Social paralysis

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I went on a peaceful camping trip with my boyfriend and two of our friends....It was this really neat peaceful place with hippies and trees and a lake and deer romping through the forest and dogs running around bands playing all day and campfires and free food and all this stuff and everyone was really friendly...and all the nice peaceful happy pleasantness caused me to have a mild panic attack..I couldn't talk to anyone...I started hyperventalating because we were under pressure to go on the stage...People kept trying to talk to me..I was only able to have one decent conversation and that was after several beers and half a bottle of wine...and then i have no idea what kind of impression I must have made on that person.......anyway....i wish I didn't have to be that way....it is very annoying...I don't seem to have any control over the way i feel in social situations....it gets very tiresome....maybe if we go to this event next year i won't be so freaked out. I was able to explain to some people that I have extreme socail anxiety and have difficulty interracting with people, and at least they seemed understanding....dopey doh....

I use the time-out signal (hands in a T) and go to where I can be alone. The only thing is to prevent them from joining my time-out, so if I'm going to be with people for any length of time I tell a few friends that sometimes I need a time-out and need to be alone, and will be back in about 20 minutes.

ive gotten as bad as pulling out a knife not letting anyone near me

this was on holloween .. i was with a friend and quite a few of her friends

they werent too threatened by the knife thing.. i let them hold the knife when they asked and they started to cut their tounges with it

i didnt cut myself, but i did almost stab one when they tried to rip my clothes off

years later i made friends with most of these people anyways

I get disoriented when there is a lot of people...I try the coping skill that I learned from a person who works with people with post traumatic stress disorder...and that is to take a deep breath and focus on feeling the surfaces (the chair, the ground etc) that support you...I found it helpful many times...I'm glad you have understanding people around you...I hope you get the support and comfort you need from them...


But Shayne, you really mean these people cut their tongues with the knife? They sound like extremely kinky people...I hope they didn't actually harm themselves...

Busy supermarkets with no windows or not being able to see outside are hard going, I really have to be feeling relaxed to cope with more than a brief visit.

My boyfriend is sweet and well intentioned..but sometimes he will keep pushing and pushing at me when i need a time out....that was part of it....I was already having trouble dealing with all the people and overwhealmed by the smalltalk....and then with the pressure to go on stage...I just snapped..

maybe it could help if you and your boyfriend agreed on some "special sign" to let him know that you are not feeling like doing it at the moment...