Social anxiety

Does ne one else here have social anxiety? I haven't been diagnosied with it yet but im positive i have it. im too afraid to go talk to some what about it in person.

<font color="purple">I havn't been diagnosed either, but I do have a problem with social anxiety or shyness. Unless, you're a good firend, a family member, or online, it would take me a loooong time to get comfortable enough to talk.].. I can't even make a phone call without getting all anxious unless it's to my mom or dad, or answer the door for a delivery! It stinks, and my parents think that it's really weird, and almost pathetic

PS, Welcome to Psych Central! </font>

I also have social anxiety, my T put me in group therapy and eventhough at first I was terrified it actually has helped a little

Wow im exactly the same, everyone who knows me thinks im crazy cus of how i act around ppl i dont know, especially with the phone, i avoid it as much as poosible, i always feel like there judging me when im talking to them, or that i sound like a complete idiot. answering the door i aint to bad at, but i can totally understand how u could become anxious about it. And ur not pathetic, they must not understand

And thank you! Its good to know theres ppl i can talk to!

What do they do in therapy? do they put u on medications or anything?

<font color="purple">Well, I'm not in therapy (yet) but from what I understand- I don't think medication is the best way to go unless it's really crippling anxiety, and you go to a kind of group therapy. </font>

In my experience there is regular therapy where you talk to a therapist one on one and then there is group therapy where a group of people meet regularly and discuss different topics. I am currently in both and I find them very helpful. Usually you see a different doctor to recieve meds.

i dont really think i could go into a group therapy id be way to nervous and embarresed.

One of my local hospitals runs a CBT group specifically for social anxiety. I have it, and have been working on it one-on-one with my T for a while now. I went to a conference all by myself this past weekend and met people and even though I was terrified, I had a great time. But i always assume people aren't going to like me.

--splitimage

me too jen esp when i was in school later when i was 19 i met a wonderful lady named malvis who helped me come out of my shell now i'm less shy she made me face my fears and it helped

I have had social anxiety for over ten years. I recently quit my job, partly because of the anxiety I felt at work.

Phones are hard for me, too. I have the most trouble in public, like in stores. I always think the cashier won't like me, or that I'll do something the wrong way. I hate asking for directions or help, too.

I just started therapy last month and my anxiety has decreased a lot already. We talk a lot about my childhood experiences and how they relate to my feelings now. I am not sure why that helps, but it makes me feel more in control of my anxiety to know where it (partly) comes from.

My sister has social anxiety, too. She was too nervous to go to a therapist, but she felt comfortable with her physician and went to her for help. She has been on medication for about a year. It has helped her a lot.

We are both improved, so I know that it can get better! It helps to know that other people are going through the same things. Thanks for talking about it. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

my pdoc told me that anxiety is inherited

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lavendersteph said:
my pdoc told me that anxiety is inherited

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i dont know if i would consider that for myself because no one in my family has it, and if they do they dont show it.

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splitimage said:
One of my local hospitals runs a CBT group specifically for social anxiety. I have it, and have been working on it one-on-one with my T for a while now. I went to a conference all by myself this past weekend and met people and even though I was terrified, I had a great time. But i always assume people aren't going to like me.

--splitimage

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Im like that too, i always think ppl dont like me or that there gonna judge me, so i ususally dont say much, but that always backfires and ppl always assume im a b**** but im a really fun laid back person once they get the chance to know me.

When those of you went to get help, what did u say? thats one of the main reasons ive never gone, i assume that if i go in there and say hey i think i have social anxiety they wont believe me or something.

i just explained the symptoms and how i was feeling and left the diagnosis up to them initially. after that if i was worried i'd been mis-diagnosed i'd spit it right out. hope this helps but sorry if not.

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Kalamity_Jane said:

i just explained the symptoms and how i was feeling and left the diagnosis up to them initially. after that if i was worried i'd been mis-diagnosed i'd spit it right out. hope this helps but sorry if not.

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definetly makes sense, now i just gotta work up the courage to do it thanx!

Yes I've had social anxiety I would say pretty damn serve. I have like no freinds because of this. I just feel so stupid, uninteressting, when I'm around people. I hate feeling this way. I dont know what to do. I'm terrified of people. People for gods sake. How the hell do you live without facing people. To me I'd be a lot happier if I didnt have to deal with people. They make me uncomrtable all the time. I feel like I'm some kinda weirdo, retard, fool in front of others and its really pissing me off. I'm tired of feeling this way. No matter what I do or how hard I try I feel like a total failure. Why am I like this? I dont konw. I feel like I was made like on the bottom of the scale. Where everyone is somehow smarter, better than me above me and then theres me wishing, hoping that I could just be like that but I'm not and I have to live with that and the shame of being that all the time. I'm miserable because of this. I hate my life. I hate myself and I hate people for being so indifferent to me I guess.

I simply never learned the social skills. During the pre- to early teens, I was having multiple and violent seizures. My meds were very high and I was socially stigmatized or alienated from the social circles. There are two years of my life I can't even remember anybody in the photos I see. I can discuss all kinds of issues and social topics or news articles but I cannot sit and just socially chit chat about my everyday life. Even amongst my own family and loved ones (relatives), I lack that social skill. So I am usually a wallflower at family social gatherings. These events cause me a social anxiety. I feel more comfortabel among strangers than my own family.

i am diagnosed with social anxiety, coping with the feelings of it can be challenging

Hmm I have read all the posts. I also have the same feeling n avoid people. I had this problem 6 years ago but then i managed myself to handle it althoug I was uncomfortable but i managed but since a month i am having worst of it. I visited a psychaitrist a weak ago but he gave me medicines which had very adverse effects n i used them only for 3 days then i left. My family dont allow me to visit him again. I wanna some real help to cope with this... ... M so depressed... I also dont know the chat timings. M from pakistan..

I think mental health symptoms should always be taken seriously. I know that if my level of anxiety is too large then I back off or try hard to adapt to the stress level in a constuctive way; like talking to a therapist or my wife or someone I trust. I think social anxiety is a mental health symptom and is nothing to be embarassed about. I coped with mine and I believe anyone can be helped if they have adequete mental health services available for their treatment and the will to manage their social anxiety.

Its good that u have recovered but stll i have few questions. Did u use any medicine Or just talking sessions helped U? I have shared my experiences with my parents but I dont see any thing better in my feelings. I have consulted a psychaitrist bur he gave me a simple prescription of 3 medicines that made me worst in only 3 days n i had to left them. Now my parents are also afraid of psychaitrists n they say U yourself have to manage with this by ur will power n all that bus its quite difficult. Would u plz give me some guide lines n share ur tricks to handle it... ???
Take care
Bye Bye

It seems difficult to request treatment for my social anxieties for two reasons:

1) I feel that I already have difficulty handling treatment for physical health issues, why add to the pile?

2) Doctors tend to favour pills to therapy treatment. Getting an appointment for counselling or treatment of mental health issues is drastically underfunded and that means waiting lists. It is easier for docs to just right a prescription. I have had anough with drugs as it is.

It doesn't make me feel very motivated to seek help. It seems teh more tests or analysis, the more of a social complex I get. It seems sometiems that we are overdiagnosed. THe long list of labels in medical professions, reduces an individual's sense of "normalcy." This can cause more anxieties than treat the ones existing. We hear, watch, and read too much these days. It is making us all neurotic.