When did your anxiety first start?

[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.

[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!

[Rawr]

9

[compulsive]

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

[Monotony]

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

[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.

[panda]

When I started highschool...so 13