http://www.socialphobiaplanet.com (:

As we say @ SPP , Come as guests , Stay as Family :)   (Sun Jun 27 23:12 2010)

Hi guys, just thought I would put this here since it probably gets a good amount of views. I really need friends but it's difficult talking to people who don't understand the things I struggle with. If anybody wants to just chat or whatever you can add me. I'm 18, female and from the US.

My MSN: grimly.fiendish@live.com
My AIM: TheSteelMessiah   (Thu Jun 17 20:08 2010)

Hi all. I got 63 (fear) + 52 (avoid). Has anyone had the following experience? I'm in my late 20's. When I was at school and up until I was about 20 I was confident around men (I am female), now I'm not. In fact I try to avoid them altogether. I'm so scared they'll find my many weaknesses and use them to their advantage. I'm also scared I'll get too close to

When I'm on social networking sites I'm terrified people (most are relatives) will pick apart what I say and be critical or find me boring to talk to. When I'm around others my mind goes blank when I really want to get to know people. I'm also afraid to get in touch with friends and make new friends because I think I appear like a needy and clingy child holding on for dear life.

I'm also afraid of the response to this post, but I'm sick of staying silent and not talking about it because it makes me feel so alone. I've stayed silent because I don't want to burden anyone with my problems and I don't want to be judged and have to stand up for myself.

If I don't get a response to an email or if someone ignores what I've said or doesn't hear me, I feel invisible and disposable. If someone says something I find offensive (showing lack of compassion), no matter how trivial, I fume on the inside and usually try to busy myself with something else to avoid them.

Finally, after posting this I can almost guarantee that I'm going to feel like an idiot. Even while typing my stomach is clenched tight and my muscles are tense.

P.S. Because we are afraid of some or most social situations does not make us 'crazy'.
Just a random thought: I saw on Euromaxxx recently that the reason hiccups 'catch' is due to empathy. I thought it was interesting :)
   (Fri Jun 11 20:41 2010)

Congrats reify :) I'm really happy for you.

I got 63 fear and 52 avoidance. Eek!   (Fri Jun 11 20:34 2010)

Oops sorry hit the wrong key. Meant 120, not 160. *that* would have been something :)   (Tue Jun 8 12:47 2010)

When I first took this quiz I got like 160. About a year ago I took it again and got in the Severe range (don't remember what exactly). I just took it again and got 50 (36 fear, 14 avoidance)!!

I still have huge pockets of anxiety that I feel it doesn't really test for. But even given that, this is huge.

If my cynical self, who never thought I'd ever get better, can take that test truthfully and get a 50, so can you!

Never give up, you can do it. Really!   (Tue Jun 8 12:44 2010)

Done this quiz about 2 years ago on this site and my resuilt has gone down by 9 ponits but as i still say im still screwed ! lol


Your score:
57 (fear) + 54 (avoidance) = 111 :O   (Wed Jun 2 12:30 2010)

135. I knew I had something wrong with me :(   (Thu Apr 29 12:36 2010)

91   (Tue Apr 27 6:19 2010)

Got a 118. No improvement since I last took it, what ? over a year ago?? Thanks to Suesue 22 for advice about having a child w/ SAD. He seems more social recently, just of his own accord. Yeah!! I switched to Effexor just a couple mos. ago & have noticed a big difference, even though I still scored high. I've gone out w/ a friend or 2, returned a couple products recently, even made friends with a neighbor!! I've worked outside in my flowerbeds for hours on end w/out worrying that the neighbors might see me. Progress feels good! To those who may want advice: (It sounds SO goofy , but it WORKS!!) Practice what it is you want to do in your head beforehand, imagine what you will say, & how you will calmly handle any problems that may arise. For example, I'll imagine myself returning an article to a store & plan what I'll say to the CSR & how I will handle any questions they may have like, no receipt or reason for return, etc. I rehearse these kinds of conversations in my mind before I go into the store or make that phone call. It was slow at first, but gets MUCH easier w/ experience!
More advice? Pursue what you enjoy. Seeking out knowledge on subjects of interest to you will give you more self-esteem & self worth. For example, I enjoy feeding birds, nature, gardening, quilting, reading, painting. I didn't say I was any good at it, but I enjoy it, which is of course what matters. These are pursuits that can be solitary, but can also have more social possibilities as I feel more comfortable. Hope this is helpful.   (Sun Apr 25 0:18 2010)

My score:
55 (fear) + 60 (avoidance) = 115

:(   (Wed Apr 7 15:06 2010)

Two years ago I was very shy and I had about 80 pkt., but then I knew the NLP - it's crazy! That made me confident and sociable. I have 17 pkt. now!
Regards! And have fun :)   (Wed Apr 7 14:39 2010)

