Posted by noa on October 17, 2000, at 7:02:53
In reply to Thank you guys., posted by Rzip on October 16, 2000, at 22:44:00
I wanted to add a response to something you said in an earlier thread--about feeling somewhat better since exchanging posts here.
It wouldn't surprise me if someone with significant social anxiety who is quite lonely started to feel better after conversing with people here. Online discussions seem tailor made for people with social anxiety. And provide a much needed opportunity to social contact. Besides, this place is a place where you can talk about the very things that usually keep you from socializing.
Perhaps this sheds light on some things---you like social interaction, want it, but it causes too much anxiety, so you avoid it (I am drawing on what you have written earlier, if I am incorrect, please let me know). When you encountered helping professionals, you were powerfully drawn to them. could this be the craving of social contact? Perhaps they were more "safe" than peers because they are, in a sense, unattainable (you were told to back off) and they were nice to you and listened to you.
But here, you have a place where you can interact and have social contact but still feel somewhat safe, and not overwhelmed by social anxiety.
Make sense?
poster:noa
thread:1159
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20001011/msgs/1181.html