# Using Picture of Me As My Avatar



## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

This is a huge accomplishment on a Social Anxiety Disorder site / site where I say a lot of negative things. But if someone I know in person discovers it, I don't really care. My SAD is cured and my frustrations, maybe they could try to help me with it.


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## Alex4You (Jun 19, 2017)

Welcome to the "actual photo of yourself on SAS" club! Nice job.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

karenw said:


> I'm glad you've got your clothes on still.


I have some topless pics 



Alex4You said:


> Welcome to the "actual photo of yourself on SAS" club! Nice job.


Is that your actual photo of yourself? Nice!


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## Sus y (Aug 30, 2017)

Cool! I used mine too when first joined, I thought it could be a good idea to show to others my face at least for a week or so.


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## Alex4You (Jun 19, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> Is that your actual photo of yourself? Nice!


Lol you aren't the first person here to ask me if my pic is actually me. I'm not sure who people think it is, but just to clarify: yes it is a photo of myself.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

Sus y said:


> Cool! I used mine too when first joined, I thought it could be a good idea to show to others my face at least for a week or so.


Maybe I'll change it to not me someday (i like to be associated with things I like) but I'll leave it as me for now.



User607 said:


> Lol


lol lol lol lol?



Alex4You said:


> Lol you aren't the first person here to ask me if my pic is actually me. I'm not sure who people think it is, but just to clarify: yes it is a photo of myself.


You don't look like you either have SAD or had SAD in the picture. Very neuro-typical.


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## Alex4You (Jun 19, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> You don't look like you either have SAD or had SAD in the picture. Very neuro-typical.


I wasn't aware that people with SA looked physically different than others. And no I don't think I had SA, I just had severe general anxiety which I've now mostly overcome. I find it funny that apparently I look neuro typical. I guess that's a good thing?


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## cosmicKitten (Mar 1, 2016)

Alex4You said:


> wmu'14 said:
> 
> 
> > You don't look like you either have SAD or had SAD in the picture. Very neuro-typical.
> ...


There's no way of telling just by physical appearance IMO. I appear very neuro-typical myself and carry myself in a very poised manner (which is also very practiced), so people would never guess the myriad of mental health issues I'm currently battling. It's kind of a coping mechanism for me in a way. Fake it til ya make it right


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## Noraborealis (Jul 3, 2017)

Very awesome, and all accomplishments are big accomplishments, in my opinion 

I used to require having like my own team and lab to analyze every photo, scanning every pixel for imperfections, before I even thought about uploading a pic.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

cosmicKitten said:


> There's no way of telling just by physical appearance IMO. I appear very neuro-typical myself and carry myself in a very poised manner (which is also very practiced), so people would never guess the myriad of mental health issues I'm currently battling. It's kind of a coping mechanism for me in a way. Fake it til ya make it right


See I would've never guessed that. Wouldn't peers always invite an attractive person into their bunch so the person is quickly able to overcome any major insecurities?



Alex4You said:


> I wasn't aware that people with SA looked physically different than others. And no I don't think I had SA, I just had severe general anxiety which I've now mostly overcome. I find it funny that apparently I look neuro typical. I guess that's a good thing?


A lot of people with SAD have it because they don't have the prettiest face (like myself)

And yes that's a good thing


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

Noraborealis said:


> Very awesome, and all accomplishments are big accomplishments, in my opinion
> 
> I used to require having like my own team and lab to analyze every photo, scanning every pixel for imperfections, before I even thought about uploading a pic.


That used to be me but now I"m like **** it. And I actually really like my picture.


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## Noraborealis (Jul 3, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> That used to be me but now I"m like **** it. And I actually really like my picture.


Same! The weird thing is finding a pic I used to hate, like two weeks ago, and suddenly loving it. You should, as it's a great pic with a great 100% organic and cage-free smile 8)


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## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

Good photo mate - you look fine. (and I really don't know how it is you think you're skinny - your arms look normal to me)

I always like it when people have an avatar of themselves - it's interesting to see what people look like.


