Is this social anxiety?

I'm fairly convinced that I have ocd, but I also think that I have some form of anxiety. Can anyone give some insight?

I think I first started to notice my anxiety when I played baseball in middle and high school (which I did mainly for my dad). I literally used to pray for the games to be rained out. I would be nervous the whole day, and especially in the field. I was so afraid of having a ball hit to me. When a ball was hit, I could barely move properly to make the catch (even though I'd be fine making the play when I practiced with my Dad)...My whole body would freeze. I finally just quit, because I couldn't stand it.

I had a similar problem in gym class, where we'd have to do things with the whole class watching. I would get so anxious that I wouldn't even be able to do the activity...high jump, long jump, relays, etc.

I also notice the anxiety with driving. Although I drive, I'm obsessed with the thought of having an accident. It totally scares me, and anytime I have to run an errand, I think about the possibility. I guess it's the resulting embarrassment that makes me worry about it. I don't even like to back out of a parking space if someone is watching, because it makes me nervous. I've been wanting to take one of my female friends to go eat, but I'm so nervous about having her in the car with me. I feel like it would be embarrassing having her watch me drive, and of course, I would be mortified if I made some type of driving error. Not to mention the fact that I would have to pick her up at her house, pull into her driveway, and back-out of her driveway...My mind would cause me to become anxious about the whole scenario.

I guess I should mention that I don't have any friends, besides a female friend that I met two years ago. It's totally bizarre that I became friends with someone of the opposite gender, because I'm pretty much not able to talk to girls. I happen to like her (she doesn't know), which makes it even more difficult. Whenever we do something, I'll have to spend 5 hours trying to figure out what to wear, and I'll be paranoid that if my appearance isn't just right, I'll have no chance of her ever liking me. I really don't do anything besides work and school, and I think it's mainly due to anxiety. I think I'm a nice person, and I don't feel that I'm too horrendous looking, but I just never have any success socially.

Hey,

Are you not able to talk to females?; or are you not able to talk to female that you like? I also seem to get on better with females, but I'm also not sure why. My university course is mostly made up of girls, so, maybe that is partly to do with it. Also, I like to think that I understand the difficulties that girls face each day.

OCD and anxiety typically go hand-in-hand. I was diagnosed with both about 4 years ago and got therapy for them. It definately sounds like you have something of the same. I mean, it's text-book stuff, all of what you wrote. Considering you've had it all of your life too might indicate that this is merely a symptom of a syndrome / disorder. I mean, some peoples' anxiety comes because of a traumatic event or when they suffer the loss of a loved one. Yours - and mine - has been there since birth though.

I have Asperger's Syndrome - Have you ever heard of it? Maybe you will relate to it just as much as I have. Here are the symptoms:

http://psychforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=27745

Take care,
Kevin

I wouldn't say that I can't talk to females. Although, I don't have any friends, so I usually don't have an opportunity to talk to females or males. The only friend that I do have is female. I do talk to her, but I think that I am the reason why our interaction is limited. I mean if I ask her to do something, I'd probably pick her up. It would be difficult for me, because I'm afraid to have her in the car with me while I'm driving. I know it sounds so ridiculous, but I can't help it.

That really is just one example of how my "anxiety" interferes with my life. It's like I really enjoy having a friend, but I can't really do anything with her, because I get too anxious about things.

I've been thinking about seeing someone to get some help, but I don't know what to do. I feel like my parents would think that I am crazy. I do know that my cousin had depression, OCD, and anxiety issues, so I am wondering if this possibly runs somewhere in my Mom's side of the family. I don't know of any other family members that were affected by anxiety, OCD, etc.

As for Kevin's question, I have never heard of Asperger's Syndrome. I don't seem to relate all that much to the symptoms, but I appreciate the info...

Hey again,

If you don't relate to the symptoms of Asperger's, then don't worry about it. However, you should definately see your local doctor about all of what is happening. No-one would view you as crazy. I had that same idea when I first started seeing a doctor about my problems. Honestly, no-one will think you're crazy. OCD affects a very large proportion of the population.

Kevin

I just wanted to say I can't drive with people in the car either!
When no ones in the car I get nervous driving but I'm a good driver when people are in my car I do things I would never usually do like brake too hard lol I try to avoid driving with anyone else in the car Just wanted to say that I knew how you felt about that

It should gradually become easier for you, pixie. Again, however, this thread is very old. You're doing quite well to 'rekindle' old threads Anyway, the more you do something, the easier it will become. For example, I am a generally shy person but I have given so many presentations in my life that I actually enjoy doing them now.

Yeah,the symptom of social anxiety.Physical symptoms often accompanying social anxiety disorder include excessive blushing, sweating, trembling, palpitations, nausea, and stammering. Panic attacks may also occur under intense fear and discomfort. An early diagnosis may help in minimizing the symptoms and the development of additional problems such as depression.A person with the disorder may be treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. Research has shown cognitive behavior therapy, whether individually or in a group, to be effective in treating social phobia. The cognitive and behavioral components seek to change thought patterns and physical reactions to anxiety-inducing situations.