# Avoiding people



## Fromheretoeternity (Apr 3, 2011)

Yesterday I was going on a walk with my dad and I felt anxious if I thought I saw people I knew who have been horrible to me or not my friend or people who knew me. I wanted to avoid them, my dad thought that I need to build up my confidence and just be able to walk past people I know without feeling anxious.


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## jsgt (Jun 26, 2011)

I agree with him. Why use your energy to feel anything towards these people? They've already shown you what kind of a person they are. Would you give someone like that the time of day?


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## stephh (Mar 16, 2011)

I avoid people all of the time, even if we are (or were) on good terms. there's a particular grocery store that I sometimes go to, and every time, there are people who go to the church I used to go to. I hate catching up and I don't know what to say and I've convinced myself they have bad feelings towards me for not going anymore, even though that's probably not the case at all and they probably still like me and don't mind seeing me and saying hi.

But avoiding only makes the problem worse because you build it up in your head and think you avoided this great big disaster, and then later all you'll be able to do is avoid. So try to listen to your dad.


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## bobbyleeds (Jan 2, 2011)

I used to get anxious walking past people, if you expose your self enough eventually and i mean eventually lol, it will get easier, trust me.


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## this portrait (Jul 18, 2009)

I also have a tendency to avoid people, myself. I've even avoided acquaintances on more than one occasion to keep from them saying hello to me and then me having to say hello back (or vice versa).


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

I avoid all people. I find myself liking people less and less as time goes by.


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## Fromheretoeternity (Apr 3, 2011)

It's probably because I'm used to people being horrible to me and I just want to hide from it all.


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## iamnotaghost (Jul 13, 2011)

I do it, too. I just feel like they will see me and criticize me. I feel like that around my mom all the time.


But yeah, I avoid people. I'd rather turn around and go the other way. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood (Robert Frost) -- I bet one was full of people and the other wasn't


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## awkwardpenguin (Jul 30, 2011)

I do it, too. I even avoid friends/acquaintances a lot of the time.


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## AHolivier (Aug 6, 2009)

I was at a graduation earlier this year, and I saw a handful of friends I went to high school with. Once it was over, I actually went all the way to the top of the bleachers and raced down the hill in the opposite direction from them. Phew.


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## smilies34 (Aug 7, 2011)

Yeah, I'm xactly the same! I started doing this in my teens & when I would make up perfectly rational excuses in my head why I would avoid them, even if they were nice people that I knew and not bullies from school. I agree that this persons Dad is right. Confronting your fears earlier on in life can prevent a difficult time later on - believe me!


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## Christina123 (May 26, 2011)

i think it's the social anxiety. Sounds like classic SA behaviour. Though I'm not a shrink, so it's just a guess.


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## meganmila (Jul 25, 2011)

I avoid people sometimes. That's why I don't really have any friends cause I avoid without realizing it.


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## Kennnie (Oct 21, 2010)

i avoid people because they always want to start conversations with me


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## aw1993 (Aug 8, 2011)

i avoid people too although when I'm in an okay mood I don't and just say hi... i think i fear awkward conversation and criticism from the awkwardness....i don't really know though. it seems subconscious and ingrained


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## Wualraus (Mar 23, 2010)

I avoid people a lot because I cringe everytime we catch up and/or make small talk. I have this facade that I create to appear interested and delighted, but deep down inside I'm like, 'I want to go to my home where the food is'. I avoid people because I believe that they too are putting on that mask of happiness. I can't seem to grasp the fact that some people are genuinely interested in hanging around me. :/


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## Hideko (Jul 2, 2011)

I try to avoid people 100% of the time and it's done me no good and only made any kind of recovery or living somewhat normal almost impossible.:afr If I'm walking down the street and see someone I know, end up ducking behind a car or hiding in an alley, will really do anything so they won't see me, do the same if I'm at a store or wherever, quickly make myself scarce, been doing it so long it's second nature.


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## Invisiblehandicap (Jul 31, 2011)

Use to do this alot, but never really understood why until now. I now make the effort to just smile at people even when I don't know them for practice. Most people smile back.


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## copper (Nov 10, 2003)

I have always been stand offish with others. It stems back to all the crap I had to take from other people that makes me like this. I don't even want to work anymore. I am tired of dealing with others stupid egos.


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## Aeroflot (Jul 26, 2011)

People suck. Avoiding them is probably not the answer. Obviously we want to avoid pain, but standing up to it destroys fear, which sucks even more than people. Plus if we stand up to the pain, then we can pretend we're macho muscular men, except we lift 300lbs of fear instead of metal weights.


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## mrsnorris22 (Aug 25, 2011)

I think I avoid people (from high school especially) nowadays because I'm so used to people thinking that I'm awkward and weird. Or I'm afraid of people thinking that. I've thought like this for so long that it's become habit. I liked a guy in my English class freshman year (he was popular...go figure), and he knew that I liked him, but I was too scared to talk to him. His friends used to tease us, and I'd gotten the impression that he was embarrassed about it...the reason being that he thought I was weird and didn't like the idea that people might think he likes me back. One of his friends thought I was weird (found out through facebook. I guess I wasn't surprised but it was still a kick in the ***). My neighbor friends' friend's think that I'm awkward, so that's the perception of myself that I've developed, and I can't say it's changed much at all.


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## Lucy in the Sky (Aug 23, 2011)

everyone thinks I'm weird...

I avoid mean people-- unfortunately that means mostly everyone


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## Salus (Feb 27, 2011)

I try to avoid people to, not just the people I know, or have met at some stage in my life, but also strangers.

Your Dad is right to say to just try walk past them and not care though. Ahh I've been a great help hey? Haha sorry


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## black mask (Aug 21, 2012)

im even thinking of changing my number so i can avoid every1 even family. the only time i see family is when there is a close family members funeral...HEEEEELLLLPPPPP


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