Your score:
57 (fear) + 55 (avoidance) = 112

Dam. someone help me. Well since were all the same we should all get together i thought i was alone in this one    (Sat Jan 9 0:18 2010)

34 + 55 = 89 Not so good with it :(

If you want to improve your mood, please look here:

http://www.myspace.com/pan_putrescine_z_forum

- what a funny profile, isn't it? I have rolled on the floor laughing when I first found it!... :D

Pokazcie ten profil swoim znajomym!
A zwlaszcza niewolnikom Pana Putrescine. To jego ostateczny, smiertelny dla wrogow cios. Amen.   (Wed Dec 9 10:26 2009)

66 (fear) + 64 (avoidance) = 130    (Fri Dec 4 21:45 2009)

59 (fear) + 62 (avoidance) = 121
Wishing I could rewind the clock and get back to being the happy and outgoing me. Suffering from complete avoidance of the world outside of my home.   (Tue Nov 24 14:02 2009)

62 (fear) + 68 (avoidance) = 130   (Tue Nov 24 7:22 2009)

63 (fear) + 65 (avoidance) = 128

:(:(:(   (Mon Nov 23 10:40 2009)

Hey if anyone here has bad social phobia and wants to talk with someone who also suffers from horrible social phobia..add me on msn please. I need someone who knows what I'm going through.... Email: darkworldclear@hotmail.com ughh I got 95, and I'm 16, this seriously suck's more than anything.   (Thu Nov 19 19:07 2009)

Europo otworz oczy - rak lewactwa ciebie toczy!

europe, open your eyes - the leftism cancer is bowling you!   (Fri Nov 13 8:08 2009)

Sought this site out because I am dealing with jealousy/anxiety issues and my psychologist diagnosed it as SAD, but I only scored an 8! Can anyone point me in the right direction online? Thanks a million!   (Mon Nov 9 15:29 2009)

85 x_x   (Sun Oct 25 20:50 2009)

42 (fear) + 30 (avoidance) = 72    (Sat Oct 24 20:08 2009)

Shannon,
I am the same way! I find it so hard to act myself around people. I really do believe that when I'm comfortable and not tense I am a good person to be around. I'm the same with hot guys, too and I completely get the anti-social thing. And when I'm home or with my family, I'm so outgoing and myself. When I talk to some people I literally break out in a sweat. Sometimes I say things because I get nervous, and it comes out like I'm being rude or something.
It does suck. It really does. I wasn't like this when I was a little kid. It's so frustrating.    (Wed Oct 14 20:14 2009)

I got a 13... I'm seriously the quietest
person in all of my classes. But I am not
scared of talking to strangers, over the
phone is no problem or asking questions to
"authority", I could do whenever. The only
people I'm scared to talk with are people at
school. I have no idea why. I just get scared
and I say NOTHING during class, plus I kinda
have a soft voice so people tell me to speak
up and I hate it. I get extremely nervous
around hot guys.. and I get really anti-
social =( Another weird thing is I'm not
scared at all of going in front of the class
to do a presentation, unless I forgot my
lines or if I have to improvise. I have like
4 or 5 friends that I hang out with all the
time but I barely contribute to the
conversations. I mostly listen, and they all
think I'm quiet ugh! it's so annoying I
really have some sort of social anxiety
temporarily around people, and when I'm not
with my friends or if i'm with my family or
alone, I'm like really outgoing, like I'm
scared of nothing. Is this strange?   (Wed Oct 14 2:11 2009)

66 (fear) + 57 (avoidance) = 123

Hopeless :(   (Mon Oct 5 22:21 2009)

Y!A! INTJ Mathilda?!   (Mon Sep 14 18:22 2009)

Seems i have the opposite case as aniota (Anita?).

Sometimes i'm nervous around people who moderately know me. I guess this possibly points towards anxiety towards building possibly damaging or DRAINING relationships. Like if i'm in a socially uncomfortable place that i suspect i may possibly be forced to be in over and over again. Maybe i need to go to giant parties or raves or something. ?? I mean partying's completely not my style but those seem more impersonal ..

scored a 69 by the way, which i'm certain is an improvement from what i would've scored last Winter (see my page).   (Mon Sep 14 18:21 2009)

I meant to say that if u take benzodiazepines REGULARLY, like back to back days, you will get addicted and build up a tolerance. Don't let that happen. Once a week or less is what I recommend, and slowly you realize that speaking up or making eye contact is not so hard. The more you push yourself, the easier it becomes little by little. The more you dwell, stay at home, and blame yourself, the harder.   (Mon Aug 31 15:11 2009)

I don't recommend taking any pharmaceutical drugs long term for Social Anxiety, or even for depression, that's my experience atleast.

