curious about progress

Hello, I have been on and off this forum for a while now when i have internet without posting, and I would like to see if i could get some feedback from some of you guys.

I have had SA for a while now and at its worst I had no friends and had to drop out of high school, but once i figured out what it was that was wrong with me i have been trying to fight it since. In the last couple years through basically just forcing myself through anxiety ridden situations i have gotten a little better, in that now i can hold a job and be able to deal with people at work and in public for the most part. However, i still have trouble with friends and doing things out for fun with other people i do not know very well.

I have not undergone any real therapy for SA, medication or otherwise. I cannot go through therapy or get medication anytime soon because i will lose my job so i have been trying to force myself to fight it when i am up to it. Anyway i was hoping to see if any of you all have made any progress against your SA, and how did you do it (medication, therapy, etc), and how much did it help. I feel like i rambled a bit, but also hello everyone

Hey Chux,progress is slow at the moment mate,im still trying to find my bearings,and im still not living at home yet

I have a very basic routine and I have done for years. I have a form of aspergers syndrome so that may have something to do with it,problems with change.

I am constantly battling with my SA but I try not to give up.

chux said:

In the last couple years through basically just forcing myself through anxiety ridden situations i have gotten a little better, in that now i can hold a job and be able to deal with people at work and in public for the most part.

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that's great!i find it difficult to get a job but i guess once you go u can get used to it?

chux said:

Anyway i was hoping to see if any of you all have made any progress against your SA, and how did you do it (medication, therapy, etc), and how much did it help. I feel like i rambled a bit, but also hello everyone

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i have made some progress in the last year and my sa isn't so severe anymore.i did't use any medication so far mostly because i don't trust my self around medicines.
I did some cbt therapy with a program i downloaded and it helped a little.Also some cool programs by Guy Finley help me put my mind in a postive direction.I also find goal setting very motivating and useful tool.
I don't expect to get well in a night but i enjoy the slow progress.

Hi chux, welcome to the forum! I fought anxiety for years on my own aswell, but it didn't work out for me at all, I think I just slowed my decline. Eventually I had to get help for it. I haven't taken any medication but I go to therapy and I would definitely recommend it. With my therapist I've been able to address the underlying reasons for me getting anxiety so that I can sort those out instead of trying to carry on through them. It's also helped me be accepting of the anxiety and my therapist has also done CBT with me which has really really helped my face the anxiety.
Congrats on doing so well so far too, that's awesome! Why can't you get therapy along with having your job? I go once a week for an hour, and sometimes only every two weeks if I don't need it as much.
Good luck with whatever you decide, keep going with the recovery, it's always great to hear of someone getting over it

Thanks for the input, im glad some people are making progress... sometimes it seems when i read this forum that maybe some people arent fully committed to changing their life. It did take me a while to be able to hold a job, I had numerous jobs where I eventually quit because I couldnt handle it. But I had no choice really and had to keep trying, and eventually I was able to handle staying in a job.

I would like to do some therapy, such as cbt, but i work for the military and i have a security clearance, which would most likely get taken if i was to have any kind of therapy. So basically my only option is a do it yourself type method, which is what ive been doing for a couple years now. Id like to order a book maybe, but there is so many im not sure which one would be actually worth the money.

chux said:

Hello, I have been on and off this forum for a while now when i have internet without posting, and I would like to see if i could get some feedback from some of you guys.

I have had SA for a while now and at its worst I had no friends and had to drop out of high school, but once i figured out what it was that was wrong with me i have been trying to fight it since. In the last couple years through basically just forcing myself through anxiety ridden situations i have gotten a little better, in that now i can hold a job and be able to deal with people at work and in public for the most part. However, i still have trouble with friends and doing things out for fun with other people i do not know very well.

I have not undergone any real therapy for SA, medication or otherwise. I cannot go through therapy or get medication anytime soon because i will lose my job so i have been trying to force myself to fight it when i am up to it. Anyway i was hoping to see if any of you all have made any progress against your SA, and how did you do it (medication, therapy, etc), and how much did it help. I feel like i rambled a bit, but also hello everyone

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I am in the process of changing right now. I have done cbt, and exposure therapy. I am now waiting to see a careers advisor about my options.

I still worry about going out and as you say "doing things for fun". I was always uncomfortable if anyone asked me to go anywhere outside of work/school. It is very uncomofortable when people put you "on the spot" and expect you to hang around with them.

It can be extremely difficult to progress, because i always feel like an outsider. I get overwhelmed too much. But at least i am trying to make progress now, and i really want to change.

Sounds like you have done really well with yours!

Working through the hard parts is one piece of the pie. If you use a healthy diet, exercise, some medication, counseling, and have someone to vent to in your regular life, you will find yourself to get increasingly better (they all really helped me). It is up to you to figure out for yourself in which amounts you want to do these things, but do keep trying and moving forward because even though things have gotten slightly better, they can get much better if you keep working at them! Great work and keep it up!