I HATE MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!DAMNIT!!!!!!!!AHHHHHHHH.............ok i'm done now. i'm am so sick of this problem. i know what you mean about ppl thinkin your shy. people def. take for granted the power of speech. i was in college but i had to drop out because of this problem. yea. we had to get in so many groups for discussions and i literally almost passed out in a class because my anxiety was so bad. i dont want people to think i'm a digusting person. cuz i'm not. and at work someone came up to me to ask if i wanted to donate money for this charity thing we do and i think its a great idea cuz i love doing things for charity and what not, but all i could do was stand there like a moron and node and say "mmm hmm" and they just say "well ok" and walk away. they're prolly thinkin " for someone her age she has the social skills of a one year old" ya know? but its like i'm too scared to say anything. and tonight i'm suppose to go to the movies and i dread that because you have to sit so close to everyone and someone always at one point leans over and whispers something to you and its like i just pretend not to hear or just look at them and smile or node cuz i would NEVER  say something to someone when i'm that close.def. not. or when i wanna bake cookies or something with friends or families for special events, i just sit in the living room while everyone else is up working together in the kitchen. and i want so badly to be a part of all the action and fun but its like...i cant. i just cant. so i just sit there and watch. that seems to be all i'm doing anymore these days is sitting and watching everyone else. its so hard somedays i just cry myself to sleep cuz my biggest fear is that this will never go away and when i'm an old woman i'll be still sitting and watching alone. *sigh.......u said u dont live in the states. where r u from?

Hey. how r u? i def. know what u mean with the mints. i freak out too if i have to talk to someone and for what ever reason i dont have any. i hate it so bad. looking at me, i'm tellin you people would have no idea that i suffer from this. when the show first started and i found out they had a website to go on i was so ecstatic. i thought for sure i was gonna go on here and find my miracle cure. I knew there had to be other people out there. But still no answers. I'm starting to think there is no cure for this. i dont know. And i'm not crazy. i'm not imagining this. i've read about ppl who think they have disorders, this one included, when in reality they dont. I started to develop cavities  in my molars where i usually let the gum or mint sit until i have to talk to someone, then i try to swish it around in my mouth. I've had ppl countless times offer me gum when  i had a whole wad in my mouth. Or you can always tell by their facial expressions when you're too close. Like i said before, i stay up some nites and cant believe this is happening to me. Ppl have noooooo i idea how much you have to change about your life if you have this. Especially at our age. we should be having the time of our lives, going out with friends and what not. It gets extrememly lonely and depressing watching the world pass you by. keep in touch