[syllie]

Hi there,

I am a girl in my mid-twenties & have generally been social my whole life. I am quite confident in some ways, but there is another side to me that I find to be emotionally crippling. I consider myself to be a highly aware individual & sometimes that awareness seems to work against me in social situations. I have an easy time talking to easy going folks, but when it comes to authority figures (like a new boss) or someone otherwise intimidating, I freeze & the real me involuntarily hides. I try to surface but my mind surrenders to the negative. My emotions control me.

I recently started a great job & the office is very large (100+). For the most part, I have had an easy time communicating with everyone, but we had an office meeting the other day where all the new employees were being introduced. During this meeting I started feeling very short of breath, hot & light headed. I felt like anxiety was taking over & I started to panic. When I knew that my name was going to be called & I would be asked some personal question, I felt like I needed to leave & so I did. I took a breather in the bathroom & went for a walk. Eventually my emotions stabilized & I was able to return back to work. This upset me as even though I have been nervous many times before, I never felt the need to run. How do I deal with these types of situations? I told myself "mind over matter, mind over matter", but my mind was filled with thoughts of worry. Any suggestions, experiences or techniques would be greatly appreciated.