What the hell is going on, please help!

[Mistadrum]

Hi there, ill get straight to it.
In the last couple of months ive been thinking like crazy about every social situation ive been in and its driving me crazy!I now rehearse what to say to certain conversations, i feel when im saying something in response it sounds really rude and bitter then feel like i shouldnt be chatting to the person because ive insulted them.
also i cannot not speak for shit anymore, i like to think i have half a brain on me but my words just stutter or i feel like i have nothing to say in response.
also another thing , i feel like im slowly loosing my personality and that everyone finds me boring and doesnt want to talk to me. it pissses me off.
worst of all though is in my house, i feel nervouse around my perants and out of all the people i could talk to it would be them!
whats happening? can anyone relate?

[lunalady]

It sounds like you're having a lot of obsessive thoughts. The more you think and think, the worse you feel. This is really hard to deal with. I had a lot of these racing thoughts myself last week, but it got better.
How?
I had to force myself to focus outwards instead of inwards.
Went out and met friends who listened to me and with whom I felt safe.
Shared a lot of my stuff on forums just like here.
Read my book (for the millionth time): Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes.

Good luck and I hope you feel better soon,
Jill

[korgoosh]

You might consider group therapy. If you find a good therapist/group, it can be a really safe place to talk about your thoughts. Plus, it's cheaper. I found group therapy was the best way to uncover thought patterns and you understand that a lot of people who seem completely 'together' have similar feelings/thoughts/anxieties that you do. You get so many perspectives rather than feedback from one person like you get in individual therapy. I found that I was able to change my thought patterns because when I worked to replace my negative, obsessive thoughts with more balanced, realistic thoughts, the feedback from a group of people helped me really 'believe' my new balanced thoughts.

[Wes]

Hey Mistadrum

First of all, your fear of other people finding you boring is almost certainly the anxiety talking. Realize that this is in your mind, and not something real.

Second, and most important... what's creating and feeding your problem is exactly your pre- and post-situation mental examinations. You need to stop your thoughts as soon as you realize you're doing this. Don't plan your moves previously... that will just make you less spontaneous and stutter. Don't go over them afterwards obsessively... move on to the next thing. If you do this, I'm sure you'll be able to better see a path away from how you now feel.

Make an effort to talk to your parents, as well. Even if the anxiety makes it more complicated, don't let it stop you from receiving help from those who care about you.

[Anthony DiClementi]

When my anxiety is bad I have all the same stuff. It's weird because I even know what I SHOULD be doing i.e. "focus outwards instead of inwards" etc but I can't. My personality is completely different. I can totally relate. I try now to make choices that move me towards feeling less anxious so that, ideally, me feeling normal on a day-to-day basis no longer includes anxiety. It's a work in progress...