, because they knew you when you were younger and perhaps more vulnerable and seeing them makes you remember these times. Can you remember what you were thinking when you met them?

There's no need to apologise for feeling nervous, and I'm sure they weren't offended by it. Stay happy man

^^ Yaye thankees activebutodd. ^^ I believe this is a certainly a great problem I have, in that there are so many thoughts in my head that I cannot latch onto any one trail of thought. And, therefore, I am trying to organise my thoughts in what I am feeling and also trying to know what to say based on what I am feeling. ^^ I believe I was thinking that I am happy to see them, and they appeared rather different and also I wished not to offend them and also I remember a happy blank in my head also, like a mist. ^^ I am sorry if this is very silly of me. ^^ Yaye I perhaps I answered my happy concerns. ^^ Yaye, I believe my feelings often materialise themselves in my head as images, and this is fun. ^^ However, I then often begin to analyse these and forget that I require to speak to an individual.

I get nervous and scared seeing people I knew around too. Visiting old friends makes me very shy and quiet for a few hours then gradually I get louder and more relaxed.

I have a similar reaction to being accosted in public, even by people I like - and it doesn't have to be from a long time ago - even someone I haven't seen for a few weeks or months can throw me off-center if they come up to me out in public, where I've kind of sealed myself in my imaginary invisible protective bubble to help me navigate through a crowd without being too self-conscious and anxiety-ridden.

The sudden encounter pops my protective bubble and leaves me feeling naked and vulnerable, and my brain can't process the sudden stimuli of having to deal with my surroundings and focus on the person at the same time. I can't think of anything to say or how I should act or react, so I usually just smile and stand there and let them carry the conversation for a moment while I get my bearings. Of course, that means I miss half what they're saying, but whaddaya gonna do?

Its even worse when I know that I know the person, but can't recall where I know them from, or what their name is.

I have the same thing sometimes. Someone in the thread asked what you are thinking at the time, and for me, I'm really not thinking anything. I mean, it's not like, "Oh gosh, what it that person going to think of me?" or anything like that. I don't think in words and sentences in times like that. Sometimes I might even feel pretty relaxed and confident, like I'm glad to see them, and then all of a sudden those physical anxiety symptoms (shaking, dry throat/mouth) come on really, really strong.

For me, it's not necessarily someone that I used to know, but sometimes. I can think of two examples. One of them was when I went and re-introduced myself to the lady who had been my 1st grade teacher, thirty years before. I felt fine when I started talking to her, and then I felt myself get all shaky and nervous, and it was hard to talk. Another semi-example happened recently in the grocery store. In the check out line, right behind me, was a man who vaguely resembled someone who I really admire (and who I'm unlikely to ever meet). I knew it was not this person, but seeing him made me imagine the possibility of running into him somewhere, and being faced with the opportunity of either talking to him or not talking to him. I suddenly got all shaky, and my arms and legs, and brain, turned to jelly. Ugh! I was trying to count out money, and put my change in my purse, and that kind of thing, too. I couldn't work my hands properly. It was such an awful feeling, especially thinking that if it HAD been the person I admire, I'd probably be a complete mess, dropping coins everywhere and going, "Ah blah blahgggleblah". But it wasn't even him. It was a total stranger, who I didn't even have to look at!


So, I really feel for you, and understand.

Yes I feel the same way about seeing people I haven't seen for ages, except for my 2 best best friends. But if anyone else approached me, might even be weeks after I last saw them and I would be caught off guard and feel really awkward and weird. Not long ago I went shopping with my girl best friend and I saw my friend dave from school who I haven't seen sinse my last day in June, and started talking to me and I could hardly think of what to say but at school I'd have long conversations with him and we'd have a laugh. But because I hadn't seen him for weeks and he was out of his usual place it was like meeting someone I didn't know that well. Tomorrow I'm going shopping with my girl best friend and two of her friends, one of the girls I was friends with at guides but I left in january/februrary so I'm pretty nervous about meeting her again but I am excited about it though.

^^ Yaye thank you very much for your replies everyone. ^^ Tis very happy to know of others' experiences for me.

I often find the same situation hard, but not scary.
When I meet with people that I haven't seen in quite a while it makes me realize that they are all moving on with their lives, taking in new experiences and I am doing the same thing and still hating every moment of it even though I am too anxious to do anything about it. I don't know what to say to them and deep down, I know that they are wondering why I've done nothing with my life.

It's terrifying for me given that a vast majority of people that I'm too scared to confront are currently living in the same city as I am. Whatever happened to moving out of the state after college?! The only people I'm not afraid of moved to Texas and I'm stuck here trapped in a foxhole with friends who were either judgemental or cruel to me surrounding my turf.