I spent quite a lot of my life mistaking depression and anxiety, I've no doubt had some fairly severe depression at varying stages in my life but anxiety wasn't actually diagnosed and treated until 3/4 years ago. The CBT was great and the difference in social situations has been massive, there's still a lot of work to do but I'm managing the simple things without getting anxious about them.
I've said before but it really was the simplest things that got me, walking into a pub/restaurant and it feeling like the whole focus was on me and absolutely crippling me to the point I'd turn round and leave more often than not. I found I'd always pick seats which were hidden away and if there weren't any I'd leave. I'd get to the door for interviews, appointments or social events and stand outside fighting with myself to go in, I'd invariably turn around and go home feeling like a complete loser and beat myself up about it. There was a time where even on here I'd post something and if it was challenged I'd feel hugely anxious about responding in case my argument was picked apart and I looked stupid, hence I just deliberately make myself look stupid before anyone else does now.
I type the above out and think how utterly mad it is that I worry about things that minor, but I'm not really arsed what anyone thinks of it and it's good to be open because there''ll definitely be someone else reading it that feels to daft to type it. That's what I tell myself anyone.
