What's the weirdest thing you've done as a result of social anxiety?

JustV

A friend of mine showed me this reddit thread about the weirdest things people have done as a result of social anxiety - it's worth a look if you'd like a giggle. My personal favourite:

I was at a chipotle. The girl asked me how my day had been. I said “large please” because I got confused and thought she was asking what size I wanted. Then she asked if I wanted white rice or the other rice they had and I said “yes!”

What's the weirdest/most embarrassing thing you've done as a result of social anxiety?

Mine is probably the first time I went to a walk-in barbers on my own. I sat down to wait in line, but then realised how busy and awkwardly silent it was. I got increasingly more self-conscious and uncomfortable until I pretended to get an urgent phone call and ran out. :rolleyes:

Mirabelle

Good question because I'm always thinking up ploys to avoid large crowds, especially if there is a rowdy bunch of people I know and don't feel like socialising with them.

My last exit I was quite pleased with. Seeing a bunch of Sorbonne girls I knew coming my way when in a fashionable part of Paris, I pretended not to see them, crossed the road and dived into Mariage Frères tea house. With my back to the window, I ordered a splendid tea of financiers and exquisitely cut sandwiches. And the most delicious pot of Darjeeling enjoyed in a very long time, all served up on a cream coloured damask tablecloth with silver cutlery lovely porcelain tea plates. Hardly weird I'll admit, but classy and relaxing and spending quite a naughty amount of money which was worth every cent.

Siena

Ah. I have a few such funny ones i can think of. Im so socially awkwardhough.- That if dont laugh ill cry lol.
But im abou5 to go work and dont have time to type it but wirite this so i remeber to go back to

Maisy

I can't think of the most embarrassing thing, but I have a few...

I was once with a friend at Nando's and was nervous ordering. So I totally forgot to order a drink, and felt too embarrassed to go and order again. So I had a chicken burger and chips minus a drink.

I was at the opticians and was nervous because it was the first time I had to pay for my own glasses. So nervous that when I went to pay by card, I actually forgot my pin (even though I had used it a earlier that morning)...so after having my card declined, I had to pay a deposit in cash.

Nervous catching a bus, and have forgotten to take my ticket from the driver, and on another occasion missed my stop because I didn't feel comfortable getting off in front of everyone (I hadn't been on that particular bus before).

There's probably loads of other examples. I just get really forgetful and make silly mistakes when I'm anxious XD

Jacob101

I was at a party that i got forced to go to with my parents. My phone had run out of charge but i stuck my headphones into my phone and pretended i was listening to music when really i wasn't listening to anything because obviously my phone was dead. I have actually done this quite a few times.

Also there was a time when i was in Costa just ordering my drink and before i paid i looked at my phone and made out that i had to go and told the guy that i was in the wrong Costa. No idea why i done it, well....i do, i was so anxious and overthinking if i had enough money or not.

Lastly, there was a time i was coming back from London, the train was really busy so someone sat next to me and they had there headphones in. It was time to get up as i reached my stop but i was too anxious to tell them that i needed to go so i found myself in Poole which was like 4 stops further from where i should have got off. I lied and told the guard that i fell asleep, he laughed and luckily allowed me to get back to my destination for free.

Siena

I think mine are actually probably wayyy tooo weird and disgusting😂😂😂😂😂 Maybe a TW on being disgusting in some part but oh well ill say anyway.😂😂 Cause i cant stp laughing about it nowforgot how funny it actuslly was. 😂😂😂Ill probs laughing way too much rn. 😂😂😂Probs one of those 'had to be there moments' 😂😂😂😂😂😂

....Basically i was at friends house had been drinking abit so probs didnt help. And for some reason i wanted to binge eat, right,so i was like - oh im just gunna get something from upstairs. But went to get the food out my bag to eat secretly while everyone was downstairs. I have ED & get so anxious eating in public, - so God forbid what would of happen being caught eating. 😂but then heard someone coming up so i was getting so so so anxious thinking the world was gunna end soemome seeing me have food. I didnt think i had time to put the food back in my bag so i was ah fuck this ill put it down my top. 😂😂😂😂😂😂then someone comes in and im like all anxious and shit. Andstuttering while tryint to cover up the noise of sweet wrapper down my top😂😂😂😂😂😂. im flat chested af so im not suprised she didnt notice straight away😂 But few minutes later she like - what are you hiding 😂😂😂😂😂So i just admitted i had sweets down my topbecause i didnt want anyone stealing or knowing i had them😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 then she told everyone else😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂


