[Descenterace]

And it's a little damaging on the bank balance to drink often, at least for us students (who consider 'often' == twice a week).
Worst of it is, my alcohol tolerance is naturally very high.

I used to be very shy. Actually I probably still am. I got around that problem by just being myself and acquiring a reputation around Uni as a geeky problem-solver. The only time strangers initiate conversation with me is when their computer is broken.

Computers are far easier to deal with than people. There is no established, documented protocol for anything in the field of human interactions.

Some idiot jock thinks I'm a geek? Why, thank you. I am. Your point is?

Incidentally, a large number of problems in the world are a result of people being stupid, scared and/or sentimental. A combination of the three is the most common.

[ToecrusherHammerjaw]

Look, Kalfireth, Nuke, I can assure you that I am more of a crazy shut-in and/or shy person and/or weirdo than either of you probably are.  Maybe that's just the Asperger's Syndrome, I don't know.  I do know that I have had very few friends in my life, and the one real one that I've had has pretty much the same personality as me.  And I mean, for God's sake, it took me 2 years to summon the courage to start posting here!

[Nuke]

hey kal, i think we should let this one into the nut club. always good to have a fish around.

note that my isolation is about 90% overwealming hatred and about 5% shiness and about 5% dislike for alaskan weather.

[ToecrusherHammerjaw]

Well, don't get me wrong, it's not like I haven't tried to have a social life, it just never seems to work out.  And before you consider letting me into any club, know this: every club I ever tried to be in, even a role-playing group, ended up getting rid of me or disbanding within a year of my joining.  Just a headz up, there.  But as long as things don't get too perverted, I should be fine.

[Nuke]

i really only leave the house to go to work a couple days a week. there just isnt anything to do in this town anyway. so i have no incentive to leave the house.

[icespeed]

clinically speaking, nothing's a problem unless it's a problem. if you're having problems with being shy then it's a problem. if other people tell you you have a problem, don't listen to them.

social anxiety disorder is defined as having feelings of anxiety (increased sympathetic activation- heart racing, sweating, want to throw up; also the mental stuff) associated with situations in which one may have to perform before people (public speaking, stage fright) or where one perceives other people have expectations of one that one cannot fulfil; the patient is embarrassed about their condition and go out of their way to avoid anything that might provoke an anxiety or panic attack, even to the extent of staying in one's house (agoraphobia).

that's what we learnt about 3 weeks ago anyway.

[pyro-manic]

People scare the crap out of me. Dunno why, they just do. It takes a long time for me to feel at ease with people, even if I'm around them all day. The feeling of "oh ****, everyone's looking at me, argh argh argh" tends to take over if I have to walk into a room full of people or something similar. 'Tis primarily a confidence thing I think - I have a rather poor opinion of myself, so I think that everyone else will be the same.

[Nuke]

i cant stand when people try to talk to me when i have my headphones on. and i usually have the volume up to a level where anyone within 8 feet of me can hear it. yet they still try to pick up a convo, not knowing that i cant really hear them past all the black metal. i just nod an say yep and that usually makes them go away. people are just too dumb for me to give a **** about. so im more or less comfortable with my anti-social behavior and shut-in mentality.

[Rson]

I feel I can't get involved in any social situation without messing it up and when I am in a group I'm always the one staring at the floor only talking when I'm talked to or if I have something very important to say.  I can get up to do public speaking but when it comes to a situation I can't do it.  I have crushingly low sense of self-esteem, you know 'no matter how good you are there is always someone better'.  I think it's more of depression than anything else.  I seem to fit that of aviodant personality disorder I haven't been diagnosed.