A collection of questions and sharing by our readership community about a wide variety of aspects of social anxiety. Dive in and receive practical insights and advice.
QUESTION BY:
Anonymous
Watery Eyes / Eye Fluttering
I believe my question is related to social anxiety. Lately, I’ve noticed that my eyes start to water or flutter when I walk through a room and make eye contact with someone. Could this be related, and what can be done to stop it?
Jonathan Responds:
If your eyes are not “watery” or “fluttering” until you enter the social-interactive scenario you are describing a variation of physiological adaptation to the environment (which by the way is the scientific definition of stress). It will be beneficial for you to bring to a conscious level your perceived threat and/or fear. What you can do is learn to accept the adrenaline, which is driving your “fight or flight” response and manage the exaggerated emotions asociated with the “fight or flight”. Currently, I believe that when you first experience the initial internal sensation of adrenaline you get frustrated or angry, and this increases the physiological process that is uncomfortable.
