Hi Haya, Recently, I have been struggling with a lot of overthinking, more than usual and about everything — particularly related to my social interactions. I have been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder for the last five years or so, but my overthinking has become excessive to the point where social interactions makes me question whether I was embarrassing or wrong or whether what I had said made any sense. I beat myself up emotionally, replaying whole interactions all day and especially at night, and I’m unable to sleep till I’m exhausted.
And during the day I feel like I want to disappear and not talk to anyone so that I’m not making a fool out of myself. I have understood that it stems from low self-esteem and a fear of social rejection. And because of this I have been suffering in initiating romantic interactions with people I like.
I shut down when I like someone, and this makes me feel miserable and alone. Please help me, as I've been meeting someone I like regularly at a common space, but don’t know how to interact? — A compulsive overthinker Dear compulsive overthinker, Navigating social interactions can be incredibly challenging, especially when dealing with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Your experience of overthinking and self-doubt is a common struggle in what you are going through.
Below, I have broken down various therapeutic strategies to help you manage overthinking and enhance your social interactions, particularly with someone you .