# United States of Mind - Geography & SA



## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

A few years ago a friend of mine with social anxiety moved to China. After living there for a couple of years she said her social anxiety improved significantly and perhaps even totally diminished.

Eventually I moved from one state (southern) to another (midwestern). There are quite some differences in the psychology and culture of these two states. Whereas southerners tend to be "very" concerned with watching (and judging) their neighbors, in the midwest it seems everybody just lets you "do you". Even if You are a bit strange, they just seem to take it in stride. Consequently, I do feel my level of self-consciousness (which is a part of SA) has reduced significantly since I've been here. I haven't really challenged myself socially though, so I'm not sure about the SA overall.

Have you ever changed geographical locations and had any similar experience of your SA changing?

Here's an article you might like about psychological differences between states in the US:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122211987961064719.html


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

I have suspected this same thing, nearly exactly as you say. I think the South is hypercritical. My mother was from Alabama, and she worried endlessly about what other people thought to the point of paranoia, imagining even that the FBI was after her or me! I have lived in the South and North, and can definitely say that Social Anxiety is worse in the south. People in New England are so reserved, that sometimes they seem literally like Turks in Turkey. They have the ability to stand and stare stoically like a statue, similar to a Turk's incessant staring off into space. 

I think In Canada it is even easier on SA. I have been in Turkey, and found also SA diminished. However, when I was in Germany, I noticed it getting a bit worse. I think Germany is like the American South.

I live in New England now. I have thought actually that the midwest was more laidback. Ive considered moving to Minnesota or New Mexico.


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## pati (Aug 15, 2012)

I live in the midwest. I think people judge me constantly. Which state allowed you to "do you" I wonder?


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## allrisesilver (May 8, 2013)

I'm from New England and it's pretty laid back here compared to when I was living in Florida for 7 years. No one really cares about what you do here. They're too busy thinking about their own lives to even notice.


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## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

I go up to Indonesia quite a bit and stay in Bali for fairly extended periods of time. For some reason I alway seem more relaxed there - I think first of all it's the heat, or more appropriately the humidity. Most of the time I feel like I'm in some kind of stupor.  I think it also has a lot to do with just being in an environment that is so different to what I'm used to at home. I think it probably acts as a kind of distraction. Also there aren't the same expectations up there as I have back here. I'm just another bule ( white guy).


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## Thix (Jul 14, 2012)

missamanda said:


> I live in the midwest. I think people judge me constantly. Which state allowed you to "do you" I wonder?


Yea, people 'round these parts seem really judgmental. =\


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

Also concerning the South, there is a tendency toward conspiracies in general. Alex Jones for instance in Texas, he probably has some sort of anxiety disorder and paranoid delusions. I read of Texans in general being "thin-skinned". I would think anywhere that people are "thick-skinned" would be better for SA. Perhaps Finland in Europe. Its from eating sausages!

I continue to believe that New Mexico is of interest, mainly because I read there are no ******** there at all, even though it borders Texas. It snows there in the winter due to high elevation. 

And most importantly the accent there is a strange sort of Mexican rather than south eastern. It actually has a Canadian lilt that is interesting. I formed a theory that the Canadian/Mexican accent should be the normal English accent for North Americans, and that the Southern Drawl and New England accent were slightly flawed or unnatural attitudes.


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## louiselouisa (Jul 12, 2012)

don36 said:


> I think first of all it's the heat, or more appropriately the humidity. Most of the time I feel like I'm in some kind of stupor


was it THAT hot in Bali?

anyway, my classmate became super extroverted after she stayed in the US, more specifically Texas, to be fair, she didn't appear to be very shy either when I first knew her but the level of extroversion surprised me. maybe it's the new environment because everyone basically knows NOTHING about you, it's like the game Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, or something like that where you start afresh a life and manage your life accordingly. Or if it's true if everyone there is thin skinned maybe she was just able to adapt really well.


