“My Anxiety Has A Loophole”: 50 Memes About Social Anxiety That Explain How Certain Minds Work
Social anxiety is like a tiny gnome in the back of your head; it might be sleeping, it might be as active as never, or… it might be forcing you to go over the way you said “here” that one time during attendance. One thing is clear, though—people without one will never know what it feels like to have it affect every single social situation you’re in.
The r/socialanxiety subreddit is a safe space for those feeling distressed in a social environment. People here share memes that other members might find a been-there-done-that kind of situation.
Bored Panda has created a list of relatable social anxiety-induced moments. Whether it’s thinking of better arguments for that conversation earlier or finding the perfect eye-contact-to-floor ratio, some people might feel more at ease knowing they’re not alone.
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I Genuinely Love This Subreddit
I'm too nervous to go to Subway. If my daughter wants to I just give her the money and let her choose my sandwich. Luckily she knows exactly what I like and so far I haven't had any weird food.
Also known as social phobia, social anxiety disorder (SAD) is the persistent and excessive fear of being around people or in specific collective situations. It differs from person to person but there are some common traits. They might include worrying about meeting new people and starting conversations, tending to avoid social gatherings and eye contact, overthinking about judgment from others.
It might sound like everyone feels that way every once in a while. However, for those with social anxiety, these negative feelings are constant and way stronger. In some cases, they can lead to high levels of stress or even panic attacks.
This Is How You Dismantle An Ego
Thank You!!!
SAD is part of the group of generalized anxiety disorders (GAD), which is actually the most prevalent mental illness in the United States. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states that around 18% of people in the US live with some sort of an anxiety disorder.
According to the Recovery Village, 264 million people worldwide suffer from it. Their data shows that younger people are more affected by it than the older generation. Just over 22% of people aged from 18 to 44 suffer from these conditions while for people 45–59 years of age, the number drops to 20.6%. Out of people over 60, only 9% deal with anxiety disorders.
This Is Too Real
Or when you finish a assignment in class and you wait for someone else to turn it in first so that you know it's now okay to go turn it in too
I Hate When This Happens
Despite rather large numbers of people living with GAD, not a lot of them tend to look for professional help. The Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) states that less than 37% of people with generalized anxiety disorder receive treatment, even though it is believed to be very effective. ADAA also revealed that 36% of people suffering from social anxiety waited for 10 or more years before seeking help.
Here’s Some Abuse
"Imagining myself in situations that will never exist" seriously like 25% of my life is me reading a book but accidentally going off-track and not realizing
I’ve Never Related To Anything More
they called on us randomly. :( whenever I was called on my voice would come out in a high-pitched squeak that was too hard for the people across the room to hear. good times...
I refused to make my students do that when I was teaching for precisely that reason! So many people would miss the rest of the text because they were worrying about their own bit coming up. Edit: I should mention I was teaching adults as well.
OMG, I did the same thing, and was so worried about my turn, that I couldn't pay attention to the story.
Wait, most people don't do that? Luckily, my secondary school (The equivalent of grades 6 through 10 in America) allowed you to read up to one sentence, then stop if you needed to. That did wonders for me and my classmates
Omg!! I would do the same exact thing but I would practice just incase or I would ask to use the bathroom at the right time so I wouldn’t have to read out loud lol
That happened to me too, its ok, a lot of the time it could be scary to do it in front of people, but you gotta get it over with some time!
I Hated Doing Read Out Louds. I Was Born Half-Deaf So I Could Barely Hear Anyone. I'm Also A Very Fast Reader So I'd Read The Entire Passage Before It Was Even Close To My Turn. I'm Also Not An Audible Person So I Can't Really Understand What Someone Else Read As I Need To Visibly See It To Be Sure. It's So Annoying. But I Learned To Have Patience With Others Especially When They Had Trouble Reading Or Pronouncing Words. ✨ I Apologize If My Use Of Capital Letters Inconveniences Anyone. I Suffer From OCD. ✨
When I was in primary school my class became penpals with a class in another school. To introduce ourselves the teacher decided we would send them a video with each child saying "Hi, my name is ...". I sat there quietly practicing what I would say as she got closer to my seat. Messed it up. Literally messed up my own name, on camera and was laughed at by the whole class (and likely the penpal class too when they saw it). Pretty sure that was the start of mine.
For me it was math. I had such anxiety over it and having to do a problem on the board in front of everyone, that's what started my social phobia.
