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I'm defintely a loner, I don't like to be around people if i'm not obligated to because people are always talking or joking about someone behind their back. I hate that, because i know i'm probably a topic of conversation for these people too. So here i am with no friends any longer because I have this constant fear of what people think of me, and are afraid that everytime i turn around they are saying something under their breath about me, whick a lot of time is true.
I hate this lonelyness, and don't want to sit around all the time, what do you think i should do? I believe i have social anxiety, does anyone feel the same way, or suffer from my same problems?

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Hi Jayl,

Yes, I know the feeling.

Here is a reality check. I sometimes like to stroll around the city and listen in to conversations in the street, in parks, on mobiles, in cafes. My wife says that I am really good at it.

Something I have noticed is that 90% of casual conversations between two people are about someone else. And, guess what? They are almost always bad mouthing them to some extent, usually complaining about their behaviour in some way.

This is no paranoia, I'm beyond that, it's just observations which I sometimes use as material for my poetry and stuff.

The moral? Maybe we normally shut out this stream of negativity, but when we are depressed we find it harder to deal with the way the world really is. That's not paranoia IMHO, it's just the real world.

The great thing about forums like this is that it can't happen. Everyone can see every post, so all our communications are in the open for all the readers to see and comment on. That's healthy, and I like it.

Stay with us Jayl, till you feel strong enough to go back out into that bad old world!

Cheers, Myzen