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## Kevin001 (Jan 2, 2015)

Congrats


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

Alex4You said:


> Lol you aren't the first person here to ask me if my pic is actually me. I'm not sure who people think it is, but just to clarify: yes it is a photo of myself.


He looks too cool to be you... I mean, to have SA.


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> That used to be me but now I"m like **** it. And I actually really like my picture.


Starting today? 'cause just yesterday you were complaining about your looks in reference to dating women. Glad to see you've made a full recovery.


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

OP if you genuinely think real life people might ID you on this site, you might want to take down the pic. Not because there is any problem with having SA and being identified in real life (in fact, I think that would be beneficial for a lot of people) but because if women you know in real life ever read your posts, you are totally ****ed (or not).

(that was me honestly helping you btw, as per your other thread).


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## Alex4You (Jun 19, 2017)

SolutionX said:


> He looks too cool to be you... I mean, to have SA.


Wow thank you for thinking I look cool. I don't hear that very often lol.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

splendidbob said:


> OP if you genuinely think real life people might ID you on this site, you might want to take down the pic. Not because there is any problem with having SA and being identified in real life (in fact, I think that would be beneficial for a lot of people) but because if women you know in real life ever read your posts, you are totally ****ed (or not).
> 
> (that was me honestly helping you btw, as per your other thread).


they'd be all:


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

splendidbob said:


> OP if you genuinely think real life people might ID you on this site, you might want to take down the pic. Not because there is any problem with having SA and being identified in real life (in fact, I think that would be beneficial for a lot of people) but because if women you know in real life ever read your posts, you are totally ****ed (or not).
> 
> (that was me honestly helping you btw, as per your other thread).


Shhh, don't tell him. I was counting on this happening. For the sake of women everywhere.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

harrison said:


> Good photo mate - you look fine. (and I really don't know how it is you think you're skinny - your arms look normal to me)


That was after a few weeks of working out. I also have them turned in such a way they look bigger. But thanks anyways. I still look at women's arms and a lot of them look so much bigger then mine, not to mention men's arms look like pythons (to use a word from a different discussion forum).



SolutionX said:


> Starting today? 'cause just yesterday you were complaining about your looks in reference to dating women. Glad to see you've made a full recovery.


I said my looks weren't good for a woman. I don't have a problem with my looks other then that.



splendidbob said:


> OP if you genuinely think real life people might ID you on this site, you might want to take down the pic. Not because there is any problem with having SA and being identified in real life (in fact, I think that would be beneficial for a lot of people) but because if women you know in real life ever read your posts, you are totally ****ed (or not).
> 
> (that was me honestly helping you btw, as per your other thread).


I am not scared of that, and where I post is special. 

Thanks for being concerned tho.

And yes, we need a Social Anxiety Disorder Awareness Month or something. I remember a thread on this a while back. Everyone posted it wouldn't exist because everyone would have too much anxiety to create it, but maybe us people who have beat it can create it?



SolutionX said:


> Shhh, don't tell him. I was counting on this happening. For the sake of women everywhere.


I knew most of you weren't trying to help me.


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

wmu'14 said:


> And yes, we need a Social Anxiety Disorder Awareness Month or something. I remember a thread on this a while back. Everyone posted it wouldn't exist because everyone would have too much anxiety to create it, but maybe us people who have beat it can create it?


Apologies if my reply was a bit harsh. But, I have long suspected your issues might actually be because you talk a bit like you post irl. I can't _know_ that though, but if you carry those attitudes around (esp re women) it will leak through and women for sure wont like it.

Re social anxiety, I wish I had beaten it. I am much improved but not even close to beating it. I think I will get there though in the end (improved enough to function properly). Sadly, SA isn't all I have. It's more trying to build a life after being so far behind that is the issue.

But ye, SA is woefully underrepresented imo. Mental health services in the UK don't seem to consider it a problem (despite how devastating it can be).

I think that on a personal level one shouldn't be ashamed of things like SA. I am not particularly. I am supposed to be though, I can tell whenever I talk about it to people .