For me the depression was a byproduct of my social anxiety, when you deal with the social anxiety and start going out more with people/friends, your depression will go away.

I recommend cognitive behavioral therapy, read up on it, there's lots of info online (just google) and there are some really good books that also have exercises you can do as you go along. If you can, find some place that has CBT sessions near you. You can keep taking this Liebowitz quiz as you go along the CBT to track your progress.

If you feel u can't do it without medication then try some natural supplements like Gabba. If you go the pharmaceutical route, I can't recommend anti-depressants like Effexor (bad experience) but for short term use or before u have a big social event (like a party) take a really low dose of ativan. Just becareful, if u start taking benzodiazepines (ativan, xanax, klonopin) YOU will get addicted. I try and take it one day a week or less, it's short acting (6-10 hours) but it helps a lot for things like parties or speeches.   (Mon Aug 31 15:09 2009)

47(fear)+39(avoidance)=86

I'm 18 and have had social anxiety all my life. In social situations, my muscles tense up and people tease me sometimes by calling me a robot. I've also been called a mute which is extremely offensive, because I do talk when spoken to. I want so badly to be able to talk to people with ease, but the more people tell me I'm quiet, the worse my anxiety gets. My anxiety is still not as bad as some people, because I'm not afraid to leave the house when I need to.   (Thu Aug 27 11:08 2009)

All clear, friends, here you are, I will translate this poem specially for you, so you can understand it fully and admire it as well... ;-)


"The Morning"

1. Look, the sun is going on its trip,
You have just only little time for your plan.
So arise and arm youurself with a good weapon,
You have known the aim of the trip for a long time.

2. Oh how much suffering, oh how many those tears,
How many woes you still remember!
But here/now it is the time, when they as well
Will get to know the taste of these sludges!

3. You miserables, cheats, you dogs wiothout the honor!
How many ladies have you seduced so?
Not I am lucky today, but just you,
Because today the yob is winning.

4. I challenge all of you impudently today,
So as to duel together.
Who will win - will own the luck alone,
Who will lose - the time of despair for them.

5. I have lost, but not at all with someone better than me -
I but pride myself with this "weakness"!
I cannot change the reason, the scoundrel
Has cowardly use them!

6. This flirt is finished, you can hear the frenetic laughter:
"For all the tears you will pay!"
THE BEAUTIFUL MORNING WILL COME,
WHEN I EAT MY ENEMIES' CARCASS!


Hope you understand it quite well now. You know, it is rather difficult to translate any poetry precisely. All the more, if you want to translate it from Polish language whis is but really rich and exuberant (similarily to almost any Slavonic language)...

With love,
the PSYCHIARTIST   (Wed Aug 26 13:04 2009)

"Poranek"

1. Patrz, słońce wyrusza w wędrówkę swą,
Już czasu niewiele na plan swój masz.
Więc powstań i uzbrój się w dobrą broń,
Od dawna wyprawy cel znasz.

2. O ileż cierpienia, o ileż tych łez,
Ileż wciąż niedól pamiętasz swych!
Lecz oto dzień nadszedł, gdy oni też
Smak szlamów poznają tych!

3. Nędznicy, oszuści, bez honoru psy!
Jak wiele tak zwiedliście dam?
Nie ja dziś szczęśliwym, lecz właśnie wy,
Bo dzisiaj zwycięża cham.

4. Wyzywam dziś hardo każdego z was,
By pojedynkować się wraz.
Kto wygra - ten szczęśćie posiędzie sam,
Kto przegra - rozpaczy dlań czas.

5. Przegrałem, lecz wcale nie z lepszym niż ja -
"Słabością" tą wszak szczycę się!
Nie jestem w stanie zmienić przyczyn, drań
Tchórzliwie wykorzystał je!

6. Skończony ten flirt, słychać szaleńczy śmiech:
"Za wszystkie łzy zapłaci się!"
NADEJDZIE TEN PIĘKNY PORANEK,
GDY WROGÓW MYCH ŚCIERWO ZJEM!

****

Wszelkie prawa do tego utworu są odstrzeżone.
Wiersz ten zawiera metafory (przenośnie) i nie może być rozumiany jako opis padlinożerstwa czy chamskiej/awanturniczej bójki.

