social anxiety

Buddy, no medicine is going to help you the way Jesus can. I do know how it feels to be afraid in social situations, but you and I just need to trust in Jesus. The Bible says in Deuteronymy 20:1 that "When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." God brought you and I out of thr world, much like God brought Israel out of Egypt. I will be praying for you this evening and I encourage you to do the same and just to step out in faith. Talk to you later.

Well, it takes a few weeks for this kind of med to start working. I just started one three days ago... Celexa. You should see your doctor and ask about it... and research as much as you can, online. Find out about all the different types. If you have any other questions. ask me...

blueiverson, this does not make you horrible or selfish. It makes you human. Everyone has thier own struggles and obstacles in life, and for more than you know that struggle is social anxiety. That includes me. It's probably a result of the public education system and a predisposition that God put there for a reason. You may not understand it now, but there is some reason for all of this.

Don't go get medicine if you don't have to, be a little precautious for several reasons: 1. Medicines can be risky and have side effects, so make sure you have a very good and wise doctor prescribing them if you do get some! 2. People want to go get a pill for everything these days. Test out behavioral therapy first, not to mention just putting yourself out there. I sometimes have to sit in Bible Study and prayer for hours before going somewhere like this party you're going to. It's terrifying, but sometimes it's the best remedy to just face the fear. You feel like you can't, but as the Bible says, "We can do anything through God who strengthens us." Nowadays I'm on the yearbook photography staff and in choir performing solos, and functioning despite my weaknesses. The fear is still there, but the idea is to learn to cope. I know you can, however weak you feel God is strong!

After that, if you still feel you need meds don't feel bad about it. It's not wrong to get help, sometimes we need it.

I will be praying for you. And pray a little yourself, even if you feel you can't face God or are too angry to face Him, try honesty. Even if it's anger, God's not insecure, He can handle it and you. I know He'd love to hear from you.

God Bless,
-Supermag

Good advice.

blueiverson said:

i can't pray when i'm such a horrible person.
even if you say otherwise, my whole being won't let me do otherwise. i can't pray and...
i don't know. it's hard to explain.

i just need something. and...

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I knwo the feeling of feeling like you can't pray because you feel like you are a horrible person, I go through that quite often myself....it usually takes something to break me before I get down on my knees......As for medicine, stay away from it if you can....I almost died from taking Zoloft because of the withdrawl symptoms when I came off of it and from what I have read there are alot of people that have come close to death when coming off of it and also from what I have read Paxil is the same way for alot of people.....the drugs don't help very much, you just need to humble yourself and face god with the whole thing (maybe I should take some of my own advice....I have it in my head, but not in my heart....)

Wow, you almost died? You're not supposed to quit cold turkey... something's not right there. I took Zoloft and Paxil for years and I'll admit it made me sick when I got off them, but I didn't almost die...

Anyways, drugs don't always help. But they can work wonders for some people.

XangelX said:

Wow, you almost died? You're not supposed to quit cold turkey... something's not right there. I took Zoloft and Paxil for years and I'll admit it made me sick when I got off them, but I didn't almost die...

Anyways, drugs don't always help. But they can work wonders for some people.

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I was on 150mg and I was dropped down to 125, then 100, then 50 over the course of a month and when I was dropped from 50 to 25 is when the problems started because 25 is as low as you can go and when I was on 25mg I was dizzy and disoriented and even to the point that I would be walking along and I felt like I was blacking out.....well I was on 25 mg for 2 weeks before I was totally off of it and that's when it got worse, I couldn't do anything at all, I was lucky to get to the bathroom on my own.....I would lay in bed for 2-3 days at a time without getting up because I could not function (since I couldn't get up to eat or drink I didn't have to go to the bathroom)....I was in bed for about a month like that.....I'm just glad that at the time I was laid off and didn't have to work.....I will look for the link where I visited and it had reports of similar and even worse side effects of comming off of Zoloft....

A friend of mine is on Zoloft, and it has worked wonders for her. I was on it for 3 weeks and it killed my appetite. Anything I would eat would make me gag.

However, I have been on Lexapro for over 3 months now. It seems to work pretty well.

However medication alone is NOT, and I repeat NOT, and complete problem solver. It can help, but it's not a miracle drug. The Lexapro took the edge off, but I didn't have complete peace unitl I put God first in my life. I had let somehting go ahead of God in my life. The first thing is to restore your relationhsip with God, then go from there.

There is help, never give up.

I have social anxiety too and I know EXACTLY how you feel.

I was on Paxil for awhile, but I lost insurance and stopped taking it because it costs hundreds of dollars per month. The best OTC solution is to take lots of B Complex vitamins.

I detest parties too. Or going anywhere unfamiliar.

Dude:

I have never used pyschotropic drugs, however, you sound like you should discuss it with a good psychiatrist, at least a doc-in-the-box doctor (actually I find them pretty darn good doctors). If you or you parents have medical insurance you can get cheap enough pysch advice. If you are poor, call a crisis line that you can find in the phonebook, and get a referral to a free pysch clinic.

