I know exactly how you feel. I noticed them placing their hands to cover their vision from me. I have to pretend nothing happens even though I knew they noticed I'm staring at them. At one point, I think some of the people trying to take a picture of me staring at them.
Can't stop staring at people
- Thread starter John S
- Start date
I know exactly how you feel. I noticed them placing their hands to cover their vision from me. I have to pretend nothing happens even though I knew they noticed I'm staring at them. At one point, I think some of the people trying to take a picture of me staring at them.
WIP_gurl
Member
When I take public transportation, I would stare at the floor, listen to music. read or fake read the advertisement above the heads of the passengers. Sometimes I close my eyes or if I feel someone looking at me...just because they want not because they have this problem. I would attempt to look them in the eye until they look away. And daydreaming is great too. Just some things I do to avoid faces while taking public transportation. I hope some of these tricks help you cope a little bit.
surewhynot
Well-known member
When I take public transportation, I would stare at the floor, listen to music. read or fake read the advertisement above the heads of the passengers. Sometimes I close my eyes or if I feel someone looking at me...just because they want not because they have this problem. I would attempt to look them in the eye until they look away. And daydreaming is great too. Just some things I do to avoid faces while taking public transportation. I hope some of these tricks help you cope a little bit.
Haha this post reminds me so much of myself it's crazy, especially the part about reading the ads. I thought for sure I was the only one doing this
When I'm in public, I used to look at the floor a lot to avoid staring at people. But, this gave me a hunched appearance and my back felt so bad from all the hunching over. I don't fake reading ads in public, but I fake texting and checking my cell phone and purse. When I'm around many people and the social phobia kicks in, I either fumble through my purse pretending to look for something or I pretend to do stuff on my cell phone.
WIP_gurl
Member
Haha this post reminds me so much of myself it's crazy, especially the part about reading the ads. I thought for sure I was the only one doing this
Sometimes the ads are interesting...not:
: maybe more informative.Well, I could not even look downwards at all. Not to mention reading books, looking at my phone or whatever that requires me to look downwards. If I do that, it will resulting in me staring at people in front of me, unless I am alone or there are less people around me, and that is also if they didn't noticed me.
To make sure that I don't stare at people, I sometimes look down or read a book. But the weird thing is, once I started doing so, I have huge difficulty lifting my eyes up to look at something else. Many times, I remember reading a book but my eyes felt so exhausted and hurt from looking at the pages too much. I wanted to look up and away from the pages, but a little voice inside me tells me, "Don't do it, people will then think you are staring at them." So, I would force myself to continue reading my book until my eyes hurt. It's the same for me when using a laptop/computer in public.
I tried so hard to please society but guess who gets hurt in the end? Me! I am not sadistic or anything, and I need to start doing things for myself.
WIP_gurl
Member
If only society would think a little deep then their selfish selves. I select awesome and interesting books all the time and I have great difficulty keeping my eyes on the page in setting involving people.
At least, you have some self control while reading in public
.Something so significant as reading in public as never been a issues until this and I was a avid reading I'm any kind of environment.
You probably don't want to take my advice because I usually try to escape when people notice that I'm staring or gazing at them out of the corner of my eye. I walk away and/or try to find a place to hide. But there are situations where I can't escape (i.e. jury duty), and so that's when I have to "suck it up" and just let people make fun of me.
johnco1992
Member
This disease has ruined my life...I hate going outside. Oh God what is the cure? I'm taking lexapro right now but I feel no difference.
OCDd
Well-known member
oh ive had something like this before, and im taking lexapro right now too. i feel no difference either. but dont stop taking it. these kind of meds take 2 to 6 weeks to work so keep taking it and after 6 weeks to your psychiatrist or whoever you are seeing that maybe trying a different drug would be more beneficial. my suggestions in the mean time are maybe try looking a picture of a person, just go on google and type in peoples faces or something and just stare at it and the put yourself in a position where the picture is in your peripheral vision and practice not looking at it. this will get you more comfortable doing this and you will not feel embarrassed cause your by yourself. also you could try having a conversation with a really good friend or a family member and just practice looking at them straight in the eye the whole time, doing that is not embarrassing and it will make you just look like your paying attention not that your staring at them. the only other advice i can offer you is that instead of being worried about not looking/staring at the person next to you, try being worried about not taking your eyes off of your professor/lecture. this will also just look like to other people that you are just paying attention. hope i was able to help you, good luck! <------p.s. dont stare at this lol just kiddin
<------p.s. dont stare at this lol just kiddinHi I have mentioned my symptom in the earlier posts may be page 2-3. It is a strange coincidence because something similar happened to me. I have been facing this problem for the last 15-16 years. I cannot express in words the suffering I had in these years. When ever I am working I can focus 30-40% on my work and the rest was to stop the staring. I am on Fluoxetine and klonopin for the last 15 years.
I recently went to a therapist and when I was just waiting I started playing with my phone. A lady was sitting besides me and I was thinking that I was staring at her through my peripheral vision. I started getting anxious and was feeling bad but then I turned on the video on the phone and did the recording. When I watched the video I was surprised to see that my eyes didn't even stare a little in the 5 mins of video. I tried again and the same thing happened.
None of my friends mentioned me about this problem but then some people did mention that.
Now my question is if I am not really staring why am I getting these thoughts in the head and how to get rid of those thoughts. Staring or not staring I am still equally uncomfortable because of the thoughts.
Can you please tell me how you and your therapist worked to get these thoughts fixed and is your problem completely solved now?
Thanks,
I agree. If my pupils are not noticeable, then why do some people make such a big deal out of me glancing at them at the corner of my eyes? Maybe they're psychic???
Record them bastards. Record them covering up. I don't know.
Many weeks ago, I said I will try recording myself and see how my eyes look. So yesterday, I played with my webcam and took pictures of my eyes looking left and right. Guess what? They are noticeable; when I glance at the left, my pupils move to the left, and same thing with the right. It's common sense, of course. I wonder, if I had longer lashes and put more makeup on my eyes, will they help cover up my pupils? Also, there are girls who use hair to cover up their faces, even their eyes, so I wonder if I had bangs, would that help? But, bangs are annoying to style and I have to go back every month for a trim.
johnco1992
Member
It seems as though when I am very busy, the problem happens much less.
Bugs
Active member
wear glasses , no really it works , just go to the Opticians and get a pair of tinted glasses , that might seem a funny thing to say but it works , dont matter if your eyes are ok , just get a pair anyways ...i did that years ago when my sa was bad and it helped
Yes, I agree. wear glasses. I have this teacher who always wear glasses and told us that, if she wears glasses she always thinks she's the only person, and that she can't see other people in the world and so she gets more confident. It looks funny at first, but when people get used to it... it will be ok.
Yes, I agree. wear glasses. I have this teacher who always wear glasses and told us that, if she wears glasses she always thinks she's the only person, and that she can't see other people in the world and so she gets more confident. It looks funny at first, but when people get used tod it... it will be ok.
Yes, I agree, glasses help a lot. Sometimes, I sit facing my dad (he's in front of me) and it's awkward because I feel like I'm noticing/looking at him a lot and he probably notices it. But after I put on a pair of very dark glasses, I don't feel as uncomfortable anymore.
I wish I could wear sunglasses everywhere I go but unfortunately, there are places where those are not appropriate. White glasses don't really do much because people can still see your eyes, but sunglasses/dark glasses help.