Social Anxiety Disorder --Found probable cause? And Advice welcome

Arian Maverick

Well-known member
Dear Mabel,

Although I am not as familiar with Social Anxiety Disorder as I am with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I certainly feel for you and would like to take a stab at finding the discomfort you feel within your natal chart; hopefully my post will kick-start this thread and encourage others to offer keener insight ;)

While reading your description, I immediately thought of the first house-seventh house axis and was somewhat surprised to find that most of the "action" in your chart does not take place within this axis, but within the fourth house/tenth house axis--although perhaps I shouldn't be. I know that Chiron and Venus are technically situated in the ninth house, yet for interpretation purposes, I will consider them both to be members of the tenth house due to there close proximity to the Midheaven. You may have encountered the phrase "the dark side" in your astrological studies as describing planets on that are conjunct a house cusp but within the previous house; this description applies to Chiron and Venus, which are conjunct the tenth house cusp (Midheaven) from its "dark side," as well as Uranus, which is conjunct the fourth house cusp (Nadir) from its "dark side." I haven't studied the implications of such a placement, but you may wish to conduct a quick Google search and see what it yields; you may find some interesting information.

My own interpretation may be off, but due to the symbolism of darkness and light, I believe it is relatively safe to conjecture that a planet located on the "dark side" of a particular house cusp may not express the characteristics of its placement as clearly as a planet actually found within the house, partially because the planet may still feel a bit of the influence of the preceding house in which it "technically" occupies, although the pull of a major angle such as the Midheaven would be stronger than the cusp of a cadent house such as the ninth. I find it interesting that Chiron, the wounded healer, is tightly conjunct the Midheaven from its "dark side," since the Midheaven is the most visible part of a natal chart and represents, among other things, the outside world. Think of the Sun at noon when it is at its strongest; it is not emerging above the horizon, like it does at dawn, but reaching its peak position in the sky before moving down and eventually disappearing behind the horizon. Similar to the first house, I interpret the tenth house to be rather "showy"; it wants to be seen, craves to be recognized for its accomplishments. Capricorn is the "natural" sign of the tenth house, but since you have a Libra Ascendant, the "natural" positions of the signs on the angles (i.e. Aries on the first, Taurus on the second, etc.) are reversed. This is not a bad thing, and it may not have anything to do with your SAD, but we're simply exploring ideas here.

In addition, I've noticed that you have several "heavy-weight" planets--namely Saturn/Neptune and Uranus, the rare triple-conjunction of outer planets that occurred in 1989--at the bottom of your chart, serving as an anchor. All three planets are within five degrees of your Nadir, giving a strong emphasis upon your "Inner World" as Tim would say. Although you have Jupiter and the Sun in the upper hemisphere of your chart, both planets are located in the succedent ninth house , much too far from the Midheaven to be considered to wield any influence in the tenth. Therefore, you have only have Venus and Chiron on the "dark side" of the Midheaven as well as a tight Mars/Moon conjunction that can be considered to be in the tenth house. None of these, with the possible exception of Chiron which relatively far from the Sun but not large enough to be considered a major planet, are generally considered "heavy-weights." Again, this is not good or bad, but I believe that it may tip the proverbial scales towards the bottom of your chart, giving this sector more emphasis than the top.

How is this of any significance, you may wonder? Although I do not have any personal experience with Social Anxiety Disorder, it seems logical that an individual who feels such discomfort in dealing with others would cultivate a strong "Inner World" for him/herself, for this may be the only place in which he/she feels safe. I do not believe I have yet mentioned that all of the planets in the lower hemisphere of your natal chart--Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto--are retrograde, a phenomenon which is likewise often associated with utilizing the energy of a planet in a more intuitive, inwards manner. I believe all of these parts of your natal chart are like pieces of a puzzle waiting to be put together. Did you notice that these are the last four planets in our known solar system, among the farthest known planets from the Earth, and they are all at the "bottom" of your chart? I believe this too is significant...

My attention has now been drawn to your eighth house Mercury in Taurus, loosely conjunct the powerful malefic fixed star Algol. I do not believe this is any real cause of concern, but I am particularly interested in Mercury's placement because it seems to be a natural ruler of Social Anxiety Disorder to me since Mercury is a very intellectual planet, ruling the mind and things that may be created by the mind. PLEASE don't interpret this sentence as "Social Anxiety Disorder is all in your head," because this is NOT what I mean AT ALL. However, although medical science is beginning to prove a definite correlation between anxiety disorders and brain activity (neurotransmitters, natural chemical imbalances, etc.), it is still considered by most professionals to fall firmly in the realm of psychiatry, which according to Dictionary.com is "the practice or science of diagnosing and treating mental disorders." Again, I am NOT including this definition because I believe you do not know what this word means; I am simple attempting to establish a clear, objective connection between Social Anxiety Disorder and the planet Mercury that is based upon more than gut feelings.

