SOCIAL ANXIETY: Do you ever have difficulty getting out of the house?

When my anxiety was really bad sometimes I used to have real difficulty getting out of the house and getting my feet on the street, as walking down the street could induce cripplingly high levels of anxiety. Sometimes I would stay indoors for 3 or 4 days in a row, sometimes longer, instead of having to go out and go through all of that again. I essentially became a shut-in and a social recluse, and would shop online and have my food delivered.

My anxiety comes and goes now, and I don't think it's as bad as it used to be, but I don't think it shall ever disappear completely.

Have you ever experienced crippling tension and anxiety whilst out and about? Have you confined yourself indoors for long periods of time as a result? Have you become a social recluse because of social anxiety?

Yes. I can only get out without anxiety when I'm Hypo. Some times it get very bad and I stay indoors for weeks. Luckely I have very supportive Mom who understands.

Yes I have social anxiety issues with being in public and open places with others. Even walking down the sidewalk and be a challenge for me. People cause me to feel uncomfortable.

I’m a social recluse for a variety of reasons, though, among them social anxiety and having been diagnosed on the autism spectrum, therefore having a terrible time socializing without the issue of anxiety.

I’ve taken to shopping online because I find being in stores too much for me.

I also had anxiety getting out of the house once two years back because I was afraid I would not be able to find my way back home. This was not a wholly irrational fear as I was so unfocused due to my constant intense daydreams that it was actually possible that I would get lost. After I was put on medication the intense daydreams were gone and I was able to concentrate enough to not be afraid of leaving my house anymore.

I used to take panic attacks when I was in the supermarket, and wonder how I was going to get out of there. On one occasion my anxiety levels were so high that I just put down the shopping basket and walked straight to the door instead of having to come into contact with a check-out assistant.

I'm not so bad now, but my anxiety levels are still probably higher than those of the general population, which makes daily interactions with other people very difficult. In fact I consciously go out of my way to avoid coming into contact with other people so as to avoid the anxiety that social interaction usually causes, but this has only contributed greatly to my social isolation and loneliness.

yes I do, but 2 days is my limit. I need to get out after that.

I have safe zones where i can function ok but i outside that I cant. I have my apt, work and my car. I function fine at work, but people are coming to me and that is my role, the role I play so i can do it. Ask me to leave my place of employment and i cant do that. I go to the grocery store 2x per month and can handle that, but no more. Everything has to wait until those trips. But the other day after work, I really wanted chicken strips from KFC. And i was talking to a coworker about it. KFC is right across the street. And i was talking about how much i was struggling with the idea of going there after work, how difficult it was for me to detour the other direction in the parking lot. And I could feel the tears building knowing I would not be able to do it. And she mentions all the times Ive had chicken strips for lunch and then realizes that other people have bought them for me because I dont leave the office. But I dont go anywhere anymore. It is just my life. Ex pdoc, he tried working on this with me. He had me walking around the building once a day at work, having lunch with a coworker once a week, doing something after work once a week (i would go to the store and get something), and go somewhere on the weekends (movies). It seemed like it killed me, but i did it. Had to get back on anti anxiety meds to do it. Now I am back to being a recluse. I dont mind it. The stress was too much. Still havent been able to get off the antianxieties.

I remember being prescribed tranquillizers more than 10 years ago by my psychiatrist, and can recall that they had a calming effect, but it was like someone had just given me sleeping tablets and then placed a bag over my head, so I stopped taking them.

I then began taking Kava Kava which was a herbal treatment for anxiety similar to St. John's Wort for depression, but then there was a health scare about this particular herb and it was taken off the market. I got a great result with it though, it made me feel very relaxed, and without the horrendous side effects of benzodiazepines.

Nowadays I just avoid situations that induce high anxiety levels, and occasionally meditate.

Yes, I have very bad anxiety in certain areas of town...I cannot even think about walking into certain department stores or malls without having a panic. I actually avoid crowded places altogether.

Last bought of intense anxiety ... i stayed in the house for over 7 months. I would go to the market once or twice a week or do laundry but that is it.

The only reason I got out of the house was because of my new job, and I was suffering every day. I could not leave the office during the work day or I would have an anxiety attack (I couldn't take a lunch outdoors because it created a lot of anxiety).

because of college I have no choice but to leave really, but when I have the chance, like on weekends or on holidays I'll stay in as much as possible to avoid going out because of a lack of confidence, anxiety etc. Unless I know I can be with someone I know, who is a good friend, I don't want to go out.

i will stay in the house certain times (sometimes up to a week at a time) because of the anxiety over not being able to control the outside environment or the people with whom i'd have to interact if i was out and about...(mainly not knowing that i willl be able to control my responses to whatever situations i might encounter)..

mine is not so much an agoraphobia, but is driven by my bipolar fluctuations... when i'm unwell & just trying to make it through the day, there are times i simply can't rationalize the risk of going out in the outside world and dealing with all the variables life has to throw at me... even when i know what i need most is to get out... i just wall myself in and close off ... i've become quite a hermit over the past four years... i rarely have visitors & i don't socialize outside of work for the most part...

i've recently decided to start finding ways to branch back out, although even coming to that determination causes its own anxious response in my mind... i know there will be days when i'm (at least in my mind) safer at home alone... but that doesn't mean that's what's actually best for me... i want a fuller life...in order to get there, i've got to find a way to effectively cope with the variables of life instead of resorting to shutting down and shutting in completely just to get by...

