[Justbyou]

I've never met anyone else that has a social phobia before. Until I found this site. It's been nice to know that I'm not alone. Most of all to know I'm not crazy. My social phobia interferes with every aspect of my life. People who don't know me have no clue about my phobia because I seem like such a social butterfly. Behind this mask is someone who is very scared. Some days it takes hours to just get out of the house, I'm not sure where this phobia came from. It started within the last few years and seems to just get worse. My therapist just learned the extent of my phobia and is making it our main focus instead of my bi polar. I'm curious what treatments if any have any of you gone through. Have you taken any medications that have helped? I'm determined to work through this I'm just not sure how to yet.

cognitive therapy has helped alleviate my social phobia. it requires that you challenge those thoughts in your head that lead to social phobia. mindfulness therapy has also helped - it says that those thoughts are just that - only thoughts - and can be brushed aside so that you can see yourself through to being social.

my therapy, which is ongoing, also includes developing social skills. my poor social skills are what in part led to my social phobia. good luck to you.

[mk1974]

I had crippling social phobia as a teen and intermittently in my 20s. For me, the right path was medication. I take Zoloft, but if you're bipolar, you can't take that. Several members of my family are bipolar, and I know that SSRIs like Zoloft aren't really an option for them because I think they can induce mania in bipolar people (IIRC).

[michele#3]

Justbyou, I can really relate to your post. Like you I have social phobia and I'm on the surface a very friendly and outgoing person. At least superficially. You get too close and I become terrified.
All of this can lead to a very lonely existance.

to you.

Michele