I went through 2 years of counsel for my anxiety based disorders with a psychologist, a psychiatrist in individual, family, and group settings, and it did help.

Regarding your not being able to pray...just get on your knees, and say "Jesus, Jesus, help me, help me." That should get you started. Then just focus your thoughts on God. Reading Jesus words in a red letter bible are surprisingly comforting. If something sounds too harsh, just skip it, God will explain it later. Then respond to the GOOD people God brings into your life.

You are not alone. I am praying for you, and I'll bet lots of others are too.

-desp

Sorry you have to go through this, I know it is hard. I'll echo the advice to go see a therapist or counselor first, then they can recommend a psychiatrist if they think you need meds. Ask around if you can, you don't want to get with a psychiatrist that just drugs you up and lets you go. My psych keeps me on the lowest dose possible on my meds.

As for people saying it's a spiritual problem, this could be true. But most of the time, especially when someone is suffering from anxiety or depression due to a chemical imbalance, it is hard for them to see things clearly. I do believe that there are solutions other than meds, but sometimes people need the meds to get balanced out. It's not always a spiritual problem.

If its just one party I'd take a shot or two, depending on your tolerance, of vodka before going to the party. You should be a bit more sociable and outgoing without being stupid. Although if you are under age forget it. Do not get on drugs for this if you can help it. Try putting yourself in small social situations and working your way up. I know its not easy initially but being able to talk well and at relative ease in front of a group makes you hot property. For most people the only way to get over social anxiety is practice in social situations.

I know about social anxiety. my mom made an appointment with my therapist because i wasnt getting better. i just stay home all day (why i am on CF all day long) Anyway, I am on Lexapro. I just never take it. I have it twisted in my head that I deserve to be depressed. So I know what its like to just not feel like you can do anything. I feel like I can't come into God's presence because of what I have been through and my anger towards Him for it. I know its not true but it doesn't make it any easier to kneel before him.

Blanton911 said:

I know about social anxiety. my mom made an appointment with my therapist because i wasnt getting better. i just stay home all day (why i am on CF all day long) Anyway, I am on Lexapro. I just never take it. I have it twisted in my head that I deserve to be depressed. So I know what its like to just not feel like you can do anything. I feel like I can't come into God's presence because of what I have been through and my anger towards Him for it. I know its not true but it doesn't make it any easier to kneel before him.

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Blanton,

Pray and confess your anger towards God. Ask him to help you overcome it. He will show you that He is a loving God, and take care of you. Also, take the Lex, it will help, it just takes a good 3 to 4 weeks to really get stabilized in you system.


Also, in response to some earlier posts. I know that anxiety and depression is not always a spritiual problem. Chemical imbalance is very real. I believe that's what I suffer from, as I have suffered from A & D, nearly all my life, it just seems to get worse as I get older. Also, I felt God put it on my heart to see the doctor when I did. The bottom line is that there is help. Life is much to hard when you have to fight with anxiety and depression every day of your life. When it feels like it takes everything that you've got just to make it through the day.. something is wrong!! I don't think life should be that hard.

I have social anxiety also. I started taking Lexapro to see if that would help me. I felt emotionally better although a little manic. I took it for about 3 months and I hoped it would help me with my social anxiety. However, it did nothing to help me with that problem. I eventually stopped taking it because I kept forgetting to take it and so I tapered of and stopped. For about 2 weeks I felt nauseated and dizzy. Recently, I tried to start up again but I felt nauseated and dizzy. I decided not to bother. The lexapro did give me more confidence in sort of a mild manic way.

Well I recently got back on Lexapro.... I take it as an antidepressant and not for my anxiety problems.

Do you know what triggers problems? There are some small things to try if you can kinda figure out what causes things. For me a certain smell triggers problems. I have a little "oil" thingy that I carry with me. I smell it when I have problems- its the kinda oil you put in a burner with a candle type thing. Anyway, the scent of lime is supposed to help with depression and what not.

OK, this next thing sound really hokey, which might be why it can work for some.... In the middle of your forhead (a third eye if you will) stick your finger there. Now, force yourself to have the biggest goofiest smile. With some pressure, not too much, but more than a little- rub your third eye in a counterclockwise circle. When you do the top half of the circle breathe in, and breathe out during the bottom half of the circle. Make these circles slowly and breathe deeply.

Also a lot of times a few shifts in your body position or posture or location can help when a panic comes on.

I find that if I can distract myself from the thoughts I have that make me depressed I feel better. I figure the distraction is ok to do because these thoughts I have serve no positive purpose. They do not give me any insight into myself. I also pray to God to let me forget about myself yet just be myself and let that be enough.

I will try the third eye thing - is it counterclockwise if looking at my forehead as if standing in front of myself?