Scopophobia

Scopophobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by a pathological fear of being seen or gazed at by others. Scopophobia may also be associated with a pathological fear of being noticed by others. from Wikipedia

This is a definition for Scopophobia.

I had a severe case of scopophobia in my early 20s. I was so afraid to go outside and look people in the eye that I took my glasses off. With my glasses on, I could see people’s eyes much better, and that was what scared me. Taking off my glasses made it easier for me to navigate the streets because I could see people and things in my mind’s eye that were a little more blurry.

Scopophobia is a condition where you literally feel like people are staring at you, and you find it difficult to stand up straight and walk. At the age of 27, when I started treatment for depression, my first diagnosis was “social phobia” (interpersonal phobia), which I don’t know if it’s accurate, but it’s not far off based on my symptoms.

I go outside almost every day, and there are still times when I’m afraid to look straight ahead. But I don’t think it’s anything more than that. Everyone has awkward situations where looking straight ahead is uncomfortable, and I don’t avert my eyes because I’m afraid of the person in front of me. I try to look straight ahead so that I can also look sideways.

In fact, when I took off my glasses, I didn’t recognize people I knew and was misunderstood. I’m not sure if it was the person I saw, but I apologize if I didn’t recognize them.

Some of the funniest anecdotes that have come out of Scopophobia, which I find hilarious, come from people who are angry that I don’t pretend to know them first. Is there some kind of rule that I have to pretend to know them first, or does it hurt their pride if they pretend to know me first? I don’t understand it. Is it Dorai?

Anyway, I thought I’d touch on Scopophobia at least once. I started to get better about it in my late 20s. After I realized that people are just people. I’m trying to live with a more relaxed mindset because I think it’s best and a priority to be at ease. If you’re reading this and you suffer from Scopophobia, I hope you’ll soon realize that you don’t have to be so afraid of people.

Living with peace of mind

is the best!