Social Anxiety Ruining My Life...Help?

I realize that you don't want to try medication, however, Zoloft really helped me.

Research supported by NIMH and by industry has shown that there are two effective forms of treatment available for social phobia: certain medications and a specific form of short-term psychotherapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy. Medications include antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), as well as drugs known as high-potency benzodiazepenes. Some people with a form of social phobia called performance phobia have been helped by beta-blockers, which are more commonly used to control high blood pressure.

Cognitive-behavior therapy is also very useful in treating social phobia. The central component of this treatment is exposure therapy, which involves helping patients gradually become more comfortable with situations that frighten them. The exposure process often involves three stages. The first involves introducing people to the feared situation. The second level is to increase the risk for disapproval in that situation so people build confidence that they can handle rejection or criticism. The third stage involves teaching people techniques to cope with disapproval. In this stage, people imagine their worst fear and are encouraged to develop constructive responses to their fear and perceived disapproval.

Cognitive-behavior therapy for social phobia also includes anxiety management training - for example, teaching people techniques such as deep breathing to control their levels of anxiety. Another important aspect of treatment is called cognitive restructuring, which involves helping individuals identify their misjudgments and develop more realistic expectations of the likelihood of danger in social situations.

Supportive therapy such as group therapy, or couples or family therapy to educate significant others about the disorder, is also helpful. Sometimes people with social phobia also benefit from social skills training.

Everyone is like this, they just are too busy doing other stuff to notice it. Look at the "fixed" things about your life, that you can't change, and turn loose of them. They are unchangeable. Then, start on the changeable things about your life---that's where the fun begins. Among those fixed things: What's your birth order? If you're an only child you will live under a mountain of pressure your entire life. You will also have problems relating to people your own age, forever. No medication is going to change this. If you are over-analysing and over-thinking, you are comfortable only when failing, and programming yourself to fail. Why is this? Look at your early life and experiences. Start reading some "pop" psychology, just to get the ball rolling and to get aware of yourself and your history, so that you can own your life and improve it. Your life so far will tell you all you need to know, if you will sit down and map it out---face it and understand it.

Yea i go thru periods of social anxiety. sometimes i'm the most confident person in the room, and sometimes i become really shy and quiet. But its more of a mental thing than physical. i see people, who are so confident about their looks, their personalities and i ask myself why i hate myself so much. Then i gather some courage and i become confident.

The only way out is to find out more about yourself, introspect, meditate, talk to urself (in ur head) and try to love yourself. Don't fall for the fast and easy way out that meds offer coz thats only temporary and it can badly effect your selfesteem and your health in the long run. been there done that. good luck!

I have read some litterature about panic attacks. But they allways seem to have a more scientific approach and that is nothing I need in my struggle to survive those horrible panic attacks. This is a "hand on" and very practical book. I felt it was written to me. I am sure that you are going to feel the same.

Joe Barry writes exactly how I think. The examples are perfectly described. And the method is genius. I recommend this book and thanks Joe Barry for writing it. It changes your life

I have the same thing. I get panic attacks. It's mostly social anxiety. Unfortunately, medication is the ONLY thing that has helped me:Zoloft and Xanax!!!

it kind of happens to me too bu not so much like this.

you should think up something to say try and sprk a conversation even if it something like the sky is blue or what a nice day. ask him what he did at the weekends if you keep on trying to say random stupid things then soon things will come to you.

Dude, you may not want meds but that is what helped me. I could not believe the difference in my personality. Somehow it just makes things easier to do . See a doctor and talk to him about how you feel.

jus talk to him. ur nervous probably cuz u have a low opinion of urself (srry if I sound rude but just bein true here). just hold ur head up high and just talk 2 ppl about whatever the hell u feel like or whatever the hell they feel like. gossip is fun!

Just be like John Madden and start narrating the obvious.

why does it make you so uncomfortable? a friend is someone you don't need to bore with idle chatter just to fill the space, maybe he's comfortable enough to be quiet around you