Phobias

[livingwith]

I was diagnosed as having social phobia the year of 2003, when I was nineteen years old. It was just when I was having some heard time going to classes because of the fear of other people’s eyes. Whnever I go out, I felt the negative thoughts of others thinking about me, and my whole body will start to shake, and I would freeze. For me, there was not any evidence that will describe the causation of my social phobia. I was born as being shy, and I used to hate people, and often escape from ...Read the full article

[spellingbee]

I can relate with the social phobia very well.....I grew up as a chubby child, got made fun of because of this, was ashamed and afraid of what others thought of me, could ot speak in public without sweating, getting red-faced etc. Speech class in high school was the worst......I would literally sweat and shake up there. I now have a job with the public working in a retail store and have pretty much overcome my shyness just by getting older and realizing everyone has insecurities that they may not show. My shyness shows more around men, than women, and I guess it is because i am still overweight and feel that men do not want anything to do with me because they are judging me by my weight. I have a fiance who is very supportive of me, but if I am in a crowd for a girls night out, and men are involved I am very shy and withdrawn. Right now am facing problems with another type of phobia.......fear of open areas (parking lots) any type of wide open area, like crossing streets. It is kind of the exact opposite of claustrophobia to me. I am fine in enclosed spaces (like elevators, don't like escalators because they are more open, ) which I know sounds wierd. I realize this is an irrational thought, no reason for it, I also suffer from panic attacks and maybe think if I am in an open area and get a panic attack I won't have anything to hang on to. I have had some doozy panic attacks lately. I am on meds and they have controlled the panic until about a month ago...it started bad again. The fear of open wide spaces is very life-limiting, there is so much I cannot do without thinking and thinking about it. Then i am sure i work myself into a panic attack that way. If someone walks with me I am able to cross a street, but normally cannot cross one by myself. Does anyone out there have this phobia and what are you doing about it? Any suggestions would help.....