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## Nephymere (May 6, 2018)

To be honest I was so embarrassed at needing a help forum.. I wanted to make an account with a different username than my norm, a different picture etc, just so I could have some sense of anonymity. I don't dislike the way I look (not half of the time, at least) but it would destroy my entire purpose in making this account if I used a real picture.



wmu'14 said:


> That was after a few weeks of working out. I also have them turned in such a way they look bigger. But thanks anyways. I still look at women's arms and a lot of them look so much bigger then mine, not to mention men's arms look like pythons (to use a word from a different discussion forum).


And here I am, super self conscious about my arms because they're chubby and make me look "bigger" in general.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

splendidbob said:


> Apologies if my reply was a bit harsh. But, I have long suspected your issues might actually be because you talk a bit like you post irl. I can't _know_ that though, but if you carry those attitudes around (esp re women) it will leak through and women for sure wont like it.


 Not harsh.

I don't know if it leaks out in my speech, but when I meet women, my brain does stereotype their interests in a man. So that certainly doesn't help. Then when I see their boyfriends or husbands, it's only reinforced.


splendidbob said:


> Re social anxiety, I wish I had beaten it. I am much improved but not even close to beating it. I think I will get there though in the end (improved enough to function properly). Sadly, SA isn't all I have. It's more trying to build a life after being so far behind that is the issue.
> 
> But ye, SA is woefully underrepresented imo. Mental health services in the UK don't seem to consider it a problem (despite how devastating it can be).
> 
> I think that on a personal level one shouldn't be ashamed of things like SA. I am not particularly. I am supposed to be though, I can tell whenever I talk about it to people .


You seem like you function pretty darn well. Everyone experiences some shyness. Well, most people do.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

Nephymere said:


> To be honest I was so embarrassed at needing a help forum.. I wanted to make an account with a different username than my norm, a different picture etc, just so I could have some sense of anonymity. I don't dislike the way I look (not half of the time, at least) but it would destroy my entire purpose in making this account if I used a real picture.


Why would you be embarrassed? (So long as no one you know in person knows you have it, nothing to be embarrassed about).

I loved seeing other people had my struggles and talking to them about it.



Nephymere said:


> And here I am, super self conscious about my arms because they're chubby and make me look "bigger" in general.


I don't mind bigger arms on women. Tells me they're tough.


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## Nephymere (May 6, 2018)

wmu'14 said:


> Why would you be embarrassed?


It's kind of a psychological issue on my part. I'm ashamed of myself for being mentally ill, I guess. Like I want to be "stronger" than it, and not the kind of person who needs a support forum or mental help. It's hard to break down those walls and put away my self pride, y'know? Slow progress.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

Nephymere said:


> It's kind of a psychological issue on my part. I'm ashamed of myself for being mentally ill, I guess. Like I want to be "stronger" than it, and not the kind of person who needs a support forum or mental help. It's hard to break down those walls and put away my self pride, y'know? Slow progress.


Well congrats on the first step then. I think you might feel better on here getting to know other SAD sufferers.

I recognized I had SAD but was too scared to get help from a doctor.


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## ScorpioQueen (May 20, 2018)

BRAVE!!! be proud 🙂


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## 3stacks (Sep 27, 2014)

Good stuff, you look good.


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## Whatev (Feb 6, 2012)

Congrats, get any PMs?


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

Whatev said:


> Congrats, get any PMs?


lol no


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

3stacks said:


> Good stuff, you look good.


thanks sir


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> I knew most of you weren't trying to help me.


The saying "God helps those who help themselves." cones to mind when I see this thread. You are not being a very good slave for your god.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

SolutionX said:


> The saying "God helps those who help themselves." cones to mind when I see this thread. You are not being a very good slave for your god.


I don't understand what you're trying to say?


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

karenw said:


> Hes trying to convert you to god lol regarding your picture.


He's trying to say I think I'm a god because I'm posting my pic? Weird. Obsessive about religion is he, no?


