Yes, majorly. Ironically, I was a theatre major and enjoyed acting, but somehow, outside of that context, unstructured social situations are painful for me. I go totally blank and don't seem to be able to access the right behaviors to handle them. I sometimes refer to my social anxieties as "situational autism."

I do to a certain degree. Performing (playing piano) in public is HUGELY stressful and being around too many people, like a mall at Christmas, is about the worst thing I can think of doing.

Hmmm... of course it depends on degrees of difficulty and on how much it painfully affects you, but none of you sought any help? I've been reading some things about it lately, since I think I might be in the statistics. It seems to be a very misunderstood and misconcepted disorder, not only by people, but even by professionals! It's commonly mistyped or mixed up with panic disorder or agoraphobia. So it makes me wonder the possibilities of getting a real and good treatment.

I didn't know that there was an accurate description for the symptoms I have and things I feel, much because we don't hear much about it, differently from other disorders. Did you ever try to explain what you feel and what happens with you to someone? Did s/he ever understand? I've always thought as unexplicable. I mean, it's quite understandable that we feel awfully bad in the middle of a crowd, but there are many other consequences from this disorder, and many subtle ones.

I've read about a guy that once in his job, his boss had lost a very esteemed pen, the boss asked everyone about it, just like a teacher asks his students in a classroom. Nobody indeed knew about it, but the guy blushed embarrassingly, like self-accusating. The others noticed, which made him feel even worse, we know... Later it turned out his boss found the pen in his (the boss') house. The guy said he didn't know how to explain about that "weird" reaction, when asked. How could he? but I identified completely.

I remember telling a joke to a group of friends, in the end everyone started laughing, but I didn't know what to do with my face, suddenly I got really embarrassed. It was indeed funny, but being the center of attention is too much... This is just an example, of course, but situations and events like these aren't the worst, because they're just a moment, even though we know they may last forever and be quite painful. The worse is "when is yet to come", the time that anticipates situations and events you will really have to be through, and that are not just a few. They are days and weeks full of anxiety and worries, especially if it depends mostly on you, I mean it's not a matter of sit and wait the time to come, you have to get the things done, get yourself prepared, so the thinking moments "how should I do" and the fear of failing are enormous. The simplest thing may easily become in the worst problem you can't stop to worry about.

It's desolating sometimes...

I'm torn. I don't like being around people. And yet I do. I'm curious as to what goes on in their mind. I find their stories / experiences very interesting. So I like broadening my horizon by listening to others. However, I HATE eating out at restaurants, being around others in crowds or at parties. This probably stems from always being made fun of when I was younger and into adulthood. Then I was also humiliated and embarrassed by my EX in public. So I get bad anxiety when I go out of my house (no panic attacks, though). I like the safe haven of my house, and yet I won't let fear prevent me from going out. So I do go out. I run my errands, or take a drive. Am I anti-social? Only when it involves immature inconsiderate people.

Oh yes! Parties of most sorts are the worst for me! Rarely has it been that I've gotten to a party, and didn't REALLY want out of there in less than half an hour, like, 10 minutes! And at these things, including gallery openings, my lips are sealed it seems! I'm an artist, so one is sort of supposed to schmooze at openings, but I am utterly incapable of "schmoozing" in general. Yes, I've had therapeutic help, but that didn't change the way I am. It, along with serious other work, cleared out a bunch of other stuff, but oddly, I am MORE reclusive and discriminating about who I hang out with, not less, due to the fact that I accept that this is the way I am. But among VERY dear friends(extremely few), and with a very few with whom I sense an immediate "connection", I am really right there, and will talk! Otherwise, no. I'll be more likely to want to take a walk to get out of there, or disappearing into the woodwork. My husband is somewhat more outgoing and people-oriented than I am, and it took him awhile for him to understand what this was all about. But these days, he's quieter and more private as well.

