The Student Room Group

Social Anxiety?

I have been battling depression for a number of years now, but in the last six months I have plummeted to an all time low. In the last 2 weeks I've barely left my bed, can't sleep for crying and am just generally falling behind on everything.

I cheered up a little on Monday, had plenty of sleep and got ready to go on a night out, the first time I've been out in well over a month. I was with my boyfriend, the only person who knows the extent of what I'm dealing with, and is 100% my safety net. I feel comfortable around him and when I'm with him.

We started to predrink at one of his friends - I don't know the group that well, but they are very welcoming and lovely to me. He left the room for a bit to visit a friend in the neighbouring flat. I was sat at the table and all of a sudden I wanted to cry, I had tears in my eyes and I just wanted to get up and run out the room. I felt panicky and the noise of conversation around me was getting louder and louder, and I felt so alone.

I suffer from normal stress of university, but have never felt anxiety like this. Could I be developing social anxiety? Does this sound like it, or was I just having a drop in my mood level?

I would appreciate any help!
I have suffered from depression in the past and also have social anxiety and what you've described sounds more like the depression side of things than social anxiety to me. Did you feel judged by the people, or scared of them or the situation in any way or was it just the feeling of needing to cry? This site lists the kind of things that social anxiety encompasses, you might find it useful to look over it to see if those feelings are the same as what you experienced.

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