[Shadix]

So basically I tend to be very inhibited in social situations out of fear of embarrassing myself. I have trouble connecting with people or expressing myself. My last therapist suggested it might be a good idea to look into medications. However, at the same time, I suspect there might be an issue with cognitive slowness as well. I seem to have a tendency to say stupid things and ask stupid questions. I don't know if this cognitive slowness is occurring because of my social anxiety or if my social anxiety is occurring because of my history of making a fool out of myself and facing the consequences for it. I feel like which medication would be best for me would hinge a lot on this. I have heard that SSRIs sometimes cause cognitive impairment, which would make things worse if my problem is cognitive slowness. Furthermore, if the root of my problem is cognitive slowness and that social anxiety is simply a result of that, could a stimulant like ritalin be more beneficial for that?

[kkrrhh]

It kind of just really depends on the person, so unfortunately you might have to just experiment and see what works best for you. SSRIs are horrible for me and don't help social anxiety, but they work really well for some people. Some peoples' social anxiety really improves with stimulants, but they aren't really a long term option.

[AncientMelody]

I would feel that if you were going to use medication, SSRIs would be superior to say, antipsychotics, benzos, or mood stabilizers with regards to cognitive function.Buspirone would be another reasonable option