Thursday 29 January 2009

Trouble Making Eye Contact

This is a bit of a random post today but I just thought I’d write a little about my own experiences regarding eye contact – or lack of it. I just seem to struggle making eye contact for long periods of time with most people. I mean, I can look at people directly in their eye but if they are talking for a long time then I start to struggle a little.

It may sound quite strange to read this if you don’t have social anxiety disorder – eye contact is just one of the many things I guess you do naturally, without having to think about it too much. You just do it as an instinct whereas I think lots of people with SA seem to struggle with most kinds of eye contact.

I remember years ago at a parents evening at school, I was having a talk with one of my teachers and later my mum said how that I should really try to maintain eye contact more often. I knew that I struggled with it – I just sometimes find it awkward because it feels as if I’m staring at them, which is something which I don’t want to do – and so I look away at times. I’m aware that I do it, but I just find it hard to keep eye contact without worrying that I’m staring or acting strangely. Its quite a hard feeling to explain, but I think if you suffer from social anxiety disorder then its probably just one of many things that you relate to.

Anyway I had a good day today, did some work from home and then went out to help a friend with some outdoors work. Very cold but nice to get out and about, earned a little money from it too. I really love working outside, I think thats partly why I’m unhappy with working from home doing what I do currently. I love being more involved with nature, and not just using a computer, which seems to be completely at the opposite end of the scales when compared with outdoors work!

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