im not sure if this is more a topic for avoidant personality disroder than social phobia (or even something else) and before anyone says, im not trying to diagnose myself - ive finally plucked up courage to decide to tell my mental health team about my social problems so will leave the diagnosing to them, but i dont see them for another 3 weeks and could really do with some advice before then.
House parties is one situation i hate. i cant deal wit them. last house party i was at i bailed out of - i spent the first few minutes downstairs but out of the way of where everyone was so sitting by myself, before locking myself in my room for the rest of the evening(was actaully in my own house - i rent with friends and it was their party before u think i voluntarily put myself in through that kinda torture). i dont really know what it is about it that i cant cope wit. i guess partly its becasue im rubbish at holding conversations (espec wit people i rarely know) so i ca never go up to people so just sit down in a corner on my own. but then i get upset and embarassed that im looking like a loser away from eveyone else. then my mind starts racing and i start really hating myself and getting more and more nervous because i know i cant sit in the corner all night. Usually i'll walk out the room for a bit to calm down with t intention of going back in and joining in but i feel so much safer in the place where i go to (alone out of sight so nobody can see) that i end up not wanting to leave that safe place ive created so i stay there longer. but the longer i stay there the harder it becomes to rejoing the party. and then ill get upset that nobody has noticed ive gone so give myself more reasons to stay away - because nobody wants me there.
oh and also, i start sweating loads when im around others (for a while i thought id got past this but now the problems back again) and its really gross and embarassing).
trouble is i have to attend one soon (getting out of it is not an option) and im dreading it already but was hoping somebody here might have a few useful tips on how to survive a feared situation.
thanks