Does anyone else feel so weird in public?

[ocdthoughts]

Hello, I am new here to this forum and had a question for some of you. Does anyone else feel so weird and awkward when in public, especially school? Like it gets to the point where you don't want to continue going out

 

[Al Cappella]

Yup—all the time. Been that way for years, and it's bloody exhausting…

 

[HangmanCH]

I am sure that a lot of users of this forum suffer from SAD. To me it is like public speaaking is something I will avoid at all cost. What makes things worse is that i am an international student at US. Tons of presentation, class participation literally kill me.

 

[AloeGarten]

yup, avpd causes it for me. i hate the feeling of constantly being observed by so many people around me, it makes me hyperanalyse every single movement i make

 

[Live Free or Die]

Some days are worse than others. Some days I can't even stand being at work and can't wait to go home. I can never go in Walmart. If I go to a small grocery store and there's too many cars in the parking lot, I turn around and go home.

 

[Stafila]

Yes all the time, hence why I always stay at home and only go out when it's absolutely necessary..

 

[Looooser]

I feel like I'm being judged for being bald and fat.

 

[Red]

Yes, it's easy to feel odd amongst strangers when you're not exactly feeling comfortable in your own skin even by yourself…
Doesn't help to be ignored or discarded by people when you make the effort to reach out too, both in person and attempting to strike up a conversation online, it really knocks the confidence and makes you wonder if you're utterly invisible?
Trying to tentatively yet cheerfully edge into what seems like a friendly conversation open to all only to be completely ignored… oof
Shrink back, recover, maybe try again in a few weeks

 

[piger]

I always feel like an outcast, a burden to everyone, especially at school. I'm invisible and just ignored or pitied even if those judgements aren't the case from people who interact with me.

 

[Arvinneedstodie]

That's me. I sometimes have to walk the long way home because I'm too scared to cross the street when there are cars waiting at the traffic light. Sometimes this happens right before I reach my block and I literally have to turn and pretend like I am just walking normally and then run across the street when there are no cars. When I was still in high school years ago I would hide myself in the bathroom for hours when my anxiety gets really bad, I'd skip the classes because I am anxious about being seen by certain people. All this developed into full blown agoraphobia for years afterwards. Anxiety of being around others is no joke.

 

[Darkover]

when i use to go to school like 22 years ago we use to put our dinner money togther and buy 20 cheap cigarettes for 3£ and sell them for 50p each then we would use that money to buy hash we would go to school in the morning just sign in at registration and to sell cigarettes then we would skip school and get high at my house and play playstation one games as i only lived with my dad and use to always be at work but yes we use to go back at dinner time to sign in for registration and to sell more cigarettes but we was still high from the hash i use to feel extreme paranoia and anxiety that everyone was looking at me at school because i was high on hash

 

[FuneralCry]

I do not go out much at all really, I prefer to isolate myself from everything. Seeing people makes me feel worse. When I used to be in education it was a horrible experience in every single way. Even know it was years ago, I still have nightmares about it. I always felt so uncomfortable being anywhere with a lot of people. Everything stresses me out and it only takes the slightest thing to make me feel worse. I wish I never had to experience life in the first place, at this point I have suffered for long enough.

 

[Unicornsrnot4dislife]

I'm the same. That is when my fake face comes on. I always feel like people are watching and judging me. Im that person that walks with their head down

 

[Ligottian]

I am sure that a lot of users of this forum suffer from SAD. To me it is like public speaaking is something I will avoid at all cost. What makes things worse is that i am an international student at US. Tons of presentation, class participation literally kill me.

A bit of trivia here. Apparently, in the UK SAD refers to social anxiety disorder. In the US, SAD is seasonal affective disorder, when some people get depressed in the in the winter because of lack of sunshine.

 

[Ethereal Knight]

I feel physically threatened by having a lot of people walking around me, I feel like they can attack me at any time.
this probably has to do with my C-PTSD.

 

[veryhappyhuman]

I don't know if the mask helps control COVID but it certainly helps control the awkward feeling in public for me which you're talking about lol. The semi-anonymity makes me feel a bit better.

Otherwise, I barely even look up from my phone in public. The worst part is I don't even have anything to do on the phone, no messages to read, no social media to browse, no games to play. But idc, at least I don't have to look at others -- see how happy they are, or worse, have them return eye contact.

 

[ocdthoughts]

I don't know if the mask helps control COVID but it certainly helps control the awkward feeling in public for me which you're talking about lol. The semi-anonymity makes me feel a bit better.

