Posted by DC on June 4, 2003, at 17:01:59
In reply to social anxiety/phobia - anyone else?, posted by girlygirl on May 24, 2003, at 9:10:27
> I've just heard of this thing called social anxiety (I live in the UK, docs don't bother to tell you about these things - it takes more than 5 mins). And I think that's my problem. More than depression (maybe it's even the cause of my depression!).
>
> All the way through school, university twice over and now my first job, I have been incapable of forming relationships with people or handling group situations, to the point that it gets so bad I can't cope with it anymore, get really paranoid and withdrawn and then just jack it all in and stop attending. I have never been able to have more than one friend at a time (apart from during 6th form, when I was a drug user, which solved all my problems for a while).
>
> I now work in a job which involves A LOT of talking to people and my success relies on the relationships I build with people (I didn't realise this when I started). And I am making a BIG mess. My boss really dislikes me cos I am just not a "team player" and I am getting to the point where I am sitting in the office holding back tears and wanting to kill myself because I feel like such an outcast.
>
> Does this sound familiar to anyone? Is this social anxiety (or social phobia)? How do you treat it?
>
> AliceblueI can totally relate to practically everything you
wrote about. I have been so introverted for so long
I almost don't function well with social activities.
I do know that a lot of that stems from the "so-called
friends" I hung around a long time ago, constantly
putting me down to bring themselves up. And I am sure
some family issues there also. I don't really like
the fact that I have to have a few drinks before going
out. Mainly cause you are a few ahead of others and
to keep up usually end up a bit "tipsy" earlier LOL.It seems that when and if I do make a friend or friends
I am constantly worried about what others think of me.
And then I just seem to trail off so that I won't
face the rejection of them later. All through school
my books and arts and crafts kept me busy and too
myself. Not to mention that I did have my son really
young, so that pretty much put me as an outcast
at a rather early age.I finally went to see a doctor not wanting to be
"alone" anymore and he has started me on some meds.
I take Wellbutrin for the depression and was taking
Lexapro for the "social anxiety" but it made me too
tired all day. He has recently started me on
Zorloft (which my brother also takes), so I will
have to see how that works for me.I know we are all different, but hopefully you can
find something or even someone that can help you
understand and find a way to help you through this.Best to you.
DC
poster:DC
thread:228801
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030604/msgs/231450.html