What do you think?

[eschultz0901]

When I go to a restaurant I feel like everyone around me is starring and talking about me, when I go to a store or mall it's the same thing, I feel like thi imminent threat is upon me and I have to "know" what everyone is saying around me. I feel like I'm laughed at a lot. Does anyone else think this is social anxiety?

[__freespirit]

Honestly I think that is just insecurity, or lack of self confidence.

You have to realize that people have better things to do than sit around and talk about you. Not everyone is that horrible.

[soshy]

Hi eschultz and welcome to the Forum :) ! To answer your question, if these thoughts and feelings give you anxiety and keep you from doing normal daily routines or if you avoid being around people, I would think it is social phobia.

I have social phobia and when it use to be very bad, I was so paranoid and feared that people were looking at me and thinking or saying negative things about me. I had a horrible time in restaurants or in stores because of my social anxiety and thinking people were judging me/looking at me and sometimes when I heard laughing I thought they were laughing at me, and I just wanted to get home as fast as I could.

Take care - soshy

[shoe]

eschultz,

That is one typical symptom of social anxiety sufferers, yeah. We tend to overinflate the extent to which other people are focusing on us. I have suffered this alot when eating out alone, but I make it a point to actually look around at people to see what they are doing. Most times they aren't looking my way, and the few times they are, its usually got nothing to do with being judgmental. Sometimes they are just looking in my general direction, not at me.