(This is a lil disgusting at some part)So a different time,i was at college,a few days in trying to get to know people. I always over thinkg & stress & tell myself i cant be blunt cause people will think i dont wanna know them,so end up saying the most random actual shit. & while waiting outside to go into the class room,i thought great ill speak to them before going in. I was asking them what they do out of college. And stuff. I was thinking -ffs im being too blunt, and was gettin anxious thinking im being blunt & boring again. & stuttering,not knowing what to say 😒🙃And i ended up speaking about a house party i went to and that someone shat in the sink....kitchen sink... 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂and i touch the shit by accident from the bin bag while i was helping all the cleaning of friends house party after it finished😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😂😂😂😂😂 the party was ages ago, yet i some how managed to bring it upwhile thinking wtf this is actusl shit convrsation to be having with people ive only jsut meet 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 they found it soo soo funny though,thankfully😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂but probably thought i was a right weirdo. 😂😂😂


This one isnt disgusting 😂😂
while i was signing up to get a bingo card. Lol. with my family. Was getting so anxous when they was asking me all this shit just to get into bingo and sign up. And like when im anxious even the simplest of questions throw me off. & then i was only thinking of how simple the qurstions and how stupid ill look to say the wrong answrr and was way distracted with these thoughts they asking me what my date of birth was,i was like ummm....idk. then looked at my sister because we are twins so my sister said it.😂😂 And then fml she never shut up about how stupid and weird i looked😂😂

Abigail

Ummmm this was hard to pick one, my worse one was would of been i had anxiety/panic attack an hour before i went on stage about 2 to 3 years ago but because i learned the signs i went i just need to make a phone call went off and had the attack no one noticed i was gone for half an hour.

independent_

One time I got on a bus (which is something that I really struggle with). This was the first time in over 3 months I’d been on one at all.

So, I got on the bus and scanned my pass, and said my stop. At least, I thought I did anyway. I was so focussed on the fact that ‘everyone must be staring at me right now’ that, when I checked my ticket, I realised it said the wrong stop.

Thinking back about it afterwards, I definitely, definitely, definitely said the wrong stop!!

Thank god there aren’t ticket inspectors around here!! Then of course I had to get off at the complete wrong stop and have everyone stare at me again!!

OMG, so I sent that then and realised that it had changed the word stop to ‘Tattoo’. The irony of that (saying the wrong thing and all) is absolutely unreal!

MAP98

I think I go through the majority of my day with weird anxiety anyhow, in awkward and nervous situations I can barely string or stay on topic for conversations, I have had a formal meeting before and found myself saying at the end of it, completely off topic, talking about the noise and sounds dolphins make. - Bizarre but I suppose at least I am able to talk to anyone, it may make no sense but shows I'm willing right?!
Or i'll just go on about weird and completely random facts that I've read on 'uberfacts' which probably aren't even true so I'm just stood like a nutter talking about an off topic subject - I make people laugh, may be in the wrong way but at least it puts a smile on their face if not on mine.

Eyepatch

Mostly pronouncing words wrong, I tried to compliment someone but what I ended up saying was "I love your hair it's so cwuutt' -_-
Also I had very cold showers for a few days as I was too embarrassed to admit I didn't know how my friends shower worked.

Even though these things felt awful in the moment, after sometime the things I have done become funny and I can laugh at myself. That makes me feel a bit better.

Laine

Oh simple things like

Not peeing because I'm afraid to ask said person where the bathroom is and I won't go look for it because that might be weird. 

Going somewhere chickening out and then turning back in the other direction.

Trying to see a cafes menu and prices through their window instead of going in because if I don't like anything walking out would be weird.

Standing there after buying something or handing a prescription over to a receptionist because I don't know when the conversation is over. 

Also existing in general is quite awkward for me i'm like a fan who met someone famous but everyday in every interaction.

I once got on a bus somewhere got off for a few minutes (as it waits there for a while) and let it leave while I waited for the next because I was too scared to go back on 😂

The good thing is I generally turn my awkwardness into humor and it makes people laugh