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> I don't understand what you're trying to say?


I meant to post that in your other thread about nobody helping you. It is an old Republican saying/excuse for whenever they might have to actually help someone.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

SolutionX said:


> I meant to post that in your other thread about nobody helping you. It is an old Republican saying/excuse for whenever they might have to actually help someone.


I got that part, and no it's not an excuse because there are indeed times when the person isn't doing anything and is just sitting around waiting for things to happen and so the saying is appropriate then.

I didn't get the part where you said I'm not being a good slave to God, nor do I understand your frustration towards God?


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> I got that part, and no it's not an excuse because there are indeed times when the person isn't doing anything and is just sitting around waiting for things to happen and so the saying is appropriate then.
> 
> I didn't get the part where you said I'm not being a good slave to God, nor do I understand your frustration towards God?


I was obviously referring to you complaining that noby is helping you. And I don't have any frustration towards a god who doesn't exist because he was made up by the Jewish people thousands of years ago, likely by Moses when he went up into the mountains and burned some weird looking bushes and incredibly saw him about thirty minutes later.

I do have a problem with the people who promote this mass delusion because it is the worst thing to happen to science and sanity since we started eating massive amounts of magic mushrooms as food thinking it was God's flesh and it gave us a connection to use to talk directly to him.

But I never brought that up in this thread that I remember. Are you referring to other anti religion/insanity posts I have littered SAS with over time as a matter of principal?


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

wmu'14 said:


> You seem like you function pretty darn well.


Not at all.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

SolutionX said:


> I was obviously referring to you complaining that noby is helping you.


 It wasn't obvious considering neither me nor karen understood, and per you it wasn't supposed to be posted in this thread anyways.



SolutionX said:


> And I don't have any frustration towards a god who doesn't exist because he was made up by the Jewish people thousands of years ago, likely by Moses when he went up into the mountains and burned some weird looking bushes and incredibly saw him about thirty minutes later.


You might want to do some research on what you believe: The general consensus amongst non-believers is that the OT was invented during the Jewish exile



SolutionX said:


> I do have a problem with the people who promote this mass delusion because it is the worst thing to happen to science and sanity since we started eating massive amounts of magic mushrooms as food thinking it was God's flesh and it gave us a connection to use to talk directly to him.


Magic mushrooms? Do you mean something being wrong with the yeast and that causing delusions? I guess. It would've had to occur to a lot of people though in the exact same way.



SolutionX said:


> But I never brought that up in this thread that I remember. Are you referring to other anti religion/insanity posts I have littered SAS with over time as a matter of principal?


You mentioned me not being a slave to God.


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> It wasn't obvious considering neither me nor karen understood, and per you it wasn't supposed to be posted in this thread anyways.
> 
> You might want to do some research on what you believe: The general consensus amongst non-believers is that the OT was invented during the Jewish exile
> 
> ...


Some of that was a joke, some of it was based on evolutionary theory about what caused us to get such larger brains than apes so rapidly.

The best explanation is that we started eating magic mushrooms that we found growing in the poo of the animals we were tracking.

The resulting hallucinations caused our brains to rapidly evolve in order to process all of the new input that the hallucinations caused.

"Now you know."


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

SolutionX said:


> Some of that was a joke, some of it was based on evolutionary theory about what caused us to get such larger brains than apes so rapidly.
> 
> The best explanation is that we started eating magic mushrooms that we found growing in the poo of the animals we were tracking.
> 
> ...


Interesting. We should try this with mice, keep the experiment going over a long long time, maybe they'll grow bigger brains?


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## Chevy396 (Jul 10, 2017)

wmu'14 said:


> Interesting. We should try this with mice, keep the experiment going over a long long time, maybe they'll grow bigger brains?


Great idea!


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## SwtSurrender (Nov 24, 2014)

Nice. You look so normie and happy. No one can tell you have social anxiety or depression unless they assume you're like them. People just assume things about you depending on how they think about themselves. They'll never know the real you, all they can see is your appearance and their own personal assumptions.


