I have social anxiety and very poor memory in general. So when it comes to having conversations, especially one-on-one’s, I struggle to come up with topics to talk about/keep a conversation flowing. For instance, if someone asks ‘oh have you seen any good movies/read anything interesting lately?’, I’d almost certainly blank out and nothing would come to mind. And I’d feel rather anxious/self-conscious because I’d think ‘omg he/she must find me so boring’. I find that it’s slightly better in a casual group setting as there’s less pressure on me to keep the conversation flowing and also, more often than not, someone would say something which would prompt a memory and I’d find it easier to ‘add on’ from there. Even then, I’d still struggle on occasions, especially when it comes to topics I’m unfamiliar with. I feel like my poor memory and social anxiety is preventing me from being a good conversation partner. Anyone else face this issue ? How do I overcome this problem ?

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  1. I have this exact problem too, you’re not alone. I think it’s the state of anxiety that makes me go blank because when I’m comfortable with someone (eg family) I can hold a relatively normal conversation. As I’ve gotten older and realised that a lot of people are just talking to be polite and fill the silence it makes it easier for me to just say anything. The fear of ridicule and subsequent internal fight or flight response is central to my mind going blank I think, but I haven’t found a way to stop that happening yet.

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