Nervous Person

doesn't know what to say

Nervous Person: doesn't know what to say
You: Hey, what's up?
Nervous Person: nervously sweating nothing much, you?
You: I'm doing well. Any plans for this weekend?
Nervous Person: Well, uh, no actually. I don't have any real hobbies, mostly just sit around and watch YouTube for an unearthly amount of time. How about you? Do you have any plans for this weekend?
You: I'm going to go to a club.
Nervous Person: Oh man sounds like a ton of fun. I would probably have a panic attack though if I went to a crowded place like that. I'm not good with large groups.
You: Oh, I see. Have you ever been to Manhattan?
Nervous Person: I have. I have family in New York, but I'm rarely in the city anymore. I have been to many crowded places in the U.S. though and don't really do well. Sometimes I go to a store and get anxious around people, and I usually just leave.
You: How do you get through job interviews?
Nervous Person: That is probably one of the most stressful things for me. I just get really nervous and my throat gets all tight. But luckily the people who interview me are usually decent people and make me feel comfortable, so that helps.
You: Yeah, that's good. Is it hard going to restaurants?
Nervous Person: Not really, since I'm usually with someone I know. That person usually orders for me, since I will always take forever to order. Also I don't talk to the waiter at all. I prefer going to drive in restaurants for this reason, because I can just talk to the speaker for my order and then they just bring the food to my car.
You: How did you handle public speaking in school?
Nervous Person: Usually when the teacher would call on me, my face would turn red and I would start sweating. Then I would have to take a moment to compose myself. That's not even the bad part. The bad part was actually speaking. I would shake and stutter, forget about trying to keep my voice from cracking too. I usually just got through it and then went back to my seat.
You: Have you ever tried beta blockers?
Nervous Person: Nope. Maybe it sounds dumb, but I try to avoid medicine, just because it makes me uncomfortable. I get anxious when they mention new medicine to me. I would try to find natural ways to treat it, like with therapy or something similar. I also try not to bother others with my anxiety problems. But maybe I'll try it if I just can't get better naturally.
You: Maybe you should force yourself into more situations that are out of your comfort zone until you just can't bring yourself to care anymore. I used to have a lot of anxiety and that was really important
Nervous Person: That's what I've been doing. It is kind of hit or miss though. Sometimes the situations will be good and I'll be alright for a while, but other times they're bad and they'll throw me off for a bit. I think the main reason I get so anxious around people is because I'm always afraid they're going to judge me or look down on me.
You: Do you ever get anxious about being anxious? That used to be a vicious cycle for me.
Nervous Person: Yes. One thing will happen and then I start to get nervous, but I can't stop being nervous. That just makes it worse because I get nervous that I'm too nervous. Then if it gets bad I just start to shut down completely.
You: Well just go to war with it and keep fighting. You'll get there.
Nervous Person: Thank you. I'll try. I wish I could just go into a new situation with the confidence that I know everything will go alright. I think a lot of it just comes from me overthinking it too much. I think too much about the bad things that could happen instead of what is actually happening.