Paranoid about my facial expression

recluse

recluse

Well-known member
I am constantly paranoid about how my facial expression appears to people; Do i appear angry, sad, overly happy, creepy, pervy, shifty....etc

I am quite stressed at work at the moment due to a large workload, and i think that my facial expression makes it obvious because the supervisor told me not to look so worried, but i can't help it because i am a born worrier just like my mother is. I'm so paranoid because i feel that everyone's reading my every thought by looking at my facial expression.
 
dottie

dottie

Well-known member
yep, i totally understand. i see people who seem so calm, cool, collected. it's like they are in total control of their body language and facial expressions. but when it comes to myself i feel like i can't percieve how i am coming across and that freaks me out. in general i think i come across as worried or stressed out. even if i want to control my body language it seems like my anxiety overcomes any effort. i become blurty (blurting out stupid things) and fidgety. like a frickin crackhead.
 
ripewithdecay

ripewithdecay

Well-known member
I have this same problem, actually it's probably one of my worst. I can't control my expressions, like when my face is neutral it looks sorta angry and sad. Even when i'm in a good mood (or what i would say is a 'good mood') m y face is still that of the grim reaper. I can't shake it. But one thing i've learned is that you've got to stop worrying about your face and just think about what your eyes are saying - because that's where all a person's true emotion comes out anyway. But still it's frustrating, especially when talking to someone, i feel like my face should be expressing whatever it is i'm talking about yet it just stays stuck the same way.
 
Psychedelicious

Psychedelicious

1
I understand, I get asked so many times "Are you Okay?". It's annoying. People always think I look way too serious, but I don't know that. Facial expressions don't always express a persons real mood. I Hope my eyes are saying good things then...
 
Infected_Malignity

Infected_Malignity

Well-known member
recluse said:
I am constantly paranoid about how my facial expression appears to people; Do i appear angry, sad, overly happy, creepy, pervy, shifty....etc

I am quite stressed at work at the moment due to a large workload, and i think that my facial expression makes it obvious because the supervisor told me not to look so worried, but i can't help it because i am a born worrier just like my mother is. I'm so paranoid because i feel that everyone's reading my every thought by looking at my facial expression.
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d00d! same thing happens to me. except different people interpret me in different ways, which is kinda odd. most people don't ask stupid questions, but there's always gotta be those few people who come up to me daily and say something stupid, like "what's the matter, tired?!"

then again, that's usually the case. fuuuck me
 
recluse

recluse

Well-known member
Psychedelicious said:
I understand, I get asked so many times "Are you Okay?". It's annoying. People always think I look way too serious, but I don't know that. Facial expressions don't always express a persons real mood. I Hope my eyes are saying good things then...
Click to expand...

Yeah! I get people who ask me what's wrong quite often. I usually put on a fake smile but it's tiring to do that, but it's less tiring than people asking what is wrong with me!

When i was in college i came in the room in the morning smiling just to appear friendly, and one asshole who was quite aggressive and mouthy told ''Why the fuck are you always smiling everytime you come in here!!?'' and he really was aggressive and he wasn't saying it in a jokey way, i think he thought that i was laughing at him o'r something!...You can't win! :roll:
 
Argamemnon

Argamemnon

Well-known member
recluse said:
I am constantly paranoid about how my facial expression appears to people; Do i appear angry, sad, overly happy, creepy, pervy, shifty....etc

I am quite stressed at work at the moment due to a large workload, and i think that my facial expression makes it obvious because the supervisor told me not to look so worried, but i can't help it because i am a born worrier just like my mother is. I'm so paranoid because i feel that everyone's reading my every thought by looking at my facial expression.
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I don't know what to say, and can't offer advice. I'm always like that :(
 
recluse

recluse

Well-known member
Argamemnon said:
recluse said:
I am constantly paranoid about how my facial expression appears to people; Do i appear angry, sad, overly happy, creepy, pervy, shifty....etc

I am quite stressed at work at the moment due to a large workload, and i think that my facial expression makes it obvious because the supervisor told me not to look so worried, but i can't help it because i am a born worrier just like my mother is. I'm so paranoid because i feel that everyone's reading my every thought by looking at my facial expression.
Click to expand...
I don't know what to say, and can't offer advice. I'm always like that :(
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It's ok, i just wanted to vent more than anything.
 
miss_amy

miss_amy

Well-known member
Vent away! Its helping me not feel such a freak knowing others feel the same way.

I feeling lot better lately, not cured as such (anxiety still there) but better knowing that its not just me.