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

louiselouisa said:


> was it THAT hot in Bali?
> 
> anyway, my classmate became super extroverted after she stayed in the US, more specifically Texas, to be fair, she didn't appear to be very shy either when I first knew her but the level of extroversion surprised me. maybe it's the new environment because everyone basically knows NOTHING about you, it's like the game Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing, or something like that where you start afresh a life and manage your life accordingly. Or if it's true if everyone there is thin skinned maybe she was just able to adapt really well.


If you are a completely normal neurotypical person, living in Texas might have the effect of making you extroverted and also it might make you stupid. But if you are in any case different, eccentric, or otherwise mentally troubled, Texas would be the place to avoid at all costs. I would also avoid the rest of the deep south including Florida.


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## louiselouisa (Jul 12, 2012)

michijo said:


> If you are a completely normal neurotypical person, living in Texas might have the effect of making you extroverted and also it might make you stupid. But if you are in any case different, eccentric, or otherwise mentally troubled, Texas would be the place to avoid at all costs. I would also avoid the rest of the deep south including Florida.


yeah, but it's hard to know :b
I'll keep in mind next time I ever stay in the US (as if!)


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

michijo said:


> I have suspected this same thing, nearly exactly as you say. I think the South is hypercritical. My mother was from Alabama, and she worried endlessly about what other people thought to the point of paranoia, imagining even that the FBI was after her or me! I have lived in the South and North, and can definitely say that Social Anxiety is worse in the south. People in New England are so reserved, that sometimes they seem literally like Turks in Turkey. They have the ability to stand and stare stoically like a statue, similar to a Turk's incessant staring off into space.
> 
> I think In Canada it is even easier on SA. I have been in Turkey, and found also SA diminished. However, when I was in Germany, I noticed it getting a bit worse. I think Germany is like the American South.
> 
> I live in New England now. I have thought actually that the midwest was more laidback. Ive considered moving to Minnesota or New Mexico.


Thanks for your reply Mich. Isn't that just too strange the way that works. There's a saying, "You'd be surprised if you knew just how little people payed attention to you." I WAS surprised when I moved from the south to the midwest. They have this really easy-going, non-judgmental nature that allows you to just be. The self-consciousness went way down because I noticed that people were just not paying me that much attention. And for someone with SA, that's about the best thing anybody can do:teeth. Anybody else experienced this or have any ideas about it?


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

missamanda said:


> I live in the midwest. I think people judge me constantly. Which state allowed you to "do you" I wonder?


Well, I'm sure there are going to be variations by particular states within a region as well as cities within a state. I'm just speaking in general terms about the difference i experienced between the south and the midwest, in general. What city and state are you in?


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

Thix said:


> Yea, people 'round these parts seem really judgmental. =\


Again, I'm only speaking of what I've experienced "in general." However, I believe MO stands for Missouri. Interestingly enough, although it's midwest, in my experience parts of Missouri do have a southern quality and so you might get the same type of judgmental attitude there typical of southerners.


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

*Read the article*

BTW: If you haven't already, be sure to check out the article I linked to in the OP. It's pretty interesting reading.:yes


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

jook said:


> Thanks for your reply Mich. Isn't that just too strange the way that works. There's a saying, "You'd be surprised if you knew just how little people payed attention to you." I WAS surprised when I moved from the south to the midwest. They have this really easy-going, non-judgmental nature that allows you to just be. The self-consciousness went way down because I noticed that people were just not paying me that much attention. And for someone with SA, that's about the best thing anybody can do:teeth. Anybody else experienced this or have any ideas about it?


The first time I left the USA, it was through upstate New York into Niagara Falls. I felt like a burden had been lifted off me as we traveled toward Toronto. I imagine Canadians feel much the same as they return home from shopping in Malls in Buffalo.

Europe is not as good though. Europe is very trendy and "cool". It does not have the same effect as Ontario.

The South, as you mention, has some serious issues. They really don't like to leave you alone down there. I remember even being called "Freak". I imagine people living under the Gestapo must have had similar paranoia. The South has aspects I would describe as authoritarianism, with guns everywhere. They did after all have slaves that they abused greatly. The Social Anxiety may even be related to the history of slavery.


