Posted 9/21/2021 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
You said,
"Hi guys. I’m 22 years old, pretty young. Yet I can’t handle people’s gaze. It’s really uncomfortable when others stare at me or having eye contact with others. What should I do to overcome this? Maybe it’s because I have low self-esteem?"
I had the same thing when I was your age. I remember walking down a narrow hallway and meeting a guy walking in my direction, a guy I had passed many times before and I couldn't look him in the eye. My eyes would go to the floor to avoid eye contact, with him and basically all others.
Even outside on a wide sidewalk. I couldn't stand the thought of a total stranger walking in my direction, and my eyes would go down to the sidewalk. I didn't know what to do with my eyes: look at him? look straight ahead? I didn't know what to do.
I'm bipolar and I'm sure it had to do with my mental illness, my anxiety. After I was dxed right and started taking the right medicine, I don't have as much of that problem now.
But I still have it to some degree. When somebody knocks on my door, when I open the door, I cannot look them in the eye, or speak to them first. I often slowly open the door so they'll speak first, then I can look them in the eye and respond. So I still have problems with that.
My older sister can't look me in the eyes today, so she has the same problem and she has anxiety, depression and anger.
Are you getting any help with this?