Social Anxiety (eating me alive)

It’s the one thing I can’t manage to beat. I’ve suffered through untreated schizophrenia and come out the other side not much the worse for it, I endured a decade of unbearable emotional pain and recovered from this as well, I beat insomnia, drinking problem and wrestled with my hundreds of delusional memories but in the end it looks as though what is eating me alive is simply social anxiety…a common problem.

Not simple at all however, it has plagued me since my mid teens. I’ve struggled to overcome it only to have it come back and devour me again and again. I am crippled by social anxiety. I swear it will be the death of me someday. Somebody comes to the door…I panic deep within myself. The phone rings…I panic. A stranger initiates small talk? I panic, my mind draws a total blank, I panic.

I can’t even bring myself to go and get a haircut at the moment and it is getting rather long. The thought of walking through the door makes me…panic. I had a very nice woman who used to cut my hair for ten dollars who I was very comfortable with, she was a sweetheart and had bi-polar disorder. But since I relocated I haven’t had the chance to get it cut by her. Back when I had my last apartment I couldn’t even bring myself to pay the rent in person like most of the people did. I just slipped it through the mail slot in the middle of the night to make sure I didn’t have to be seen by anyone.

Schizophrenia, as terrible an experience as it was, pales in comparison to my social anxiety…I swear it is stronger than I. And therapy hasn’t helped at all as they just want to know “And what’s the thought behind that?” Panic! That’s the freaking thought “Please don’t talk to me, please don’t talk to me, please don’t talk to me” That’s the thought.

I’m very similar…

1 Like

Ditto for me. Social anxiety costs me enormously. I’ve been dogged by it for forty years, when I started getting these crippling anxiety attacks. Now I’m 55. I hate it.

I have social anxiety too. I hate having to meet people I don’t know such as extended family. I basically just don’t meet them. I avoid weddings, haven’t been to one in my life and Im 38 now.

The following are websites that I think will help

help for social anxiety

I didn’t wear my glasses so I didn’t have to recognise people and say hello to them. I thought that everybody adressing me was about to tell me somethig very mean, so I avoided contact.

Now it’s all better, in my mid twenties I managed somehow to make friends and get out more etc. But if I go in a crowded place my husband always tells me I clench my fists and act strangely very suddenly. I’m not aware of the panic but the panic seems to be aware of me…

1 Like

Also there are social anxiety support groups run by psychiatric hospitals. There are full time social anxiety support groups going on. But also, there are social anxiety support groups that carry on weekly and sometimes even more often than that. You should check out these social anxiety support groups, theyre great help, as I tell you no other conditions improves better than social anxiety when you get support from people in the same situation. I got great help from attending these groups. Check out the following link for info on support in your state/country…social anxiety support website

1 Like

I found that gabapentin worked well for social anxiety.

I wonder if hypnotism might help.

1 Like

try cbt and hypnotherapy…has helped me heaps.
i have massive scars on my head ( self inflicted ) so i know about social anxiety.
take care

I feel sorry for your condition, mussel.
I used to have social phobia, but as time past by, I don’t even realize it. I have mild anxiety, especially I don’t dare to take public transportation, but I can walk alone in the street, until someone walk towards me, I will try to walk away politely.
I understand that social anxiety cannot be overcome by training. But @mussel, will Exposure Therapy work for you?