The eighth house, as you know, is the house of death/rebirth, the occult, and other mysteries; it is a "water house" like the fourth and the twelfth that has an emotional depth that more "superficial" houses such as the first and the tenth, which are primarily concerned with appearances. (I certainly do not mean this negatively, as most of the planets in my natal chart fall in the first and tenth houses! :D) Although the eighth house is located in the right side of the chart, which naturally has more of an affinity for "others" than for "self," I believe that the eighth house may be the least "social" of these houses, as it is primarily concerned with penetrating mysteries like its corresponding sign, Scorpio. I'm jumping around like a kangaroo here, but I realized several minutes ago that you were born only several days after one of my friends whose natal Mercury is retrograde; it seems that Mercury stationed and turned direct somewhere between her June 3rd birthday and your June 6th birthday. The days during which a planet "revisits" the degrees it had already traveled during its retrograde motion after the station/retrograde/station/direct cycle are sometimes referred to as Shadow Periods. I am not certain that you were born during one of these Shadow Periods since I do not currently have an ephemeris in front of me, yet based upon the knowledge that Shadow Periods of Mercury generally last about two weeks after Mercury has turned direct again, it seems likely that you were. I have never analyzed the effect of Shadow Periods in a natal chart before, but again, you may wish to conduct a Google search and see what you find.

This is all that I have for now, and I'm still not sure if I answered your question. Nevertheless, I send you a virtual huge from one 89er to another. I couldn't find a hug smilie, but hopefully these flowers will do! :39:

Arian Maverick
 
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For Astrological indications in the chart, I was looking along the lines of the Air element, and the air houses for social interaction, and Venus, Mercury, and Uranus perhaps.

Looking at your chart you have quite a low air chart, with only Jupiter in Gemini being in an air sign. I think it makes this planet a singleton in the chart. Here is what Stephen Arroyo has to say on a chart lacking the element of Air. " Those with little emphasis on the air element in their charts rarely perceive this to be a problem, for they are too involved in action, feelings, and material concerns to consider the implications of their involvements. However, it is just this lack of perception, this inability to reflect on life and one's self that creates problems for these people. It is difficult for them to achieve detachment from their personal actions, and hence they often find themselves burdened by involvements that were not sufficiently considered beforehand or by a lack of satisfaction in close relationships stemming from their inability to cooperate effectively.

The element Air is a unifying quality and enables one to adjust easily and quickly to new ideas and different sorts of people. Those who lack this attunement naturally have difficulty adjusting themselves to new ideas and therefore new people. This can lead to a distrust of anyone who seems too "intellectual" in other words these people can distrust others who think too much."

You have an emphasis in Leo and this puts a focus on self expression and a need to be noticed by society and the public (Planets in 10th) the dispositor of your Leo planets/SN is the Sun in Cancer 9th Opposed Saturn in Capricorn 3rd this would suggest there is a frustrating block in getting your communication across to others (which you have mentioned in a previous post). The Sun rules your M.C the public point of the chart so frustrations in self expression in public situations perhaps. Saturn in Capricorn - there can be high anxiety, Saturn rules your 3rd and placed in the 3rd makes this a strong placement in your chart. You can take in a lot of information into your head especially with Jupiter being in Gemini which rules the 2nd house, information and knowledge is something you value. Saturn in the 3rd " your choice of words is often a delight to others, you have a very witty communication style, but Saturn is teaching you how to say what you want to say with finesse, because you have the potential to be a true messenger. It's about learning to trust your own mind and know you are a very intelligent woman. So stop the doubts. :)

Your Sun also opposes Neptune, building a strong sense of self and identity, will help. But back to your SN in Leo/10th this position of the node in the chart does mean that you can continually seek out validation and public recognition while avoiding your personal life and your family connections, maybe home is a place where you don't get the attention or feel validated. There is a need to reconnect with family and treat everybody as equal in the home, this will help you to feel something larger than yourself (NN Aquarius) and the security that comes from this will help you with your individual valuation.

