Anxiety, friends, and family

[leetbulldog]

Well I was wondering if you guys relate. When I go out with friends I usually don't let them know how awful my week or day has been. Most of the time when I hang out with them I feel bad physical wise. I just laugh and try to have a good time with them. I try to block all my symptoms. Most of the time they disappear to mild.. the other times they don't. With my family, I used to let them know all the time how I felt. Now in days I really don't. I feel embarrassed to let my friends and family know my bullshit issues with my anxiety. I feel like they think I'm crazy. My sisters and brothers always say I'm crazy so I don't need nomore people telling me so. what also puts me down is seeing people in public laughing, happy etc. I want to be like that why I can't be like them! :/ well, I hope to hear your story :)

[rhar]

Well I was wondering if you guys relate. When I go out with friends I usually don't let them know how awful my week or day has been. Most of the time when I hang out with them I feel bad physical wise. I just laugh and try to have a good time with them. I try to block all my symptoms. Most of the time they disappear to mild.. the other times they don't. With my family, I used to let them know all the time how I felt. Now in days I really don't. I feel embarrassed to let my friends and family know my bullshit issues with my anxiety. I feel like they think I'm crazy. My sisters and brothers always say I'm crazy so I don't need nomore people telling me so. what also puts me down is seeing people in public laughing, happy etc. I want to be like that why I can't be like them! :/ well, I hope to hear your story :)

Yep I always feel bad physical wise when I go out. It's hideous..... The symptoms are horrendous!

[scared44]

Im anxious around anybody even my Family :-( hate feeling like that it's so very hard! Im sick of putting on a brave face for other's!

[DustingMyselfOff]

Well I was wondering if you guys relate. When I go out with friends I usually don't let them know how awful my week or day has been. Most of the time when I hang out with them I feel bad physical wise. I just laugh and try to have a good time with them. I try to block all my symptoms. Most of the time they disappear to mild.. the other times they don't. With my family, I used to let them know all the time how I felt. Now in days I really don't. I feel embarrassed to let my friends and family know my bullshit issues with my anxiety. I feel like they think I'm crazy. My sisters and brothers always say I'm crazy so I don't need nomore people telling me so. what also puts me down is seeing people in public laughing, happy etc. I want to be like that why I can't be like them! :/ well, I hope to hear your story :)

That is me to a tee, and has been for most of my life! I hate getting invitations to go out with anyone, whether it's family or friends or even husband..... I just want to stay HOME where I am comfortable and happy. But often we have to give into those invitations and I white-knuckle it through them, counting the minutes till I can go home and hoping that no one is noticing how awful I feel, physically and mentally. I should get an academy award for my acting!

I don't let many people know what I'm suffering with because when I was young and asked for help from my family they all told me to keep it quiet, don't let anyone know you're crazy, and don't embarrasse the family. Real supportive, eh?

So I've learned to hide it and deal with it, but I am always so jealous of people who really ENJOY being out having fun. To me, it's such a difficult chore. :(
Sue

[Beccayn]

I too feel like I am faking my "good time" just to stay below the radar where inside I am not where I want to be. I try to keep it quiet too but my worry or fear kicks in around my husband or kids and I think they think I'm nuts sometimes. I try to just keep quiet.

[Lin]

For the past 2.5 years I have stopped socialising because found meeting people so difficult. When at work can talk to people OK, but even work colleagues I can't socialise with them outside and hate even bumping into them because have to talk to them.
Only got a few friends, no family, who I can confide in. Some new friends met on here I can confide in which has really helped.
Friends are very difficult because you have to know that they are the right friends to understand or be able to handle your depression. I have found I have pushed friendship boundaries too far with some by talking about suicide and they can't handle it.
I have chosen very small group of friends who have had depression and understand, and confide in them, rest of friends and family I just keep ticking along with a quick text or e-mail every so often so that I know that if they are true friends they will still be there when I am feeling better and able to socialise again.

[smurfychris]

Well I was wondering if you guys relate. When I go out with friends I usually don't let them know how awful my week or day has been. Most of the time when I hang out with them I feel bad physical wise. I just laugh and try to have a good time with them. I try to block all my symptoms. Most of the time they disappear to mild.. the other times they don't. With my family, I used to let them know all the time how I felt. Now in days I really don't. I feel embarrassed to let my friends and family know my bullshit issues with my anxiety. I feel like they think I'm crazy. My sisters and brothers always say I'm crazy so I don't need nomore people telling me so. what also puts me down is seeing people in public laughing, happy etc. I want to be like that why I can't be like them! :/ well, I hope to hear your story :)

Hey Lee, I've been there, I hit a point and I just became more open, I openly talk about my anxiety issues with everyone with regards to when I go out, I find it reassuring and I guess my friends are really understanding if I have an anxiety attack or such. I think it can be a bad thing for me in a way as well though, as you don't want everyone asking if you're ok all the time, because you want to feel some normality. Being open about it honestly helped me a lot though, with my friends and family, sorry to hear yours don't seem as understanding. Bare in mind I've gone from hyper never even leaving my room, or the house because I was that bad, freaking out if I was ever alone anywhere, so I do see improvement, always here for a chat if you need it dude.

Regardless of the negatives that come with anxiety, I think there are positives too, I really believe I'm such a nicer person as a result of this illness, chin up.