Alana Saltz, a contributor writer for the Huffington Post, shares an article about what it's like to live with social anxiety. According to Saltz, living with social anxiety can be hard. She mentions that her social anxiety makes her appear a certain way to people, when that's not what she is trying to do.
Saltz says, "Unfortunately, the more interested I am in getting to know a particular person, the worse it will be. If I really want someone to like me, I'm extra careful with what I say, which ends up being little or nothing at all." Unfortunately, when one has social anxiety it can come across as rude to other people. She also mentions that over the years she has heard from many people that they thought she hated them, and people would describe her as quiet, shy, and reserved. However, this wasn't the case. She was living with social anxiety, and really had no control over it. Saltz lists that there are 3 main downsides of social anxiety:
- I constantly worry about what other people are thinking of me
- I second guess most of what I say, causing long pauses in conversations, fumbling over my words, and a generally quiet and shy nature
- I get anxious before social events with people I don't know
To read the rest of her article, click here.