Looking at the 11th part of your chart since you have NN in Aquarius and there is development needed there, , your 11th house cusp has the sign Virgo on it, Virgo = self improvement. The 11th house ruler Mercury is in the 8th house. The 11th house takes you into the larger society this is the house were we really branch out as far as Social contacts are concerned. With the ruler of the 11th in the 8th house - There are factors in your relationship with friends and or/society which needs transforming. Considering it's the sign Virgo on this cusp and Mercury is challenged by Uranus in 3rd (Uranus being the natural ruler of 11th) there is a strong emphasis on communication to Society/friends the people outside of your more intimate closer contacts being somewhat stressed causing frustration to you. Your not able to communicate what you truly want to, to friends or a larger group of people. Mercury is in Cancer in the 8th so your mind is deep and subjective so I am wondering if this could be problematic in coming straight out with what you want to say, your mind is quite submerged. The ruler of your 4th is in the 3rd (Uranus) so parents can have a strong effect on the way you communicate, for better or worse.

Another part of your chart I haven't looked at yet is your 7th which rules your close social contacts and this house is ruled by Venus which is conjunct Mars and Squares your Pluto Scorpio in the 1st (intense close relationships). I think this is an important place to look at when considering the psychological probing side to your nature. The ruler of the the 1st in the first house, makes this placement strong in your chart, you stare out of the lens of Scorpio and watch as an observer other people analyzing and trying to look beneath the surface of the people you meet in a public setting (Venus 10th) but your super protective of anyone coming close to analyze you being the Scorpion you are.

Just some ideas to play with in your chart, you will know better how it all works in your life. :)
 
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Lissa

Well-known member
Adding to what ShiningRay has said(and she made some very good points),

The first thing that striked me about your chart is your Ascendnat being hit with squares from Venus and Mars.Squares to the Ascendant can be really tricky,because they often bring about problems of self-consciouness,particularly with Venus being involved in such an aspect.You see,the Ascendant is the physical you,your most perceptive personality traits,and Venus is the planet of beauty and taste,also the planet of social connections.So your social activities may be get a little bit hard because of too much self-awareness,and this seems to be the case,since you said it feels like the other person is "scrutinizing" you.Your Saturn/Neptune conjunction opposing your Sun/Chiron conjunction adds even more self-awareness to the mix,as aspects between the Sun and Saturn,and particularly the inharmonious ones,tend to add a certain insecurity and even a good dose of shyness to the expression of one's conscient expression of the Ego,as it is symbolized by the Sun.Plus,the conjunction of Chiron and your Sun exaggerates the sensitivity of the Sun in Cancer,probably making you a little bit on the hypersensitive side.So,even if your 10th house Leo planets want to get 'out there',your Sun,Chiron,Neptune,Saturn and the Venus/Mars square Ascendant hold you back,because of fear of being too much critized(Sun opposite Saturn)and too much self-consciousness(Venus square Ascendant).

Plus,you have your fair share of Pluto squares too.And the Pluto conjunction to your Ascendant accentuates your Scorpionic traits,so you're probably perceived as a typical Scorpinic type,even if only on a first meeting.Others may interpret your atitude as a lack of sympathy and kindness(Pluto conjunct Ascendant;Mars square Ascendant/Pluto),so you should be careful to make others understand you're not unfriendly,you're just feeling a little bit nervous.

Another thing that I've noticed is your Venus inconjunct Saturn.I have the feeling this aspect may be playing a strong role here too,because Venus is social interaction and Saturn represents society.Neptune takes part in this aspect too,so you may have some highly ilusional ideas about your interactions with others,which,once again,fits with your description of having others scrutinizing you.So the way you interact(or want to interact)with others may be at odds with the way most people present themselves,which may cause others to regard you as highly unusual,being this further confirmed by your Uranus/Ascendant sextile.

As Shining Ray mentioned,the DC represents your relationships with others,and your DC is signified by Venus,which leads us to all those Venus aspects we've already mentioned.With Venus squaring the house it rules(the DC),it is at toruble with itself,bringing you your fair share of stress in relationships.It may feel like the people you're atracted to aren't compatible with you.

Another thing is that you have the Moon sitting on your South Node.So,karmically speaking,you probably come from a place where your emotions were all "out there"(the10th house),where other always where you standed because of the dramatic way you expressed your emotions(the Moon in Leo).So you must learn how to be a little guarded,to not open your heart too soon in order not to get hurt.

As for solutions,there is no magical medicine that Astrology can offer you.Life teaches you what you need to learn,and some things go away as life goes on,some problems are solved as you work through them.One thing I was told several times is that you may feel like others are watching and criticizing you,when,in fact,they are not-they're too busy looking at themselves,wondering what YOU may be thinking of them!So the next time you feel like someone is scrutinizing you,keep in mind that that person probably feels exacly the same,they may just be a little bit harder at controling their insecurities.

