I need help with my Social Anxiety Disorder?
ByShould I go see a psychiatrist? or a psychologist?
I am not really interested in meds, but in therapy…
What should I do?
Been there, and can say that for one, you will likely grow out of it with age. What really did it for me was after college I moved away to a brand new part of the country on my own, and started fresh, and through engaging in activities that once made me anxious I built self confidence.
Also, talk to your doctor. I was like you and not really interested in meds, and expressed this to her, and she talked to me about them a little more. She told me how they worked, and I changed my mind. I was prescribed Xanax on an as-needed basis, and only took it for situations for which I knew I would be very uncomfortable. I got these meds in my mid 20's and wished I had gotten them from my Dr. sooner. I can take them, and be in the experience without the "weird" feeling, and this allowed me to engage more and be a part of the group. The thing is, the meds kind of seemed to "show me the way", in that I would use them in a particular situation for a while, and after having gone through the situation with the pill, I would eventually do it without the pill, and remember what it is like to not feel the anxiety, and it helped to become comfortable in situations without hte pill ultimately.
4 Comments
March 23rd, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Call your local Social Services for recommendations.
References :
March 23rd, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Been there, and can say that for one, you will likely grow out of it with age. What really did it for me was after college I moved away to a brand new part of the country on my own, and started fresh, and through engaging in activities that once made me anxious I built self confidence.
Also, talk to your doctor. I was like you and not really interested in meds, and expressed this to her, and she talked to me about them a little more. She told me how they worked, and I changed my mind. I was prescribed Xanax on an as-needed basis, and only took it for situations for which I knew I would be very uncomfortable. I got these meds in my mid 20's and wished I had gotten them from my Dr. sooner. I can take them, and be in the experience without the "weird" feeling, and this allowed me to engage more and be a part of the group. The thing is, the meds kind of seemed to "show me the way", in that I would use them in a particular situation for a while, and after having gone through the situation with the pill, I would eventually do it without the pill, and remember what it is like to not feel the anxiety, and it helped to become comfortable in situations without hte pill ultimately.
References :
March 23rd, 2009 at 1:33 pm
If you can afford to, I would recommend seeing a psychiatrist. I, too, suffer from social anxiety. After seeing a doctor who refused to prescribe anxiety meds (and not being able to afford to see a psychiatrist), I just deal with it the best I can. I'm pretty much a shut-in and just deal with close family and friends, while avoiding contact with the public as much as possible. Obviously, treatment would be a better alternative.
References :
psyc student and social anxiety sufferer
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:14 pm
If you are particularly interested in therapy, seek out someone who is specifically trained in the treatment of anxiety-related disorders (such as social phobia). This might include psychologists, psychiatrists, and/or social workers, depending on the area in which you live.
References :