Social Relationships

Talking to people can be pretty scary. When we talk to people, sometimes we overanalyze what we say or how we react in fear that we will seem weird or they won't like us, which makes us appear awkward. So that overthinking piece can ironically work against us.When you talk to them, really spend... more

Give yourself credit here! It sounds like you are liked and people want to get to know you! I would wonder with you, what is the self-talk going on when you get too scared to talk to people? Those statements are probably connected to some core beliefs (I'm __________, I'll never __________, I'm... more

I agree, it is awkward when people make jokes about subjects which may not be funny at all. And, if a person only jokes, then after laughing and realizing the person has nothing of themselves to offer, this can also be quite tedious.Realize that you are more aware of human interaction having many... more

It is not the case of being right or wrong, in my view. If you are asking, I believe you truly care for your boyfriend. It seems like he is having difficulties in establishing trust in this relationship. The ideal would be to come closer to his upsetness and to show him that you are there for him. I... more

Since no one can prove that there is a higher power (meaning we cannot observe "God" with our senses), the decision to believe is a choice you make. When something can't be proven true, you get to choose what belief system works best for you. Some questions to reflect on might be:1.) What does... more

Give yourself a little more credit for self-observation!You wrote about treating people horribly and not realizing it. Only if you truly didn't realize what you were doing, then you wouldn't be able to write about it.A little self-examination goes a long way.You have some basic clues about yourself... more

Thanks for reaching out and asking this question. Social stuff is hard. Even for people that don't have diagnosed social anxiety. Some research outlines that our fear of public speaking is greater than our fear of death. That's hefty! Shame is often the culprit for social anxiety because we... more

That must feel heartbreaking to you. Where do you think that anxiety comes from? I would try some self-reflecting to see what comes up there. Maybe you are worried about losing your best friend, or something completely different. It's understandable that you would have a lot of feelings in this... more

The answer depends on how satisfied and happy you feel in being part of this friendship.From what you write, there aren't any statements as to what gives you happiness about being a friend to this person.Since you already made a request of. your friend and she isn't following through, you could ask... more

I think what you are describing is pretty common. Even people without social anxiety have a hard time talking to their partner's family--it can feel overwhelming.One thing about social anxiety is that it creates avoidance behavior. You may be avoiding conversation so you don't embarrass yourself... more