Easier said than done,I know,as I have a little bit of all this myself.I get so nervous on one on one situations that I can't even think,and the conflict with the feminine polarity runs high on my chart too,as I have the two feminine archetypes(the Moon and Venus)in hard aspect to the houses they rule,with my Aries Moon squaring my Cancer DC and my venus in Aries opposing my Libra MC.So I'm still working on my social ways as well.

All the best,
Lissa
 

LnLL

Member
I have social anxiety too so I've thought about this in astrological terms a lot. It's kind of shocking to me though to see so much Leo and in the 10th house no less, because I'm a double Aquarius (Sun and Moon), with Capricorn Mercury, so I'm kind of the opposite of you. Maybe there's something about the Leo/Aqua and Cap/Cancer axes (axii?) or maybe this is intensified for you with Saturn in Leo and Neptune in Aqua right now. I think NN in Aqua is urging you to become comfortable with people...get interested in them, maybe study sociology, or volunteer to help the less fortunate..."get out of yourself"...this can really help with self-consciousness. The fact that you have only Jupiter in a mutable sign might contribute to trouble being adaptable, trouble with change, and people can often be unpredictable/changeable, so maybe that throws you off a bit. Also, your Moon is cuspy, so maybe there's some Virgo moon over-critical-ness going on and maybe it's self-directed? Scorpio Asc. with Mars in Leo conjunct Venus on the MC...is this a feeling of wanting to be in control of the way others see you? You want them to think the best of you? I have South Node conjunct MC so I have some of this feeling, and I've learned that it's just an exercise in futility because you can't please everyone. Maybe if you can find a way to broaden your horizons, mix with different types of people, listen to their stories and thoughts, you might gain experience and a feeling of confidence about dealing with them, and maybe some perspective about whose opinion you let be of importance to you, so that what other people think (whether they're scrutinizing you or not) isn't so powerful. I think this is partially what SN in the 10th is about. It could also be that the more tolerant you are of your quirks and weirdness/neuroses, the more others will sense that you are comfortable with yourself and apparently people like that. Really if all else fails, just ask people about themselves. It helps to be genuinely interested but of course that's not always the case; it's just that people often like people who find them interesting (advice to me from my Moon in Leo Mom who has dealt with social anxiety). Anyway, take my advice with a grain of salt but I wish you the best in your quest to deal with social anxiety (I know it's not easy).
 

unukalhai

Well-known member
DainBramaged said:
I think you guys wanted to know the cause too..and that's why you looked to astrology for answers

One thing that astrology has taught me is that assigning a pathology to any part of the human personality and soul can be quite dangerous and counterproductive. Assigning pathology encourages a victim consciousness, as if we're under some brain-curse. This dims the path of the soul. On the other hand, understanding how energy affects us, as astrology is so well suited for, provides us with a map of the twists and turns of the road called the human experience. We can choose to live consciously or unconsciously, we can choose to embrace our full self, even our challenges, or we can simply assign pathology to those challenges and reject them as an outcast part of ourselves.

If we choose to outcast any piece of ourselves, it will be a demon unto ourselves; at the next powerful outer planet cycle turning point in our lives, it will rear its head up as if to say "you didn't finish the work you needed to do". And for every turning point we push these things back, the more difficult they become!

Regardless, you are undergoing the first dynamic aspect of the Pluto cycle, Pluto octile Pluto. Since you have a Mars-Pluto square, this aspect is being activated as Pluto not only octiles itself in the natal picture, but trioctiles natal Mars. Regardless of the natal aspect, the first Pluto octile is an important part of the Plutonian journey, and it's often at this phase of the cycle when the native gets the first clear glimpse of their road ahead with Pluto. It is a point of "first conflict", and is an internalized sort of energy. The first hit to the natal aspect was back in January of this year. The retrograde hit was a few weeks ago, centered on June 24th. This would indicate a time when you most strongly internalize the energy presented. The final hit will be in November, centered around the 16th, and by that time much of what you're contemplating will likely be resolved, or at least understood well enough to continue on the path to resolution.

Based on the planetary meanings and what you've wrote, the natal aspect and it's activation by Pluto seem to revolve around finding the base of personal power (Pluto) to assert yourself (Mars).

One key concept you should consider is how one's rising sign acts as a filter for all their experiences. It sort of colors how we see the world around us, and what reflects back to us. Scorpio is basically a detective, think of an undercover agent working for a government intelligence agency, but his main target being the psychological and soul-level processes that drive the human being. Pluto rising in the 1st amplifies this nature, as Pluto rules Scorpio.