I'd count that as paying attention. Seriously, Cheryl, there were eleven people before you, you're in an orderly line, and still you're surprised it's your turn now and have no clue what to do? But I agree: your split ends are much better now after 20 minutes of grooming.
Not just you guys. I did it too. Read my part 100 times and not hear what anyone is saying. And I still sounded like a scared child, because I was literally a scared child
I would do this in school too. I hate reading allowed. I always sound like, I just learned to read. I still hate reading allowed (if I have to).
That and presentations, and in addition to that ~ I'm not sure how common this practice is but the schools I went to in Ontario made us do speeches from grade 4 - grade 8. Which required us to pick a topic, do a ton of research and citations, write an entire speech on it and memorize it and then present it in front of the class. The process to 2-3 months and got lengthier each year. A major part of the grade was not looking at your note cards and memorizing it fully while making continual eye contact with the class/teacher while presenting. We got graded for the written work but a strong portion of the grade was based on how well you could present, which also included how long it took you to present and the speed and volume and cadence in which you spoke. It was also a competition where one kid would represent all the grades annually and then compete against other schools and win things. We had a girl whose mom basically was living through her daughter and gave no other kids a chance.
Also the worst part is you were timed and had to finish exactly within that set timeframe or else major marks would be taken away. And I struggle really bad with eye contact even with friends/family and nearly failed every year. I woulf have severe panic attacks that teachers ignored and could barely even walk in front of of the class to begin my presentation. I even asked teachers if I could do it just in front of them at lunch but they refused and then would get mad when I inevitably struggled with the presentation piece.
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I did that too. I don't know why. I was always a good reader but still I would do that just so I could read it even faster and get through the ordeal that much quicker.
I hated reading out loud to class. During my younger years in school teachers would say it was great practice for us. Instead my extroverted self turned into a introverted self. Meaning I'm extremely self conscious wall flower that can lead a band of folks but prefer to remain a wallflower nd let someone else take point.
We were reading The Hitxhhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in school and when the teacher got to me I had been ignoring the whole class and just reading. I still maintain it was the teacher's fault for picking too good a book.
I did this too, although sometimes I'd just cry and the teacher would skip me.
I hated reading aloud. Despite being a straight a student, I sounded illiterate when reading aloud. Still do some of the time.
I did this too--but I have to say I don't think it made me more anxious. It was probably calmed it. My anxieties come from other things.....sigh.
if we were assigned an oral book report, i would tell the teacher after class to just give me an F as i wasn't going to participate
When the teacher would tell the student in front of you to keep reading, or stop at one point. It was like she altered the space time continuum, causing you read the two page paragraph...
In first grade when it was my turn i started reading really fast because I was good but also because i wanted it to be over already, but the other kids couldn't keep up so the teacher had to keep telling me to slow down, which made me panic and read even faster
Yea i did that to, 1st i have Aspergers ( at the time no One new because " i didn't existed " mid 80s ), i don't know if its related to that or not, i have no reading dificulties, nor speaking, nor am i an introvert, by the contrary, but when i read i end up " replacing " some of the text words by my words, and sometimes it changed the entire meaning, só i use to read silently before being called to read loud, to avoid doing that..... And i still did it..
I had a shocking stammer as a teen and I would dread having to read out loud if the passage started with certain letters esp. Bs and Gs
It's Like I Forget I Have Sa For A Second
I think it’s because social anxiety centres around you personally, and when it crosses over the focus shifts on someone else and it’s not about you anymore, it subsides and you can do the thing, probably how i feel too
As with other anxiety disorders, SAD can develop due to numerous reasons. Some of the main factors include inherited traits, brain structure, and the person’s surroundings.
It is believed that certain mental illnesses or disorders can run in the family, making it one of the possible causes behind developing social anxiety as well. It might also be related to our environment, as family or close people usually have an impact on our surroundings from an early age. Therefore, if a member suffers from certain disorders, their behavior might end up reflecting in ours.
People Like This Deserve A Special Place In Heaven
Never Were Truer Words Spoken
I Know This Feeling Too Well
I've done this. It's hard maintaining relationships when you don't want to be a burden to the other person. I feel you.
The founder of Washington Center for Cognitive Therapy, Vincent Greenwood, Ph.D., has expanded on social anxiety in a video online. He stated that there are three subtypes of social anxiety, based on its main triggers. The first—and the most common—one is general fear of social interactions. This might affect the day-to-day acts as simple as engaging in small talk, entering a room filled with strangers, participating in group activities.
