Need encouragment- I have horrible social anxiety. Has anyone on here overcome it or even partially overcome it? Feeling pretty hopeless...

Hey Jules722,


I've found it tight social environments it helps me to look out instead of in.Or even better yet,looking out and not concentrating on what I think people are looking at.It narrows down the environment and helps avoid too much over stimulation.Don't try to focus on too many things at one time.


See if this helps

Sincerely,Sit

I have, because of the program. Back before I started the program I wouldn't go anywhere. Would be sick for days before knowing I had to go somewhere outside of my home (other than for work). When I did manage to get enough courage to go to places (parties, etc) I didn't relax or enjoy myself. I wouldn't eat in front of people so I was always sick and hungry. Now I go all over the place. Rarely get nervous going to any place new even if I have never met the people attending. I am relaxed and I am myself. Heck the other night I went to a meet and greet w/ my fiance at a back room of a bar and ate a full meal in front of 12 people I have never met before. It is so freeing...you will get there, but it takes time. I hope this helps you some.

Hi Jules, it's been a while since you wrote this but i'll give it a shot. I had very bad social anxiety for many years when i was in my early twenties to mid twenties. It ran my life and thoughts for years, and even found it hard to answer the phone because i felt like i would stutter etc...horrible. I could say now about five years later i'm completely free of this problem and don't even think about it anymore. I did take a low dose of paxil and read of books on self-esteem, and really put myself out there as much as i could handle. It an overall self esteem/anxiety issue than just a single "disorder." I still have normal fears when approaching strangers, i guess, but it's not even anxiety to me anymore...you'll do it, i did it.

Unfortunately no. I am new to the forum. Hello everyone. I was diagnosed in 2000 at the age of 21. I am now 29, and have struggled most of my adult life with anxiety. My anxiety will increase substantially when I am exposed to strangers, unknown situations. I was by the skin of my teeth able to graduate high school, but it was an unpleasant experience. I believe strongly that bad experiences contribute greatly to people's anxiety when confronted with social interaction,etc. I (maybe some of you, too) believe that we will be "rejected", humiliated, or hurt in some manner. I wasn't always this way. I can remember in early grade school not having the extreme anxiety that I now have every single day. I will not even go outside without a family member, even if it's just to the sidewalk, let alone travel to public places alone. I have been employed briefly, but ultimately had to leave a position because of the public interaction required. I dread having to go to meetings, or go to public places alone. Sorry I am sharing so much, but this has been the main ingredient in my life for years, and haven't found any way to overcome it. I get through a sitation and feel "drained" by it, and all I do is fear the next situation. Example: Going to work or school, fearful of the next day and what it might bring. So it's essentially a never-ending cycle that leaves me exhausted and scared. People continue to tell me that I am capable of much more, but when you have such a severe fear of people (society) like I do, you don't see a light at the end of the tunnel because in life we HAVE to face people, interaction. I am on medication but it doesn't ELIMINATE the problem, all it does is make me feel "mellow" to the point I forget things. I just envy people that can live normal lives and dont have the fear I live with everyday.

wow. I get so nervous going places too. I am exhausted when I hit the door of my house, I feel just glad to have made it alive sometimes.

My anxieties were all over the map and my social anxiety was probably overshadowed first by my health anxieties and later on by my horrible panic attacks. But now that I have overcome my panic attacks and I know how to counter my thoughts and think more realistically all my other anxieties are really manageable now and not such a problem anymore. I think you first need to get a handle on your thoughts and follow it up with some exposure therapy to truly overcome social anxiety, but it can be done.

I've kind of gotten home bound since last February..the panic attacks are so debilitating..this is my second time through the program..the first time I just read the book all the way through and didn't really go through all of the tapes..I started getting panic attacks about six years ago..but my book was the only thing that helped me through them..this time the panic/anxiety has made me agoraphobic too..I'm pretty much homebound and I can't drive..this time I'm going to go through each section at a time and practice the tools..I really want to get back to my old life..

You have to do the exercises everyday to get the most relief possible. I didn't go through Lucinda's program but it is based on CBT and that is what got me better.