Startled by humans?

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This happens to me frequently. I'll notice a flash or movement from the corner of my eye, and while I'm usually alert and discombobulated frequently, it will fade rapidly when I notice it is a dog, cat, or piece of paper blown by the wind.

Yet if it is a person, my fear response and startlement increases. I just experienced this with my roommate's dog; if it had turned out to be my roommate, whom I know well, my heart would not have stopped pounding and I would have been frightened. But I was gladdened to see Honey, independently of being glad that Loftis (the roommate) was not there.

I went through sort of a stage where I was very shy about being seen by anybody in 2008. I felt unnerved and out of place whenever someone would walk into the room. Sometimes I would be startled too when this occurred unexpectedly. I spent a lot of time going out alone at night.

but but but aren't you a human

Sounds like you have a touch of social anxiety and/or panic disorder.

I think it often happens with people I know that if I happen to cross paths
with them and somehow they either don't expect me or didn't notice my
proximity earlier then they are startled. I am not scarey looking at all, maybe
a 7 on the scale of 1 to 10 of good lookingness, and slim build, so I think
the startle is normal for people in general and I probably just have less of
a "presence" to sense, which means somehow people pass closer to me
before noticing me than they expect and feel comfortable about.

Maybe I seem to suddenly just appear, like a ghost? I don't know.

witch?