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## Thix (Jul 14, 2012)

michijo said:


> If you are a completely normal neurotypical person, living in Texas might have the effect of making you extroverted and also it might make you stupid. But if you are in any case different, eccentric, or otherwise mentally troubled, Texas would be the place to avoid at all costs. I would also avoid the rest of the deep south including Florida.


Austin, in particular, prides itself on being weird. As for the rest of Texas, the few times I've visited I've never really picked up on any "omg wtf are you doing" vibes. :stu



jook said:


> Again, I'm only speaking of what I've experienced "in general." However, I believe MO stands for Missouri. Interestingly enough, although it's midwest, in my experience parts of Missouri do have a southern quality and so you might get the same type of judgmental attitude there typical of southerners.


Foregoing the peril of coming off as being utterly judgmental myself :doh, I think it may have something to do with the whole "Bible Belt" thing.


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

Thix said:


> Austin, in particular, prides itself on being weird. As for the rest of Texas, the few times I've visited I've never really picked up on any "omg wtf are you doing" vibes. :stu


Austin is lame. I went there to check it out once. It was more like an excuse, with ultimately the downtown area uninhabited aside from some dead-end bars, and economically depressed. The people mainly inhabited suburban sprawl houses with only a slow running public bus. I ran into some weird Christian students on the main drag. Very lousy.


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## harrison (Apr 14, 2012)

louiselouisa said:


> was it THAT hot in Bali?


yes it was - even hotter sometimes. Some times I seem to be able to handle it better than others. It's more the level of humidity than the temperature - it's what you're body is used to - in most of Australia the humidity is quite low in comparison.


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

Thix said:


> Austin, in particular, prides itself on being weird. As for the rest of Texas, the few times I've visited I've never really picked up on any "omg wtf are you doing" vibes..


 :stu

According to the article that I referenced and linked in the OP, Texas is actually supposed to be pretty accepting if I'm remembering what I read correctly. Anybody read the article? What do you think about it's assessments of different states?

MICHIJO wrote:
Foregoing the peril of coming off as being utterly judgmental myself :doh, I think it may have something to do with the whole "Bible Belt" thing

That's a VERY good point. And not really caring about the _peril of coming off as being utterly judgemental myself, :teeth_and having no qualms with anyone's religion of choice, where ever you find Christians, you will find extreme judgment of others - especially differences in others. So that could definitely have something to do with "state psychology" in those southern regions and elsewhere.

SIDEBAR: please don't drag the thread down with religious debate regarding references made above (as they pertain to the subject being discussed). If you'd like to respond with a long diatribe in defense of Christians (most of whom I like, BTW) , please send PM. Thank you.


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

There are many reasons to feel social anxiety in the south.

http://www.stopthereligiousright.org/biblebelt.htm

According to many links online, the south has the highest divorce rate, highest murder rate, highest HIV infection rate, teen pregnancy, single parent homes, obesity, infant mortality, and poorest healthcare systems.

I think Georgia also figures highly as a social anxiety region. I remember once even seeing a cartoon, in the 1990s, making fun of people in Savannah for having social anxiety.


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

I wonder if there have been any studies that measured number of people with social anxiety in different states. I'm sure there must be something like that for more prominent illnesses like depression. Any research buff wanna find out? I'll check around on the net myself.

I've heard people say there are no geographical fixes for your problems but I don't know...according to the great responses here someone with SA might actually do better in some regions than in others.

*MICHIJO *thanks for the great feedback and info


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

jook said:


> I wonder if there have been any studies that measured number of people with social anxiety in different states. I'm sure there must be something like that for more prominent illnesses like depression. Any research buff wanna find out? I'll check around on the net myself.
> 
> I've heard people say there are no geographical fixes for your problems but I don't know...according to the great responses here someone with SA might actually do better in some regions than in others.
> 
> *MICHIJO *thanks for the great feedback and info


Ive looked for some before. Mainly, I was looking for proof that nations with advanced capitalism had heightened Social Anxiety. I saw a link between perhaps Protestantism also, with the American south being mainly Protestant.

