# Lounge > Survey Says... >  >  When did your anxiety first  start?

## CeCe

14

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## Anteros

Oooh, good thread topic! 

I'd say around 13-15.   One day I just became really self-conscious about sounding "stupid," even around friends I'd known for years.  It all went down hill from there - to the classic symptoms like feeling like everyone was looking at me when I walked into a room, or whenever someone laughed it was because of me.  Awful times! 

I'm so glad that I've finally gotten past that.  I credit age, experience and my job - it's very social, and has given me a lot of exposure.  

I still have anxiety, but I've come a long way.  I'm pretty functional.

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## L

I don't really know, I feel it was always there

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## Cage

I think it was always their, just noticed it was not normal around 7 or so.

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## Arcadia

I can recall being overwhelmed by anxiety in elementary school..even over little things.  It did not become unmanageable until my early twenties.  I missed out on my twenties and all the fun peers seem to have had/ are having.

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## Katie

threads like this make me feel like people understand me here. i've had anxiety for about 10 or more yrs.

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## JustGaara

My general issues with anxiety started when I was 11. My issues with social anxiety started my freshman year of HS, when I was 13-14.

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## Grand Jete

I was always shy, but I don't think I really had social anxiety until 17 or 18.

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## CaduceusGUILT

Since I was 8, but it only really started bothering me in the last couple of years.  ::(:

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## Yellow

When I started highschool, so 15

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## Dane

I had anxiety and OCD type issues since I was about 8, but I didn't develop severe anxiety until just after I graduated college, so I answered 18-25.  

It stayed with me for quite a few years, until I started taking Paxil.  Now it's quite a bit better.

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## colleen

Not until after I graduated high school. Before then I was just shy and reserved.

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## WineKitty

As long as I can recall although it got noticeably bad during and after high school.  I am better now than I was in my 20s but still have anxiety issues.  And I believe I always will.  It's learning how to deal with them, I do alright for the most part.  But there is plenty of room for improvement.

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## Marleywhite

since i was 8

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## SmileyFace

strangely, my anxiety esp first showed up some time after i started college...

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## Antidote

I had an anxious disposition since infancy. I was always very shy and my mum says I broke out in eczema due to stress from starting school when I was 5. I had general anxiety, and some degree of OCD and hypochondria in childhood. But clinical SA probably didn't start until was 15 years old after I started a new school that was filled with mentally ill stoner / drug addicts who ostracised me.

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## Koalafan

Ive always been shy and introverted but it didnt cross into SA territory till I was about 12-13 years old =/. Ive come a long way though and feel that Im improving little by little!

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## Rawr

9

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## compulsive

I have a memory of having OCD at about 7-8

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## Monotony

I was always shy it just started getting worse when I was 13 - 14 around there.

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## Ironman

> Oooh, good thread topic! 
> 
> I'd say around 13-15.   One day I just became really self-conscious about sounding "stupid," even around friends I'd known for years.  It all went down hill from there - to the classic symptoms like feeling like everyone was looking at me when I walked into a room, or whenever someone laughed it was because of me.  Awful times! 
> 
> I'm so glad that I've finally gotten past that.  I credit age, experience and my job - it's very social, and has given me a lot of exposure.  
> 
> I still have anxiety, but I've come a long way.  I'm pretty functional.



Heh, it happened at 13 for me - I even remember the day - January 28, 1989 - eighth grade.  It was right after my mother was hospitalized for what would be diagnosed as bipolar disorder.  Medications were not that great back then.  After that, she decided not to be on meds and nine years of the illness took over the family and what was left of my social capability.  She would do things to embarrass us without knowing it.  I still to this day have a very guarded home life and am trying to break it.

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## panda

When I started highschool...so 13  :Cat:

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