Thanks all of you.
 
biffy

biffy

Member
Psychedelicious said:
I understand, I get asked so many times "Are you Okay?". It's annoying. People always think I look way too serious, but I don't know that. Facial expressions don't always express a persons real mood. I Hope my eyes are saying good things then...
Click to expand...

That drives me mad. I always get "cheer up, it might never happen", just because I don't walk around with a great big grin on my face. How else am I supposed to look?

Also, when I'm verbally abusing myself, I tend to make a lot of dumb facial expressions, like flinching and scrunching up my face when I say the wrong thing. I have imaginary conversations in my head and I think my face reacts to them.
 
Leki

Leki

Well-known member
I think i look really serious all the time and kind of unapproachable. My lecturer singled me out the other day to ask me if there was something wrong because i looked worried or something, i just wanted to tell her that her lecture was boring and i was falling asleep, of course i didn't though and just mumbled no.

I don't think my face matches what i feel alot of the time becasue in photos i think that i'm smiling but i look at it and i'm smirking or just look really mean!

I love wearing sunglasses because then no one can really see what you're feeling. (and you can stare at people and they don't know :D )
 
quietlyobserving

quietlyobserving

Member
Me too! I always look angry, upset, serious, and very unaproachable, even when im happy. It really pisses me off, especially when people make comments like 'whats her problem' or 'cheer up' 'smile' 'its not that bad' are you sick' 'are you ok' grrrrrrr
i constantly worry about what people think im thinking by the expression on my face

even at the hospital after having my baby a nurse kept asking me 'are you ok' 'are you sure your alright?' I'd be fine if you would just leave me alone!! I just had a baby for gods sake im extremly happy! But no, it doesnt come across in my face.
 
H

Haven

Member
*nods* I get sick of people telling me to smile, or asking me if I'm sick. At work, I have to try to plaster this fake expression on my face, and it's exhausting.

In high school, I even got called into the principal's office, where I was asked if I was okay or if I was having problems at home or something. Arghh!
 
tool1919

tool1919

Well-known member
It the same with me. People often say "don't worry" or "you look stressed" when i think i've just got a neutral expression on my face. They sometimes say it when they're just walking past me or whatever. Am i meant to walk around with a constant cheesy grin or something? Another one is "you look angry". I don't understand how i could look angry when i'm not.
 
hippiechild

hippiechild

Well-known member
biffy said:
Psychedelicious said:
Also, when I'm verbally abusing myself, I tend to make a lot of dumb facial expressions, like flinching and scrunching up my face when I say the wrong thing. I have imaginary conversations in my head and I think my face reacts to them.
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oh yes, I do that a lot. Often it's after having a conversation or encounter turn out "bad." I'll be sitting there talking to myself in my head or in a whisper. Then someone will say "dude, what's wrong with you?" Apparently I had been sitting there wincing, recoiling as if in pain and saying things like "oh god no.." and I have no idea that I had done anything.

As for the original topic, I do have trouble with expressions. I used to try analyzing the situation and putting on the correct expression, but that becomes tiresome. Now I let my expressions run wild. If I'm in a room with people who bore me, they will see it in my expression. I've gotten to the point where I honestly couldn't care less about hurting their quiet-phobic egos.
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PhantomPod

PhantomPod

Well-known member
Oh man, I am with you all. I feel like my face normally looks neutral and like I'm mad and I have definitely had people ask if I'm alright and all that. So now I really try to turn my lips up so it doesn't look like I'm mad and then I'm all worried that I look like a creep.

But, I mean, if someone had a constant smile on their face I would be asking them if THEY were alright. I mean really, who has a smile as just their normal face? That would look creepy if someone was just smiling 24/7.
 
Carstuar

Carstuar

Well-known member
I feel like I have two facial expressions:

1. When I try to smile I just look retarded and scary.
2. When I don't concentrate on my expression I look tired and angry.
I like neither of them.

I really really HATE it when people take pictures of me without my consent.
 
spaztastic

spaztastic

New member
Thanks for expressing yourself the way you did. I couldn't have described how I feel myself any better. It helps to know that we're not alone in dealing with this. I'm just starting to look into what I can do to overcome and/or deal better with this. Finding this web sight is my first step. What joys from life this problem has robbed me & others of. It can really result to one becoming totally isolated. I'm confident that all of us can find the inner peace we all deserve and get back to living life to the fullest.
dottie said:
yep, i totally understand. i see people who seem so calm, cool, collected. it's like they are in total control of their body language and facial expressions. but when it comes to myself i feel like i can't percieve how i am coming across and that freaks me out. in general i think i come across as worried or stressed out. even if i want to control my body language it seems like my anxiety overcomes any effort. i become blurty (blurting out stupid things) and fidgety. like a frickin crackhead.
Click to expand...
 
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