Komentujcie, krytyka jest potrzebna artystom..   (Wed Aug 26 12:30 2009)

actually, got 65* (=33 fear & 32 avoidance)   (Thu Jul 30 1:09 2009)

got 60.. feel like my social anxiety is constantly getting better, and i generally score only slightly above average on these tests, because my anxiety is so specific and focused on certain things. have no problem with talking to strangers, attending parties, denying sales persons, or taking a written test. can however under no circumstances perform, act, play or speak in front of an audience without getting severe heart race, blushing, sweating, and anxiety attacks. its limitating me to the extent where im held back in school because of it.. it aggrivates me so much. as much as ive gotten better over the years (before i had trouble even talking to people in stores or speaking up in front of my closest friends) i still have a lot of work to do.. just dont know where to start.. i dont know if my symptoms are too small and insignificant to bring up with a therapist, but what else is there to do? to me, its not just anything - its a great deal to me.    (Thu Jul 30 1:03 2009)

109 points
Im 18 and ive been rejected by every job ive applied for, i have had interviews but im terrible at keeping eye contact and im also a misrable person. I was also bullied at school i had a few friends but they also picked on me so i told them what i thought of them when i left so i have no friends and my self-esteem has just got worse.   (Sat Jul 18 11:55 2009)

46 (fear) + 44 (avoidance) = 90    (Sat Jun 27 2:25 2009)

I scored a 17. This is weird. I feel like I have the symptoms of social anxiety, but not nearly as severe as you guys describe it. I have 7 or 8 pretty close friends. I never ever have any trouble going out in public. When I read your testimonies, they seem so much more severe than what I have. Is there such a thing as minor social anxiety? Do I even have social anxiety? Then why do I have such trouble talking to strangers?   (Sun Jun 21 22:29 2009)

I got 113.55 of Fear and 58 of avoidance.
I think that it is something wrong with me.
I am afraid of being in the centre of attention.I like one boy in my school and I can't go to him and tell it to him because I am to shy. On the lessons I don't talk too much.Teachers tell me that I am very quiet and shy.
I am very nervous when i stand in the centre of classroom and have to refer something. It is too stressful for me
Also when i havo to phone sb or get call I am getting stressed.
It's not normal I think:(What do you think about it??What should I do with it??Do you have any ideas??   (Thu May 21 14:16 2009)

83 points...
but it is said that if you feel that sth is wrong then it means everything can still be all right   (Tue May 19 13:34 2009)

65 (fear) + 62 (avoidance) = 127
I'm only 17 :( i knew i was weird, i get panic attacks, i avoid nearly every social situation i can, im a reassurance junkie, i throw up all the time and i cry alot. my friends all hate me and its not fair because i dont deserve feeling like this im not a bad person :( im rather clever and want to go to uni but theres no way i will be able to do it, i cant go anywhere on my own.... can it be genetic because my dad got diagnosed with it too?   (Sun Apr 26 11:16 2009)

Anyway, I scored quite highly on this test 3-4 years ago and now I've scored 40. It's a little inaccurate as I would say between 40-60 depending on context/mood etc would make more sense. Wow, just caught myself being anal there XD. So my point is that you CAN improve. I had a few weeks of counseling, learned meditation, read a lot of self-help books, am LEARNING to be more positive in life, taken up running and finally I'm trying to do the things in life I am passionate about, though I am still looking, I am getting closer and closer to finding out what they are.

Take care guys and wish you all the best!   (Fri Apr 24 17:14 2009)

I scored 125. I'm 16. I knew there was something seriously wrong...:(   (Thu Apr 16 18:04 2009)

For those of you scoring highly on this test: If scoring so high on this test bothers you and is typical of how you actually live and feel and you want to change it, then please do consider seeing a mental health professional. If you're under 18, tell your parents, or a school counselor. You don't have to live in a world of fear and social unease.   (Thu Apr 16 9:43 2009)

great.. I only nearly 13 and I have 125 points. I hate going out of my house or looking out of a window or talking to people or teachers this really sucks and i have no friends... will this get even worse??   (Thu Apr 16 5:51 2009)

i scored pretty low too but i think if the questions were about fear of smelling badly i would have scored through the roof.i have intense anxiety about being around strangers because i worry that i stink.any area that is exposed to the public worries me.my breath.my soap,my clothing.it is so hard to live in such fear because i really don' leave the house if i can help it and when i do i would rather be beaten for hours on end than be anywhere that other people are   (Wed Apr 8 20:33 2009)

any help at all... from anyone... would be apretiated.
   (Wed Apr 8 16:51 2009)

im 17. i got over 100 and im still going to highschool with of course almost no freinds dont no what to do... seem weak if i tell any one i cant even talk to people.   (Wed Apr 8 16:11 2009)

A 73 is an improvement. I used to score in the 90's   (Fri Jan 9 12:23 2009)

Chat room is listed here - http://www.anxietyhelp.org/index.html   (Fri Dec 12 12:19 2008)