Feel worse around people??

These days I spend almost all of my time by myself alone, either in my room and in my house. I go out, but not much, only as much as I am able to. There are times when the loneliness gets to be so much that it feels like I am in solitary confinement, but it does pass. But what I am finding is that the more time I spend like this, the more I am getting used to it and even comfortable with it, I can handle it, even find pleasure in it at times.

The problem now has become being around people. If I go out and do errands and don't stay out for too long I am fine. The problem occurs when I have to be around people for longer periods of time and on a regular basis such as school, or work, or a social event. Just being in the proximity of people, especially if I have to engage and socialize, will make me feel ten times worse.

All of my symptoms exacerbate when I am around people. This includes anxiety, depression, ocd rumination, mood swings, agitation, irritability, paranoia, dissociation, fear, delusions, borderline symptoms; like I am going to get psychotic and lose touch with reality.

Can anyone else relate? If so, how do you cope and deal with it?

totally relate Olddays. I put it down to social anxiety and hyper-vigilance, that's how I always been tho, it sounds like this is a new thing for you? To cope, I've repeatedly put myself in gradually more difficult social situations for the past 2 years to try to overcome my social anxiety. It's getting easier to be around people & I feel less dread & nervousness before a social gathering.

My meds are currently helping with all my symptoms, including being around people. For me I think it's a good thing to be able to enjoy my own company because it's an improvement on anhedonia.

It's hard to separate out which symptoms are treatable with anti-psychotic meds and which 'symptoms' are part of my personality (shy, introverted?) & tendency to isolate. I reckon all my symptoms are driven by intense & very high anxiety so if my meds lower that then everything, including being triggered by any social situation, are lowered too.

do you find talking therapies helpful (they just made me more anxious) or any meds or something else to help be calm?

Exposure therapy is the best way to deal with social anxiety. Isolating yourself too much makes it worse.

I'm a big believer of using "baby steps" when it comes to not feeling comfortable being around others. Going forward or backwards isn't the point it's the important feelings of knowing you are fine just how you feel. And those feelings can change too, to the point that you may be able to make the next move to be more social.

I agree with what QG said about baby steps. Maybe go out to a club or some sort of local, public social event. You don't have to stay for too long, just go out, take a little bit of time, and go home when you feel like you've been there too long. Just like with the isolation, you will eventually get used to it.