# Anxiety Disorders > Social Anxiety Disorder >  >  Personal Space!

## UndercoverAngel

Not sure what this would fall under, GAD or Social Anxiety. It is kinda both.

I can leave my house, I do not mind talking with others as long it is from a distance. Did you ever notice when you are talking with someone, they like to be right in your face?  ::\:   I will back up, and they move with you. You can start talking in a grocery store by the bread, and end up by the deli, and it never crosses the other persons mind why you keep moving away.  :: 

They say personal space is when you can stretch your arms out and make the imaginary circle around you. Anyone else need like 3 arms length? Maybe more, depending on the person with whom you are talking to? I think sometimes I would just be happy with a megaphone, lol  ::D: 

How much personal space do you need to feel comfortable? Thanks!

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## Member11

> How much personal space do you need to feel comfortable? Thanks!



For me, it depends a lot on who it is, strangers and people I don't know, a good metre away from me would be my personal space, but for people love and trust, it drops way down to 0 as I love to cuddle them  ::D:

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## L

Loud people need to be far away form me - overall I guess it depends on who and what is going on.

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## Member11

> Loud people need to be far away form me.



Loud people hurts my head >_<

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## Lunaire

I don't like people getting too close to my bubble either!

I believe this is slightly a cultural phenomenon -- in some cultures it is considered normal to be very close to someone when speaking with them, and others not so much.

 :Don't get it:

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## PinkButterfly

I do not like people in my personal space at all stay out of my face due to germs also do not touch me or my things do not cough on me or sneeze on me and for gosh sakes wash your wands and cover your mouth also do not set in  my recliner do not use my own bathroom use the guest one and do not ever take my things nor ever set and pick at my furbaby!!!

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## HoldTheSea

I don't like strangers in my personal space at all, it actually really pisses me off.
When I know someone and I'm comfortable with them, I have no problem with them hugging me, etc., but I really don't like it when I don't know or trust someone and they get in my face while talking to me or they attempt to touch me. Just... no. It makes me feel threatened.

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## Koalafan

> I don't like strangers in my personal space at all, it actually really pisses me off.
> When I know someone and I'm comfortable with them, I have no problem with them hugging me, etc., but I really don't like it when I don't know or trust someone and they get in my face while talking to me or they attempt to touch me. Just... no. It makes me feel threatened.



Oh man I get really bad about this as well >_< I get really uncomfortable when someone is close to me, especially if it's a stranger. Sometimes at work I'll have customers touch my arm or they'll stand super close to me and just wait. It makes me soo uncomfortable and upset when strangers pull crap like that =/

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## HoldTheSea

> Oh man I get really bad about this as well >_< I get really uncomfortable when someone is close to me, especially if it's a stranger. Sometimes at work I'll have customers touch my arm or they'll stand super close to me and just wait. It makes me soo uncomfortable and upset when strangers pull crap like that =/



Omg, that's horrible  ::(:  If a random stranger touched my arm I would probably have a panic attack and yell at them >__< Being touched by people I don't know is a huge trigger because of my PTSD/trust issues.

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## Koalafan

> Omg, that's horrible  If a random stranger touched my arm I would probably have a panic attack and yell at them >__< Being touched by people I don't know is a huge trigger because of my PTSD/trust issues.



It's such a huge trigger for me as well  ::(:  people need to know that other people don't like being touched. Our personal space should be respected >_<  :Hug:  the worst is when someone will touch me from behind. That makes me soooo uncomfortable and panicky  ::(:

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## Cuchculan

I was in a shop the other day. Old dear serving. I kid you not, she all but held my hands when giving me the change. I felt like decking her. LOL Just give me the change. No need to hold both my hands. Not as if I even knew her. I tend to go out earlier in the day. Still run into people. But far less if I were to head out later in the day. I will talk to people I meet. But we all like our own personal space. My bedroom is exactly that. I hate when others come into near the room. I would rather leave the room and go to them.

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## Lilo18

People invading my personal space fills me with dread, being too close to other people and the closer they get the more anxious I get and the more likely they are to see me freaking out. It does feel like a complete invasion and makes me so uncomfortable and awkward. It just comes down to being seen/observe/focus of attention for me, the closer they are the more they see and I struggle to maintain eye contact so the closer they are the less 'space' there is for me to look around and probably escape. Feel kinda trapped when people get too close.

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## Wishie

I do find that annoying and when they bump into you with their trolley - pushing me like your in a car and trying to make the driver ahead of you move faster doesn't really work when your standing in a checkout queue - your at the mercy of the speed of the checkout operator or that slow old lady at the front who is paying for her purchase with coins that she is slowly counting out 1 by 1 - I tend to really like and appreciate my personal space and if its invaded I either turn around and give a foul look or ask them to back up a bit that I cant move forward any faster.

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## Otherside

Most places in Britain, it's rude to be in someones personal space. Rarely have a problem with it. We don't generally hug, touch, kiss, or the such unless it's close friends/family. We don't talk to close to each other, or too loudly. That would be impolite. And we can't have that now can we? 

This is why I hate central London though. It's packed. Go onto the underground? Chances are you'll be squashed in right to capacity if you go at the wrong time. You'll have to squeeze off. Last time I got off and it was absolute hell getting off. It was as if there was an unstoppable sea of people and if you stopped you would be crushed by the hordes. Weren't letting anyone into the station, just letting them out and for some very stupid reason, deciding to hold us all up whilst they checked whether we had paid or were fare dodgers. Sodding hell.

Ehh, people too close to make just makes me feel all icky and uncomfortable. Ughhh.

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## HoldTheSea

> It's such a huge trigger for me as well  people need to know that other people don't like being touched. Our personal space should be respected >_<  the worst is when someone will touch me from behind. That makes me soooo uncomfortable and panicky



Oh no, being touched from behind is the worst  ::(:   :Hug:  That will give me an instant panic attack!

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## lethargic nomad

This happens in long lines sometimes.  People get antsy.  Being in a big city there are a lot of foreigners who have a different concept of personal space.  It really depends on the culture.

I'll admit I have pushed people (with my body not my hands) before when making my way through a subway train.  I learned that when I was living in Asia.  Often times people will all try to stand near the doors and not towards the center of the train car.  It's very annoying.  So I smoosh my way through the crowd to get to the center where it was less crowded. Think I pissed off one woman once.  Oh well, I don't feel bad.

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## Koalafan

> Oh no, being touched from behind is the worst   That will give me an instant panic attack!



I did not enjoy that at all!  ::(:  Why would any stranger think doing something like that would be okay! >_< it was so uncomfortable!!

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