Recently diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder

[CKgolden]

I have this fear...it usually presents itself the most when I'm staying or living with other people. I fear that I'm doing something wrong. I fear that every time people are talking quietly or in another room, that they're talking about me. Talking about how lazy I am, or that I stole something or something to that affect.
My last roommates didn't help with my anxiety, they would constantly accuse me of stealing their things [which I would NEVER do..and they always found a few minutes later right where they left it] or never cleaning or helping out [when I was the one who kept the place clean and cleaned up after their dogs who were not potty trained] and no matter how much I tried to talk myself into believing that I'm not a bad person, I would constantly worry myself sick about this. I deal with these fears by holing myself in my room, hoping that if they saw that I was never out of my room that there is no way I could steal from them. I moved out and after about a month [mind you I hadn't been back since I left] I got a text and was accused of stealing their wedding rings. I broke down in my car in a parking lot.
This time, we just moved to Georgia and we are staying with my husbands friends until we get our house...and I'm here alone while they are working and when they get home I freak out because I feel like I should have cleaned the entire house. I turn into a hermit until I don't see any signs of them being upset with me. It's starting to get ridiculous...I used to be on paxil but I'm pregnant now and it also gave me liver damage. I get panic attacks and hyperventilate at times and I don't know what else to do about this. Help. =/

[Charlene]

Hi CKgolden,

I'm usually on the Generalized Anxiety page and very rarely have a look in this section. Why not try posting a message over there, it's usually frequented by more users and you might find some very helpful advice over there.

Don't be so hard on yourself, I know it's hard at times to not listen to your head, espeically when it's shouting out negative thoughts at you. I suppose that's just one of the many traits that goes along with us anxiety sufferers. But try not to think about what those people said to you or did to you back when you were living with your roomates. They're history now and what they think of you, you can't change it, so please try to get your mind off them. They aren't worth your energy.

It's understandable that you're having a difficult time right now, with having a baby on the way. Having this sort of disorder and then piling on the fact that you're in for a life change and adding into the equation your fluctuating hormones, gives you a sort of triple whammy. So be patient with yourself and try to be nice to yourself and take a look around in the other sections of this forum. You'll find a bunch of people who feel the same way you do and they're always eager to share what's helped them through tough times.

[dtrotter]

I have this fear...it usually presents itself the most when I'm staying or living with other people. I fear that I'm doing something wrong. I fear that every time people are talking quietly or in another room, that they're talking about me. Talking about how lazy I am, or that I stole something or something to that affect.


Actuaklly, the rest of the world is thinking how others think of them. In fact, when you hit your sack, do you think of other people? no, u are thinking of wat otehrs thinkg of you right? at the end of the day, eveyone is thinking wat otehrs think of them and no one is thinking of u at all!