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has anyone here ever used medication or been through therapy for social anxiety disorder?

I'm on Paxil for an anxiety disorder, but not SAD. Antidepressants are only the inflatable floaties that keep you from drowning in the therapy pool...but you gotta do the paddling. I really don't know anything about social anxiety disorder (I mean how it works), but I read that Ricky Williams the football player had it...I never knew that. He's fine now.



 
I know someone who does but I'm not sure what medication it is. She seems quitre normal and interacts well, although she claims to have been terrified to do so before her therapy began.
 
Originally posted by: Deslocke
drowning in the therapy pool? I'm actually hoping to avoid taking medication...
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Whoops...I got ahead of myself there. I've been through behavioral therapy for ocd, and it was very stressful, so the medication helped me get through it. That was my own experience, though, so hopefully, the therapy alone will be very helpful for you. I wouldn't want to be on an antidepressant if I didn't have to be, either...the side effects suck, and some people have a terrible time getting off of them. Good luck!
 
I was prescribed Zoloft for depression, which I didn't realize I had. What I did know I had was some serious social anxiety, pretty much my entire life. 100mg of Zoloft every day took care of the anxiety better than I ever could have imagined. Almost too well, I would list as a side effect. I'm pretty much afraid of, well, nothing...nothing at all.
 
Originally posted by: Deslocke
oh I see. what side effects have you been experiencing with paxil?
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The first couple weeks I was on them I felt even more anxious and couldn't sleep. There really aren't any side effects now, except one. I wish I had a girlfriend...she would enjoy it. 😛
 
redly1: hmmm. I've been depressed in the past but never used zoloft. if it works so well why isn't it prescribed more often for social anxiety?

stormbv: I've heard about that side effect. it seems to be quite common.
 
I am weaning myself off six years of Paxil and many many years of other stuff. There was a huge debate on this topic not too long ago. Many of us believe that it is best not to get involved with any of this medication except as a last resort. The side effects and dependencies should be seriously considered.

As an alternative, I find that GNC Big 150 B Complex works wonders for me. Some swear by St. John's Wort alhtough that usually works for about 50% of ppl. Other ppl swear by herbal teas.

There are loads of alternatives to perscription drugs on the market. Unfortunately it is trial and error that will discover which if any will work for you. But the same is to be said for the perscripton drugs.

Whatever you decide to take, READ EVERYTHING about it before you take it. Be informed and dont be afraid to ask your doc questions.

🙂

edit: the 1st time I tried to come off Paxil, I suffered from headaches, vertigo, vomiting and eventually convulsions and sever hemmoraging. I was rushed to the hospital, docs said I could have died. So, I am weaning off. From 40mg 35 to 30 to 25 to 20 to 15 and now to 10mgs. It has taken me since Feb of this year, but I only suffer from mild bounce back depression for a few days each time I lower my dosage which is every two weeks now.
 
I went the therapy rout instead of pills...be ready to be pusehd to your social limits though- like purposly causing a scene in public, starting convo's with stragers etc...its basically exposure therapy and it's rough for awhile, but 6 months of it and I was much better.
 
karenmarie: do you think you will have benefited at all from taking paxil once you're off of it completely?

kyle: I've tried forcing myself into uncomfortable situations and it hasn't seemed to help. I always end up feeling stupid, which further motivates me to avoid such situations.
 
Originally posted by: Deslocke
karenmarie: do you think you will have benefited at all from taking paxil once you're off of it completely?

kyle: I've tried forcing myself into uncomfortable situations and it hasn't seemed to help. I always end up feeling stupid, which further motivates me to avoid such situations.
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Ya, trust me I know how it feels...I hate having social anxiety...
Also somthing that helped- I got a job at Radio Shack- I have to talk to people all day long and its started to give me more confidence.
Also- hit the gym, get in shape, look better and your confidence should go up.
 
kyle: thanks for the advice. I'm actually pretty happy with the way I look, and I've tried the gym before. I used to work fast food as well, though the thought of doing it now is very unappealing. I have enough trouble being the customer...
 
Originally posted by: Deslocke
kyle: thanks for the advice. I'm actually pretty happy with the way I look, and I've tried the gym before. I used to work fast food as well, though the thought of doing it now is very unappealing. I have enough trouble being the customer...
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man it's weird hearing u say stuff like that cause thats exactly how i felt and still fell a bit now. Not to many people understand that it isnt being shy, and there isnt a justification or reason why i'd get so shy...i just did, and always felt akward.
Good luck in overcoming it, it sucks living with it and i hope u can come up w/somthing that works for u.
 
I use Anandtech as therapy for my social anxiety. I noticed that whenever a mod locks or deletes a thread of mine -- or even bans me for awhile -- I withdraw a little bit more from the real world.

So, whenever the mods do this, they are hurting a fellow human being. I hope this guilt factor gives me complete freedom on whatever or whenever I post a topic from now on! 😉
 
SFPE, I see meds and therapy for SAD for people unwilling to challenge themselves and tuff it out and become a better person for slogging through it.

Flame on
 
Originally posted by: Deslocke


kyle: I've tried forcing myself into uncomfortable situations and it hasn't seemed to help. I always end up feeling stupid, which further motivates me to avoid such situations.
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This is how you do it. Live and Learn. People make mistakes. You will make mistakes. You learn from these mistakes and improve.

A drug cannot replace personal growth and character.
 
My story is almost exactly the same as KarenMarie's, minus the hospital visit. Getting off those damn pills was worse than anything wrong with me before I went on them.

Stay away from the meds at all costs. I ended up solving my problems by finding and dealing with the stresses in my life. Leave work at work, get a dog, enjoy life. I also take a pretty hardcore vitamin suppliment if I'm feeling "shakey" and it usually helps.

It's a life long battle, but in my opinion it's a battle with stress. Good luck, it can be rough going.

EDIT: Stay away from St. John's Wort. The dossages aren't regulated in the US. This means that every pill you take will have different amounts of drug in it. St. John's Wort works great in Europe because their herbal industry is regulated. If you go the St. John's Wort make sure it's a perscribed product.
 
Originally posted by: Deslocke
I am amazed at your knowledge of SAD, alm4rr...
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SFPE= Speaking from personal experience

Originally posted by: Thera

Stay away from the meds at all costs. I ended up solving my problems by finding and dealing with the stresses in my life. Leave work at work, get a dog, enjoy life.

It's a life long battle, but in my opinion it's a battle with stress. Good luck, it can be rough going.
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