Too Sensitive?
This
The second type of social anxiety according to Dr. Greenwood reveals itself when performing. Whether it’s sports activities, art performances, or giving presentations, some people might have difficulties dealing with the additional stress of being the center of attention.
Always
Show Me A Better Duo, I’ll Wait!
In his video, Dr. Greenwood names the phenomenon known as observational fears as the third type of social anxiety. It is based on the angst of being judged or feeling embarrassment. People affected by this type might feel anxious while doing things when others are watching, whether it’s signing a document or cooking dinner.
"Social Anxiety"
That’s my life. Because when I signed up for it I really wanted to do it lol times comes for it and I hate myself for signing up for it.
People with social anxiety share some common behavioral disturbances that can appear in both emotional and physical forms. The emotional ones comprise excessive worrying about others judging them, intense and persistent fear of communicating with people, anticipating certain social situations expecting the worst, among others. Some physical ones include but are not limited to heart palpitations, profuse sweating, blushing, trembling.
This Is Terrific!!!
Teachers : *surprised Pikachu*
I Saw This Earlier And It Couldn't Be More True
THIS!!! This is so true..... I'm gunna go cry now cus this is calling me out
Luckily, there are ways to cure or minimize the impact of SAD. First and foremost, if certain symptoms feel like it could be social anxiety, it is important to seek help from professionals. They can help diagnose it and appoint the appropriate treatment, whether it’s medication or alternative types of medical care. In addition to that, methods of occupational therapy or other practices, such as yoga or meditation, can be helpful as well.
Aye, Contact Sucks
I Have Stitched No Truer Words 🖤
Another solution that might help some people deal with social anxiety is connecting with people in a similar situation. The negative feelings caused by the disorder might make one feel lonesome, but there are people suffering from anxieties, getting in touch with whom might alleviate the load of it all.
I’ll Be Attending My First Protest Saturday
So Accurate
I miss CollegeHumour. The comments section was constantly full of jerks and trolls and jerk trolls but their content was great - especially the comics.
Every Time
Social anxiety is a serious topic, but people in certain online communities manage to find ways to present their lives with the disorder in a rather lighthearted way. Quite a few great examples can be found on this list. Whether it’s an outlet for the emotions caused by SAD or a way to connect with people going through a similar thing, some of these will definitely find a person or two who can relate.
A Little Hyperbole To Remind You You're Not Alone
that is not a hyperbole. If I was weird at 60 yrs old I would still be thinking about it for 20 years after I die
"Don't Dwell On Things" They Tell Me... Meanwhile
Either Too Shy Or Annoying
Why is this so TRUEEEEEEE!?!?!!?! Seriously, as soon as I'm comfortable being around you, I am so freaking annoying.....
... :/
I have been known to duck into a corner when I hear other people coming…. Not for any particular reason, just because apparently seeing strangers on the street is scary
Oh... I
I know I already said this but all of these are so relatable I am actually crying. People actually get it somewhere out there! (edit) thanks to all of you in the comments!
Now Time To Hibernate
Yes! Just yes! I cannot express how much I relate to this
Getting A Call From A Unknown Caller
My dispatch from my last job had no caller id. So it always came up as ''unknown'' worst time of my life. I was obligated to answer every call that said ''unknown number'' 🫤
Never Related To Something More
My friends parents think I'm such a good influence but they just know the awkward, socially anxious side of me and not me when I finally open up to you
Haha Relatable, Now Cry 😟😔
*checks Excuse Book*
Naw, this is just me in the mornings before school after sleeping peacefully
Always Embarrassing Myself
What's It Gonna Be Today Folks
Everytime
Thanks Brain, Very Cool
My Life In One Picture
Plus Thinking About How You Sounded Afterwards
Anybody Else?
Can Anyone Else Relate?
It’s A Vicious Cycle
Why Are You Like This
Anyone Else?
Note: this post originally had 133 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Me rethinking every comment I made because I was repetitive and annoying but can't delete because then everyone would know
I related to a lot of these but realized that it was my younger self. Seriously does ease off as the years roll by. I'm much more social now I'm in my 60s. You realize it is all in your head.
Sorry. I'm 69 years old & the only thing that's gotten better is I don't have to attend school or go to work.
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I grew up in a world without SM and BP so I didn't realise there were so many like me out there and I wasn't just a total freak. But how do i find these people in the wild so we can pretend to be social together whilst sitting in silence thinking in our heads about all our past mistakes?!