I'm working on going out of my house now (tolerating some level of anxiety). I take meds to reduce my anxiety but it is still hard. I go out in my yard or for a drive in the car but I have trouble being around people. It causes some issues for me especially work related. In my ideal world I would never have to go out in public. I think part of my problem is that I don't want to be around very many people. I like the few people I have in my life and don't feel a need for any others. It's nice and safe this way.

I often have trouble leaving the house too because of my social anxiety. I guess it's due to my low self esteem, self consciousness about my acne, and just general social awkwardness around people. I feel really uncomfortable around people most times, especially when there are large crowds. I have to leave my apartment sometimes to get food and do things of course, but it's never very easy and I have to like work myself up to it and it stresses me out most times.

Yes, yes and yes. It's exactly what social anxiety will do to you.

Hugs to everyone here

I get anxious reading these posts sometimes.

Is that normal?

for what it's worth, i think normal is a very subjective & highly relative term...

you react how you react.. your brain generates a chemical response & you feel the anxiety... it may not be ideal.. but that doesn't not necessarily mean that it is not a reaction experienced by others...

i don't think there is a normal... like an actual normal... it's all about perception & self-perception...

i know that's not a yes or no answer... but it's my honest opinion

I definitely have all of these problems. it's worse when I need to or try to talk to someone else of course. I've been something of a recluse all my life. I also feel claustrophobic when I'm around too many people.

i have that too.. i wasn't that way so much when i was younger.. but now, i really hate large crowds or gatherings...

today i went to petsmart to get some dog food & i was going to check out the adoption event there that was being hosted by the shelter where i volunteer... i got out of my car & i couldn't.. i had to go straight to the store & do my thing... it was just too much.. the noise.. the loud music... so many people... so much going on.. i couldn't deal with it... it was overwhelming even from a distance.. that saddened me.. i'm going to try working on that... though i haven't figured out how just yet..

I'm at a loss too, although breathing exercises can help if I'm seated and it's not too crowded. If I'm walking or driving its harder, I just want to get away.

Hey Serotonin,

I can definitely relate to your post... I had the same anxiety / fear about walking in public, especially walking my dog, to the point where I can't even walk the dogs anymore. I found this article helpful: What is social anxiety?

I am a social recluse because of my anxiety. I have troubles leaving my room, let alone my house. Of course this causes my father to tell me how easy it is to leave the house (he's the only one here who isn't mentally ill). I have friends who pressure me into going out by showing up and then calling so I feel guilty saying no.

A lot of people seem to have this perception that I, and others with anxiety, do this to be lazy. I just can't fathom being out in a world I've no control over. And when I do give that control over, bad things tend to happen. Like nearly dying in a car accident the one day I decided to go out with my father to run errands.

It's hard to shake that feeling, even if it seems illogical.

I have a very hard time leaving the house. Today, I had plans with a friend. I canceled this morning due to feeling freaked out about socializing. But I already knew I wasn't going last night before I went to bed as I was already freaking out about it at that point.

I do..all of the time. I am in the midst of a huge petrified/anxious fest because I have a neurologiast's appt. on Monday. I have cancelled 3 times. If it rains on Monday, i may cancel again.

Yes, I'm trying to start working on it. I'm going to try and make myself get outside atleast 30 minutes every other day for starters even if I'm not around anybody. I need to get used to being outside first on a daily basis before I can start making some friends, seeing old friends again. I don't think my neighbors know I even actually live here at this point

There was a time I was afraid to leave the house alone... I couldn't go for walks in my neighborhood, I couldn't go to the store or anywhere unless someone was with me.

I have almost no problem going out now.. I have no problem going grocery shopping, although being around people does make me flustered irritated. I actually enjoy going to bars but prefer to go with friends, it's just more fun and I don't like sitting alone at the bar feeling like a loser- although I did that the other night cause my friend ditched me. Whatever.

My biggest issue is talking to people, like sometimes I get anxious if I go to a place where I know I'll run into an acquaintence and like I HAVE to talk to them.. talking to them sucks so bad, I get so nervous and can't get out of the conversation fast enough. I also hate hanging out in groups.. I just sit there totally silent, like I have no idea what to say.