I couldnt find any studies, but I believed the Japanese Hikikomori was the result of advanced capitalism, because it encouraged individualism rather than tribalism. Also, the Hikikomori tends to collect commodities, like product fixation, comics, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori

I saw that the American South's fixation on gun ownership was part of protestant individuation, with each person's house being a individual fort that he needed a gun to protect.

The result of the theory, could be that with the spread of Protestant style capitalism from the west, more and more people would experience social anxiety worldwide.


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## berlingot (Nov 2, 2005)

i've heard people from other countries say that Americans in general tend to speak loud. i wonder if this has anything to do with social anxiety.


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

berlingot said:


> i've heard people from other countries say that Americans in general tend to speak loud. i wonder if this has anything to do with social anxiety.


Its because the water is fluoridated. It shrinks the frontal lobes, causing Americans to open their mouths wide in supplication to the deity. Yodeling is the natural result of advanced capitalism.


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

michijo said:


> . Mainly, I was looking for proof that nations with advanced capitalism had heightened Social Anxiety.


I would imagine that you would find heightened neurosis and mental disorders of all kinds in nations with advanced capitalism. Kind of comes with the turf. Survival of the fittest mentality is a mother --especially for those who ain't doing so well surviving.

In terms of geography and social anxiety, it would be interesting to know what nations or cultures experience the_ least_ SA to better understand how to eliminate it in people that have it.

*MICHIJO*regarding Americans, flouridated water, and yodeling you can't be serious, right?... :con...


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## michijo (Nov 12, 2011)

jook said:


> I would imagine that you would find heightened neurosis and mental disorders of all kinds in nations with advanced capitalism. Kind of comes with the turf. Survival of the fittest mentality is a mother --especially for those who ain't doing so well surviving.
> 
> In terms of geography and social anxiety, it would be interesting to know what nations or cultures experience the_ least_ SA to better understand how to eliminate it in people that have it.
> 
> *MICHIJO*regarding Americans, flouridated water, and yodeling you can't be serious, right?... :con...


I have a weird sense of humor.






I imagine the nations with the least social anxiety would be of the most tribal, that is the original style of human tribal society, where no person is left out no matter what is wrong with them. I think that tribal society is more tough minded toward differences and eccentricity. The more advanced western societies tend to be more superficial and survival of the fittest, as you say. Ive heard of villages in out of the way places in Europe, that give food to strangers for free. Like in some weird backward area of Spain, if you show up, they will feed you. That is the sort of outdated tribalism that is almost completely dead in the USA.


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## ctguy130 (Sep 14, 2013)

As a new englander from Massachusetts, I found returning to area, specifically Connecticut, very disappointing and it increased my social anxiety. Whether this was partly my creeping age or the big anxious shock of the meltdown of the economy, though I luckily never lost my job. Yankees tend to be less intrusive but harder to break into their groups. At least that's my experience compared to Austin, Tuscaloosa, and Saint Louis, though admittedly I tended to hang out with out of state people. Misery loves company. I really think age (44 recently) is the big factor for me. I frankly cared less for my SA when I was young. There were flare ups, but I largely was concerned with other things (education, career) at the time. Things have lost their luster and there is a feeling of slipping off the usual track of "where I should be" at my age. Got the career, financially stable as much as most people can be in this age. Trying to put myself out there. I'm incel, pretty average looking, intelligent, perhaps a bit too intellectual for mainstream, and sadly deficient on confidence. That probably messes with body language, general way of carrying myself. I don't see myself as particularly "twitchy", but somehow I have a hard time relating. I often thought an avatar wrapped in a red flag would be appropriate. Sending red flags. "The signal man" might be a good screen name. Well? This post is straying far from the original topic, and becoming a confessional.


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