Why is there no meme for this? You are at a restaurant with friends. You need to leave, but no one will pay attention to you long enough for you to say "it was good to see everyone but i must go now. Bye!" So you get up and leave without saying anything to anyone.
After reading this, i don't know If I should be happy that there are so many "anxious friends" or sad because most of the things in here relate to me and I'm not very proud of it.
It took being with my now husband to realize that some people really don't live like this.like my husband just exudes a whole different energy, like you can tell how comfortable he is around other people (he even initiates conversation with strangers while we are waiting to be seated at restaurants). Meanwhile I'm over here practicing my deep breathing exercises and playing with my fidget toy in my pocket just to seem relatively normal. But he gets me, and always says we don't have to go anywhere if I'm just going to be anxious and miserable the whole time.
For those of you who overthink everything I've got a tip that might work. If you stare at something and don't move your eyes at all it stops your thought process. It might be a temporary solution but it helps me when I'm trying to fall asleep and I think about something I did three years ago
I've started listening to podcasts and audio books that are supposed to help you sleep. Sleepy time tales on Pandora is a good one (he reads from text books as well as regular books. In one he reads a employee handbook from an old post office), but there's also some fun short stories on audible. I have "Dr. Who: time Lord fairy tales" by Justin Richards, and "Fantastic Beasts and where to find them" that are my go tos, cause you can focus enough to keep your mind from spinning, but not get so invested that it keeps you up. I use sleep headphones so it doesn't bother my husband.
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THESE ARE SO RELATABLE AND NOW I'M FREAKING OUT BECAUSE DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE SOCIAL ANXIETY??
I don't have social anxiety but this really helps me understand my introvert friends better.
introverts arent all socially anxious 🙄 we just have a limited social battery & have to have time to ourselves in order to recharge. i'm an introvert & i have a lot of self-confidence in social situations. i know i'm intelligent, quick-witted, & polite. i'm not full of myself, but i'm not crippled by irrational fears either. i know that nobody cares how i said "here" during attendance & i know that the cashier will forget me as soon as i leave the store. i literally don't give a s**t what people think of me because i & my loved ones know who i am & that's good enough for me. but after a full day of socializing, i need a day or two without my friends so i can regain my energy, & then i'm good to go again. that's what being an introvert means. it does not mean having a panic attack over accidentally saying "thanks, you too" after being wished a happy birthday.
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I'm finding that the amount of government bodies that don't seem to think Social Anxiety exists or isn't an issue is astounding.
If I had a nickel for every time I almost cried during my haircut today, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t much but it’s weird that it happened twice
Before cell phones i would wear headphones and pretend i was listening to music so i didn't have to interact with people on mass transit. But that was partly a different kind of anxiety. I was young and cute and probably looked naive. I had gotten tired of men being gross. One time i was walking home and had a guy my dad's age following me asking if i lived alone, would my roommates be home, etc. I caught the bus for the one block i had left. Another time i had two guys at a mall tell me they needed me to come to their van with them.
Introvert is just a personality trait - Shy Extrovert is the other one- obnoxious I'd like to be in the middle of that
should be a period between shy and extrovert. Meh, as you get older you care less about everything
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Oof balls all I can say is that I have cats and hopefully soon to be a emotional support animal legally duck for a reason and that reason is I am a very lonely, tired, anxious, depressed and traumatized bean
Okay, okay, please. Tell me. What the hell. Do I say. When someone knocks on the door stall I'm in. Like it's locked and I'm just sitting there thinking how I respond without being awkward and I just don't say anything, praying for them to leave 😭😭😭
I say "just a moment please", and then pray they don't bust the door down😅 lol. I feel this, and I hate it, but it really is just a moment, and it'll be ok 🙂
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Me making so many comments because I know most of them will get covered by better comments but what if they don't and I look like an annoying idiot who comments on everything but should I take it as a compliment because nobody thought of something better to say or should I realise that everybody had something better to say because I'm not that brilliant and omg I'm having a panic attack just writing this but yeah I'm great.
ICK(not about being bi)...REALLY?! TMI/NOT COOL
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Me rethinking every comment I made because I was repetitive and annoying but can't delete because then everyone would know
I related to a lot of these but realized that it was my younger self. Seriously does ease off as the years roll by. I'm much more social now I'm in my 60s. You realize it is all in your head.
