Imagine having paralyzing self-doubt at a party or feel petrified speaking up during a meeting. If you have social anxiety, that's just another day for you.
The mental health condition, which affects 15 million men and women, can be utterly crippling. The symptoms range from emotional issues like excessive rumination and fear of social judgment to physical complications like labored breathing and digestion troubles. The worst part? The disorder makes you feel totally isolated.
Enter these brilliant 140-character testimonies from Twitter. They not only capture the frustrations that come with the mental health disorder, but they're a solid reminder that those who experience the condition are not alone.
Check out the all-too-real tweets below:
Social Anxiety Tweets
My social anxiety is such that I think strangers are talking about me but also assume my friends have forgotten who I am.
— erin mallory long (@erinmallorylong) June 30, 2013
Walk into the club like I have social anxiety this was an awful idea can you turn the music down actually I just want to go home
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) August 19, 2016
"But parties are SO FUN!!!!"
Oh okay. Social anxiety cured. Thanks
— Princess ✨ (@ablackmermaid) August 14, 2016
Social anxiety in the streets, even more social anxiety in the sheets.
— james nielssen (@cool_as_heck) August 18, 2016
Social anxiety pic.twitter.com/hPtirk5lmo
— ️ (@pressure) August 14, 2016
when you suffer with social anxiety and you're made to do a presentation in front of the whole class pic.twitter.com/lljzp5ywi5
— Adam Ray (@adraycun) August 17, 2016
Social Anxiety Problems: Knowing the answer to a question that nobody else does but being too scared to raise your hand and say it.
— Socially Anxious Kid (@Anxious__Kid) August 15, 2016
psa don't leave people with social anxiety in situations where they're surrounded by mostly strangers
— jolly rancher kid (@_actuallytylerr) August 15, 2016
~~~Anxious about hanging out with people, anxious about being alone~~~
— GABY DUNN (@gabydunn) November 17, 2015
Wanting to play Pokemon Go but your anxiety keeps you in from walking around because you might have to interact with people <
— Social Anxiety (@anxiety_probs_) July 19, 2016
nothing worse than your social anxiety getting mistaken for rudeness
— Dory (@Dory) April 12, 2016
Person: "we need to talk"
Me: *anxiety explodes and I can hardly breathe" "yeah sure thing"
— Kirby Minnick (@kirbyisaboss) April 10, 2016