Otherwise, I barely even look up from my phone in public. The worst part is I don't even have anything to do on the phone, no messages to read, no social media to browse, no games to play. But idc, at least I don't have to look at others -- see how happy they are, or worse, have them return eye contact.

The masks do make it so much better, I couldn't agree more. I feel the same exact way with going on your phone. Like what do people even do on their phones? I'll do the same thing and pretend like I'm looking at something.

 

[HangmanCH]

A bit of trivia here. Apparently, in the UK SAD refers to social anxiety disorder. In the US, SAD is seasonal affective disorder, when some people get depressed in the in the winter because of lack of sunshine.

I mean social anxiety disorder here. Thanks for your clarification.

 

[astroworld]

Yep. I don't go out by my own decision often which definitely doesn't help my general fears, and when I do I feel like I'm always being watched

 

[Lost Magic]

Yeah, I have always had fear of public places and too many people around me. I had a major panic attack in a supermarket and after that I said fuck it! Then I started ordering groceries, stuff from the local store and my usual Amazon and Ebay shopping. I did go out one time recently but it was only to put money in the bank to pay for N. I am so done with it all. This is it for me.

 

[LastFlowers]

class participation literally kill me

Absolute bane of my existence (one of many) when I was in school, and they had ZERO sympathy for anyone who had anxiety or other legitimate reasons as to why they wouldn't be able to speak in front of a group of people (their peers, mind you, which can be even worse), it was either suck it up or take the F.
Because I was the type who would accept nothing less than an A, I would get up and often have my entire lower body violently shaking, even if my upper body and voice was able to remain stable (not often).

 

[Spiritual survivor]

I used to, but I've managed to overcome it.

 

[genericuser]

Yes I've felt like this all my life and I don't know how to overcome it. I feel like it's gotten worse with the pandemic and having online classes for so long because I've gotten even less social interaction. I've always been a little socially awkward but now it's gotten the worst its ever been. At this point, I don't even want to see my friends. I feel like they've noticed my change in behavior and are probably making fun of me behind my back. Even if they're not, I feel like they're definitely judging me for acting weirdly. It all feels hopeless now. I feel like I can't interact normally with people and my speech is being affected as well. I've lost confidence in myself and it's evident in the way I stutter or speak in short phrases. I don't know what I should do...

 

[Anxieyote]

I used to, but I've managed to overcome it.

May I ask how? I would love to go to a restaurant or coffee shop just to avoid rotting in my apartment for days. Or to sit on a park bench without being worried about someone making fun of me for sitting by myself.

 

[HopelessCookie]

Oh yes, even more so now. People are like you should get outside more, nah let me stay at home.

 

[down for the count]

Yes. I always think my normal self is never appropriate for society. I just feel self-conscious and people pick up on it and harass me.

 

[Ticket 2 Heaven]

Hello, I am new here to this forum and had a question for some of you. Does anyone else feel so weird and awkward when in public, especially school? Like it gets to the point where you don't want to continue going out

Yeah

 

[nothing123]

I constantly feel weird being in public. I wish I could roam without being seen. Kinda like the magic cloak from Harry Potter

 

[LoneMisery]

Hello, I am new here to this forum and had a question for some of you. Does anyone else feel so weird and awkward when in public, especially school? Like it gets to the point where you don't want to continue going out

Yes i feel that all the time. Im showered with love when im at the pub but idk if its im more mature or less when i see conversations going on around me. I feel mine with others are either forced or just less as interesting. As if im the youngster and people are just talking to me to talk.

 

[rudebeat]

Yes although for different reasons than most of people here. I have a lot of health issues people don't understand and people always look at me weirdly when they happen or when I do something that I need to accommodate the health issue. I used to function in public normally besides the health issues but now it feels like something always goes wrong, even on this site it feels like things just go wrong I feel like I can't function anywhere.

Yes I've felt like this all my life and I don't know how to overcome it. I feel like it's gotten worse with the pandemic and having online classes for so long because I've gotten even less social interaction. I've always been a little socially awkward but now it's gotten the worst its ever been. At this point, I don't even want to see my friends. I feel like they've noticed my change in behavior and are probably making fun of me behind my back. Even if they're not, I feel like they're definitely judging me for acting weirdly. It all feels hopeless now. I feel like I can't interact normally with people and my speech is being affected as well. I've lost confidence in myself and it's evident in the way I stutter or speak in short phrases. I don't know what I should do...

I relate to this so much, in the few years leading up to the pandemic I was finally beginning to discover my personality and sense of humor. I could actually make people laugh, there are still things I regret doing but everything was improving. Now after living at home for 2 years then trying to return to college I think I lost a lot of that.