Hi peeps! This is my first post here so I'll Just dive right in cause I find all this interesting. I'm an E yet I get pretty bad social anxiety, well not to the point of it being a "disorder". When I was younger it was a lot worse (I was an introverted kid). But I still get random bouts of terror when stuck in certain social situations.
In such an instances I usually do one of these things.
1. Just ask a lot of questions. If you get the other person to talk they'll eventually hit on something that you feel comfortable talking about, questions are easy to think of and it will make you seem interested. Before I go to an event I make a list of default questions that I'd ask if I get nervous.
2. I eventually I just learned to grit my teeth and do it, I learned to put my feelings on the back burner.
3. Just chill... most grown ups understand that no one is going to perform perfectly in a social setting one hundred percent of the time, so if you don't make light of it and move on. No one is gonna fault you for something that is inherent in everyone, and if they do their the one with the problem. Of course that would assume that fear of being judged well anyways.
4. Well I don't know if anyone else does this but I almost always forget to introduce myself. Hehe introducing your self is a surprisingly effective way of breaking the ice.
5. Their is a fiftey fiftey chance that the person your talking to is also nervous.

I don't know how helpful this, being that I am an ENTP etc, is but it certainly helps me get the anti social monkey off my back.

I've pretty much overcome my social phobia with travel and interaction with people. But I cannot stand melodrama, which is far different from just plain drama. Drama is bad news or upsetting situations like: Our family found out Mom has cancer or Dad was screwing the secretary at work so how do we keep this hush-hush? Melodrama is the: "Oh-My-God-I'm so-Stressed-My paper is due tomorrow!" Well, stop yapping at me about it and just do it. I mean, how hard can it be? It's one thing to say it around close friends, but it's another to say it to everyone in the classroom and the teacher down the hall and the buddies walking up the stairs. That's just histrionics. I want attention! I want attention! I guess you weren't that stressed after all.

So my point is: I don't really have social phobias, I have pet peeves.

It's really interesting that some of you mentioned a structure performance being easier than social interaction. I never would have thought of that possibility! I'm much more comfortable with off-the-cuff conversation - when I have to "perform" the pressure totally kills me. The longer I know about it ahead of time, the more I feel it has to be perfect, which is impossible so I inevitably feel like a failure.

I think I prefer the structure too. I haven't been on stage in a long time, but there's something reassuring about having a script or a performance to focus on. I guess it depends, but in some ways, it's no longer about ME but about what I am doing - "the product".

I'm still fairly private even with close friends. Though I can be very talkative, and I love to talk - I'm a better talker than listener, but definitely only with people that I know very well and am close with. Otherwise, I always seem to be the mute one in the group. Thank goodness I've learned to adopt a pleasant tone of voice and smile. Hopefully these days I'm more of the "pleasant and friendly but quiet" type versus the "quiet and kinda weird" type. Sometimes I think it's a shame because so few people know who I actually am at my core; instead, they see someone who is reserved, intelligent, and not very outspoken versus someone who's animated, enthusiastic, and loves to laugh. Then again, I guess I am both and that has its advantages. I do sometimes wish I could speak as well and express myself as comfortably verbally as I do through writing. Anyone else share this?

I had never thought of the "script" before, in relation to work, and, wow, now it makes sense. Customer service and receptionist positions! You say the same things over and over, and if someone tells me what to say...not a problem! And I do think that when people see me in that mode, they imagine that I'm extroverted - or just good at gabbing. Little do they know that I hate it and it EXHAUSTS me!

The exhaustion is true with comfortable social gatherings and even with closest friends. The conversation often becomes so fast, it whips around all over the place, funny and wonderful, but I need a nap before and afterwards. I think that people who only see me in those occasions imagine that I'm an Extrovert as well.

I think that the best way to deal is to accept yourself the way you are (even though I do envy extroverts sometimes), and try to take good care of yourself. This could be not going to the party or making sure that if you do, you get enough down time afterwards. (DVD, hot chocolate, massage or time with the puppy or cat / nature!)