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## SwtSurrender (Nov 24, 2014)

Alex4You said:


> Lol you aren't the first person here to ask me if my pic is actually me. I'm not sure who people think it is, but just to clarify: yes it is a photo of myself.


Ah wow really, I thought it was some celebrity. You're a good catch.


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## Alex4You (Jun 19, 2017)

SwtSurrender said:


> Ah wow really, I thought it was some celebrity. You're a good catch.


Why thank you!


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## SwtSurrender (Nov 24, 2014)

Alex4You said:


> Why thank you!


Because. You're welcome. :smile2:


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

SwtSurrender said:


> People just assume things about you depending on how they think about themselves. They'll never know the real you, all they can see is your appearance and their own personal assumptions.


Tell me about it........


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## arkas (Jun 24, 2018)

I feel the same way! It's a small triump for me to feel okay with showing what I look like.


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## wmu'14 (Sep 17, 2010)

arkas said:


> I feel the same way! It's a small triump for me to feel okay with showing what I look like.




I am proud of you


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## shyraclifford (Jun 24, 2018)

i think people take you more seriously if you show your personal image as opposed to a commercial avatar. leaves a unique image for people to identify you by. i am alway nervous to do it but believe it is important to gulp and fight off anxiety for doing


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

shyraclifford said:


> i think people take you more seriously if you show your personal image as opposed to a commercial avatar. leaves a unique image for people to identify you by. i am alway nervous to do it but believe it is important to gulp and fight off anxiety for doing


 I don't know that I take people more seriously if they have a real photo of themselves up somewhere but I do tend to trust them more. Ironically, I have never put current pics of myself up. Only pics of me as a kid and maybe one of me when I was in my late 20s.

The only reason I tend not to trust people who don't post pics is because of the way the really bad trolls on this site get banned over and over and just create a bunch of new user names and carry on. I'm not that intuitive that I can spot them right away just by the way they post. So I tend to just not trust new users until I've seen enough of their behavior to somewhat trust them more.

But at the end of the day, you can't be 100% sure that people are even posting their own pics. In theory, someone could use the pics of a sibling or something and you'd never know it.


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

WillYouStopDave said:


> I don't know that I take people more seriously if they have a real photo of themselves up somewhere but I do tend to trust them more. Ironically, I have never put current pics of myself up. Only pics of me as a kid and maybe one of me when I was in my late 20s.
> 
> The only reason I tend not to trust people who don't post pics is because of the way the really bad trolls on this site get banned over and over and just create a bunch of new user names and carry on. I'm not that intuitive that I can spot them right away just by the way they post. So I tend to just not trust new users until I've seen enough of their behavior to somewhat trust them more.
> 
> But at the end of the day, you can't be 100% sure that people are even posting their own pics. In theory, someone could use the pics of a sibling or something and you'd never know it.


Although the blunt reality, whatever you put online can be a permanent fixture there where everyone can just save it to their own computers or medium and they can always use it for nefarious purposes. While it's good on someways to pose your photo of here in terms of showing visibility and self confidence, some can always take advantage of this. Especially when you're in a forum with a bunch of strangers. And you never know, maybe someone you know in real life will stumble across you and your identity, which will not be good in most cases.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

Blue Dino said:


> Although the blunt reality, whatever you put online can be a permanent fixture there where everyone can just save it to their own computers or medium and they can always use it for nefarious purposes. While it's good on someways to pose your photo of here in terms of showing visibility and self confidence, some can always take advantage of this. Especially when you're in a forum with a bunch of strangers. And you never know, maybe someone you know in real life will stumble across you and your identity, which will not be good in most cases.


 Very true. Which is why I don't put my pics up and the reason why I do still trust some people once I'm pretty sure they're OK. I honestly can't blame anyone who doesn't want their pictures online. Especially on this forum.


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## The Linux Guy (Jul 11, 2013)

I stopped using personal images because I've been known to type something and regret it later. I don't want to screw up on the Internet and have people always associating my issues with my face forever and ever and ever.


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