Sorry. I'm 69 years old & the only thing that's gotten better is I don't have to attend school or go to work.
Load More Replies... I grew up in a world without SM and BP so I didn't realise there were so many like me out there and I wasn't just a total freak. But how do i find these people in the wild so we can pretend to be social together whilst sitting in silence thinking in our heads about all our past mistakes?!
Why is there no meme for this? You are at a restaurant with friends. You need to leave, but no one will pay attention to you long enough for you to say "it was good to see everyone but i must go now. Bye!" So you get up and leave without saying anything to anyone.
After reading this, i don't know If I should be happy that there are so many "anxious friends" or sad because most of the things in here relate to me and I'm not very proud of it.
It took being with my now husband to realize that some people really don't live like this.like my husband just exudes a whole different energy, like you can tell how comfortable he is around other people (he even initiates conversation with strangers while we are waiting to be seated at restaurants). Meanwhile I'm over here practicing my deep breathing exercises and playing with my fidget toy in my pocket just to seem relatively normal. But he gets me, and always says we don't have to go anywhere if I'm just going to be anxious and miserable the whole time.
For those of you who overthink everything I've got a tip that might work. If you stare at something and don't move your eyes at all it stops your thought process. It might be a temporary solution but it helps me when I'm trying to fall asleep and I think about something I did three years ago
I've started listening to podcasts and audio books that are supposed to help you sleep. Sleepy time tales on Pandora is a good one (he reads from text books as well as regular books. In one he reads a employee handbook from an old post office), but there's also some fun short stories on audible. I have "Dr. Who: time Lord fairy tales" by Justin Richards, and "Fantastic Beasts and where to find them" that are my go tos, cause you can focus enough to keep your mind from spinning, but not get so invested that it keeps you up. I use sleep headphones so it doesn't bother my husband.
Load More Replies... THESE ARE SO RELATABLE AND NOW I'M FREAKING OUT BECAUSE DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE SOCIAL ANXIETY??
I don't have social anxiety but this really helps me understand my introvert friends better.
introverts arent all socially anxious 🙄 we just have a limited social battery & have to have time to ourselves in order to recharge. i'm an introvert & i have a lot of self-confidence in social situations. i know i'm intelligent, quick-witted, & polite. i'm not full of myself, but i'm not crippled by irrational fears either. i know that nobody cares how i said "here" during attendance & i know that the cashier will forget me as soon as i leave the store. i literally don't give a s**t what people think of me because i & my loved ones know who i am & that's good enough for me. but after a full day of socializing, i need a day or two without my friends so i can regain my energy, & then i'm good to go again. that's what being an introvert means. it does not mean having a panic attack over accidentally saying "thanks, you too" after being wished a happy birthday.
Load More Replies... I'm finding that the amount of government bodies that don't seem to think Social Anxiety exists or isn't an issue is astounding.
If I had a nickel for every time I almost cried during my haircut today, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t much but it’s weird that it happened twice
Before cell phones i would wear headphones and pretend i was listening to music so i didn't have to interact with people on mass transit. But that was partly a different kind of anxiety. I was young and cute and probably looked naive. I had gotten tired of men being gross. One time i was walking home and had a guy my dad's age following me asking if i lived alone, would my roommates be home, etc. I caught the bus for the one block i had left. Another time i had two guys at a mall tell me they needed me to come to their van with them.
Introvert is just a personality trait - Shy Extrovert is the other one- obnoxious I'd like to be in the middle of that
should be a period between shy and extrovert. Meh, as you get older you care less about everything
Load More Replies... Oof balls all I can say is that I have cats and hopefully soon to be a emotional support animal legally duck for a reason and that reason is I am a very lonely, tired, anxious, depressed and traumatized bean
Okay, okay, please. Tell me. What the hell. Do I say. When someone knocks on the door stall I'm in. Like it's locked and I'm just sitting there thinking how I respond without being awkward and I just don't say anything, praying for them to leave 😭😭😭
I say "just a moment please", and then pray they don't bust the door down😅 lol. I feel this, and I hate it, but it really is just a moment, and it'll be ok 🙂
Load More Replies... Me making so many comments because I know most of them will get covered by better comments but what if they don't and I look like an annoying idiot who comments on everything but should I take it as a compliment because nobody thought of something better to say or should I realise that everybody had something better to say because I'm not that brilliant and omg I'm having a panic attack just writing this but yeah I'm great.
ICK(not about being bi)...REALLY?! TMI/NOT COOL
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