This goes to show why you tend to analyze people. The Pluto/Scorpio energy gives you an uncanny ability to investigate and probe. Pluto is the planet of psychology also, representing the deepest, most repressed parts that we must face through the process of self-analysis, as well as the analysis of others, as Pluto works on both a personal and transpersonal level.

The lesson here is that while you have this strong Pluto/Scorpio orientation and filter, not everyone else does. When you often feel that people are analyzing you, violating your space, what you are most likely really seeing is a reflection of yourself. When we look into other people, what we see most often is that which is actually contained without ourselves, reflected through the other. This is especially true early in life, before the first Uranus square (around age 21), when we are still defining our own individuality. It's not until the Saturn return (29) that this individuality starts to really get cemented, either. We really aren't spiritual individuals until Saturn has made it's round, some of us not even then. It is truly a lifelong process.

The other side of that coin is that you should realize that's a two way street. The others are also seeing in you a reflection of themselves. They see an amalgam of their joy and pain, experience and desire, past and future, just as you see the same in them. This is how relating to others allows us to really explore ourselves to the fullest potential. What else they see in you is what you divulge in combination with what experiences and traits you share with the other. Your connections, as witness by a synastry chart. People with strong connections to the outer planets, especially Neptune and Pluto, tend to be able to see in better than others, but there is still a large degree of personal space granted by your individuality. The challenge is not only to define yourself as a beautiful, unique, autonomous being, but also to grant yourself the personal power and freedom that you need to truly be an individual. Only you can grant that for yourself, no external force can do so; it's simply there. You only need reach out and consciously possess it! This, of course, must be balanced with constructive and conscious exchange of psychic energy, but this exchange should take place from the individual to the other individual, with boundaries enforced by the personal will. Then you truly possess your mind, body AND soul. You needn't become so individualistic that you can't connect with others in a meaningful sense. The goal here is not to surrender yourself to the other, nor to to retreat behind the fortress walls of the individual, but to fully possess yourself while relating to others in an honest, direct manner. This is just one of many balances we work on throughout the human experience, all of them important to personal wholeness.

I'd recommend you investigate the effects of the various rising signs on natives, how other people filter their experiences. It will help you to understand how others see their experiences, and how they will see you. Another Scorpio rising might take on the analytical nature as you do, but you'll find the other 11 signs have very different approaches. Of course, planets contained in the 1st house and even midpoints that fall in the 1st house will further modify this, as well as the positioning of the ascendant ruler, which is a major consideration. You having the ascendant ruler in the ascending house is very significant!

It would also be good to talk with your closest friends and loved ones about their filters. Not in an astrological sense, unless they are so inclined, but rather the goal being simply to get an idea of how others size up people and situations. One of the most important lessons in life is realizing just how different the world looks to someone else, and how differently everyone approaches it. Not everyone is picking you apart! The sheer massiveness of these differences is a hard thing to wrap the mind around, as we're all somewhat locked in our own experience. In somewhat scientific terms, we all recognize the ~475 nanometer wavelength of photon energy (light) as "blue", and agree how we perceive that wavelength is "blue", but who's to say in someone else's vision blue looks the same? It's impossible to find a reference as a wavelength is a wavelength; but how we interpret that wavelength might be totally different, even though we agree upon the word. Society tells us blue is calm, red is passion, etc, but on an unconscious or subconscious level, absent of social conditioning, our soul's reactions can be quite different to that wavelength.

What you're describing as a "personality disorder" is just a normal part of the human experience, the formation of individuality and it's associated foundation and boundaries. For some of us it comes easy, some of us have to work on it. I had to work on it quite a bit.

Anyhow... Just a few thoughts. Thanks for sharing your experiences, it's always interesting. :D
 
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hi.. i have also suffered anxiety since i was 14 but on the road to recovery.
in fact i now teach at a group where i live for people suffering from all types of anxiety and depression.if you want any support or any advice or anything let me know and il try and help you.even if you want me to share all my experiences with you..as i know how good it feels to finally find someone who knows and shares what you have been through.
blessings in light and love
x
 
i have found that other people would say 'god you cant suffer from anxiety or depression ...your way too beautiful and confident...' well this really hacks me off because its not like a broken leg where you can see whats wrong and have peoples sympathy and understanding.
i too know that often i have used a mask on my face and people dont see what the real me is because im frightened for anyone or probably myself to know what the real me is.i guess its because im afraid of rejection as childhood roots does make an impact on that.
im gradually shelling the outer mask and uncovering the real me...its painful but beneficial and one day i hope that i will love the real me as that is where it starts.you have to start loving yourself first before anyone can see what a beautiful person you are inside and out.
blessings
x
 
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