Please lock this thread?

[TripleJ]

Drugs aren't the cure-all. You still have to try very hard on your own. Taking the drug wont work completely, most of the work is still done by you.

 

[Nutdotnet]

ebay? What the hell is that.

Don't lock this thread Morella, it is helping me . LOL. Moralphanic has been nice enough to give some great advice. Don't listen to the idiots who want to berate you, they are not worth your time. (Damn I wish I could take my own advice sometimes.)

 

[TuffGuy]

some of these responses amaze me. they're probably coming from people who don't *need* drugs, alcohol or cigarettes to enjoy themselves, they just *feel* like having them. puh-lease...

morella - try it. if it works, you'll be better off than you are now. if it doesn't, try something else.

 

[TripleJ]

And don't be sorry to have brought it up, that's what OT is for.

 

[Looney]

Morella, like wje had said, you don't have to take it forever. You take Paxil until you become accustom to socializing, then you stop taking it.

But seek help... i can't stress how easy a cure this is if you're in professional hands.

But really, are you that tight for money? Can you put a price on happiness and freedom? To be able to say those witty things that pop in your head when you're in a conversation but you've always held back? To be able to walk into a party and socialize with people without feeling shy and sick to your stomach? But go to your physician and see what he recommends... there are other drugs aside from Paxil that relieves anxiety that may be under your insurance plan (if you ahve one) or may be cheaper.

 

[PistachioByAzul]

I know where you're coming from. I have social anxiety disorder (I hate such labels), it started a year or so ago. I got sick from food poisoning one day at school, but I stuck through the class. After that, something inside me just snapped, and I found that I couldn't sit inside a classroom anymore without feeling nervous and sick to my stomach. Being that I couldn't go to regular high school anymore, I started doing independant studies, which worked out pretty well. Unfortunatly, spending most of my newly acquired freedom in front of the computer (I only go to meetings with my teachers twice a week for a few hours) only exasperated the problem. You have complete control over your enviroment in the virtual world...you can see how addicting and dangerous that is for someone who is at a vulnerable point in their life.

Anyway back to me

I'm not very comfortable in situations that I feel like I can't get out of without making a scene and drawing a lot of attenion to myself, specifically if it's indoors, in close quarters with people unknown.

I'm still pretty socially active, though not to the same degree as before. I manage, and things are definitely getting better. It helps to be open with people if you're not feeling comfortable, then you don't have to worry about them wondering "why is this person acting wierd". Haven't tried any medications, but I've found that smoking helps a lot.

Going from being someone who had starring roles in school plays, who used to take solos in crowded jazz clubs and at competitions, to someone who can't go to school because of an irrational, subconcious fear, it's almost funny

If you want to talk about it, you can PM me.

 

[reitz]

Some of you here have done a great job of displaying your ignorance. "Social Anxiety Disorder", however you choose to call it, is quite real to those who have to deal with it. True, it is one of those over-diagnosed and over-medicated disorders, but that does not take away from the suffering that some go through.

Have any of you doubters ever witnessed a grown man break down into tears just trying to walk into a fast food restaurant? Those that are so quick to judge, do you really understand what it is like to feel that way? Somehow, I doubt it.

That said, in cases like "social anxiety disorder", I don't believe that medication is always the answer. Most poeple in that situation respond well to counseling, and drugs are not needed.

Anyone who would say something like, "Paxil is for the weak-minded", or "Drugs are not the answer" simply has no clue. Here's a newsflash: With the exception of panic attacks (whose cause is completely biological), medication is never the only answer. In the case of "social anxiety disorder", it can lessen a person's fears just enough to give them that "boost" they need to begin recovery. It is not a cure-all; it is only one tool to help treat the disorder.

Morella,

Don't allow the ignorant and uninformed to upset you. There's a lot of good advice in this thread. I take Paxil myself (for depression), so feel free to PM me with any questions about it.

 

[randypj]

EngineNr9--thanks for the post. You pretty much are going through what I did. For me, Xanax has worked wonders. I look back to some of the things that used to bother me, and just laugh. I've always said that I wouldn't care if Xanax shortened my life by 5 years.....at least I'd be living a life.



<< I'm not very comfortable in situations that I feel like I can't get out of without making a scene and drawing a lot of attenion to myself, specifically if it's indoors, in close quarters with people unknown. >>


I had/have the same problem.....exactly. Feel like I'm going to crawl out of my skin. I know just how much Xanax to take. I too, was very active in high school and college. Even my high school g/f says I wasn't bothered back then.

Earl Campbell.....star running back for Houston Oilers had attacks so bad, after he quit football, that he couldn't leave his house. I heard him speak about it once.

Also, if money is an issue for anyone, most counties have funded agencies, and, I believe you can apply for no-cost drugs, from the pharmaceutical company, if you can show need. You do not have to see a Psychiatrist. Family doctors can prescribe these medications, and I've found some to be more in tune with my needs than a shrink has been.

Mainly, THERE IS HELP OUT THERE. DON'T GIVE UP. I wasted way too many years not doing anything about it.
--Randy

 

[PistachioByAzul]

Yeah, it's given me a whole new appreciation for life, and taught me not to take things for granted.