[DazedandConfused254]

Hey PC,

I have been suffering from anxiety symptoms and self-esteem issues for the past year, and I need help in deciding if I need to ramp up my arsenal of treatment. Just to give you a little insight to my situation…

It seems like I’ve always been an anxious person. My closest family members have said a countless number of times that I’m a worry-wart and that when I have problems, I take things personally and frequently blame myself for my problems, even if it’s had nothing to do with me. My parents have told me a number of times that I always find something to worry about and that it is difficult for me to relax. When I reach a “fight-or-flight” situation, I literally feel my heart sink, and sweat comes out so much that it stains my clothes, even in a refrigerated room. Some of these triggers include confrontations with difficult people, and tough questions on exams. Other times I just feel like these symptoms get in the way with my family life, like when my parents give me advice or have disciplined me when I was younger my anxious brain would equate this to a harsh criticism, even when my logic clearly recognizes that my parents love me and are just trying to help me to become the person who I am today.

When I encountered a string of difficult situations last year, my anxious tendencies went through the roof. It didn’t help that I had to work with difficult people in my classes before graduating college, having personality clashes with my coworkers during an intern in California, and hanging out with the wrong crowd in college. Because I’ve had some nasty situations with people, I’ve also started to socially isolate myself. I’ve become much more self-conscious and fearful with my interactions with people, even the ones I love. I fear that the world will only bite me in the butt every time I make a mistake, like what has occurred in the aforementioned situations in the past year. New symptoms have flared up, namely more intense dreams, constant fear that I could go crazy, and getting jittery.

I’ve tried to respond through professional counseling and taking meds (Zoloft 50 mg for 1 year, now Lexapro 10 mg), which has made my anxiety and self-deprecation less constant but when I’ve been triggered by mentions of my past mistakes or get into a bind with my school work, I tense up and sweat even worse than I have before. So I’m questioning whether I should change my regimen to fight these tendencies, which my parents, both doctors, and I have decided this past weekend could be either GAD or social anxiety.

The question I pose in this thread are:
1. Should I see a therapist, neurologist or counselor who specializes in anxiety or social anxiety?
2. Should I seek a diagnosis of GAD or social anxiety? If so what is the diagnostic process and treatment like?