has anyone on here overcome SA?

I know if youre on this site you obviously have SA, but I was just curious to see if anyone has conquered it or personally know some one who has.

I am not doubting that I can't over time and through a lot of patience overcome this....but its taking longer than I thought. I guess it would be nice to think it would only take a few months.....but i am seeing thats not happening.

I am in a time with my SA that I understand it....and I know why I have it, and I know the things that cause it. So I work at it everyday, and it REALLY and truly is getting better. I have a lot to be thankful for, because I can feel an improvement. But it seems like every so often right when I think I have "found myself" or just gotten over the SA...it strikes again. It comes back like I never lost it. Each time it IS easier to overcome, because I know ive done it before.

And if you are new to this site, or havent really understood WHY you have it, just keep on perservering. Trust me, as some one who's been there, i KNOW its hard! But once you have that one moment of peace that you havent felt since youve had SA for the years you have had this disorder, it just gives you that little piece of hope you need to keep going.

I dont know if anyone else can atest to that....But thats what I have found.

So anyway, what I am really trying to ask is about how long is the whole "recovery" process? I know there's not a set amount of time you will be "all better" in....but Ive read books and looked on sites, and no where does it say how long it takes, relatively speaking. Like just how long it would take the 'average' SA person to overcome. Anyone know?

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hi there i cant totally relate to what you are saying as can most ppl im sure with sa!! i got it last july and it went away for a few months....i have no idea how!! i think it was a time in my life i had more things to worry about and important things to do...however like u said it striked back!! with a vengance!! it was so bad i couldnt leave the house if i knew i cudnt get out of a sitution i would not go to the situation,i wont ramble on coz im sure u know what it feels like!! i had to leave my job i took a a few months of jus sitting in and sleeping and concentrating on recharging myself back to what i used to be i went to see a hypnotherapist and forced myself to slow down,not to dwell on things or converstaions,to say top myself ur not lookin at other ppl so y wud they be lookin at me and that even if they were it wud be for like ten seconds then u wudnt see them ever again so y bother to take notice and work urself up bout it!! also i said to myself over and over again u r in control of it not the other way around!!! that is the key i would say,,getting ur head around thats and makin urself belivie it is the best way to get over it!! also forcing urself to do things slowly but doing 1 thing each day is such a bennefit as im sure u know.the more u get confident with it and the more the horrible panic attacks DONT happen the more u let them drift away!!!!!!! they will always be ther with u there is no cure for it as it is in ur head in ur memory so unless u get a new brain ur stuck with it but as u know it doesnt have to be so serious!! laugh at urself let others laugh with u about it.soon instead of thinkin bout it 20 times a day or more ul jus think bout it 5 times a day until ur rite down to once day.i am so much better now im not fully there but try to set myself goals for each week and i know it wil fade away i think if you keep wondering how long ur recovery will take it will take ten times longer...its like the sayiing a watched kettle never boils!! lol take all the time you need it will come the recovery time is different for every1 the same as ppls techniques for coping with it is different...like i say it will always be with you but its how you look at it that will determin how much you let it take you over and how long you will let it be a mager part of your life!!!! :lol:

its ment to say i can totally relate lol oops

thank you guys so much! thanks for sharing your stories....I guess i'm not quite where you guys are yet because the farthest I've been able to go is like a week. Then something stressful/unexpected happens, and I get my same ol' anxiety in full swing again. So maybe that means the more "overcome" you are of SA, or the more you work at it, the longer youll be able to go without getting those feelings back?

So I guess the kind of answer I got from both of your's stories was that you can and will 'overcome' it if you stick with it, but just because you dont feel anxiety some weeks, it doesnt garuantee its gone forever.
Thats not the exact answer I was looking for...but you know thats not completely a downer either. At least I know its possible. And it will just take time.

Partyrings: thanks for your input on the whole attitude towards your SA...like the biggest thing Ive learned from this is attitude really IS everything!!. And I thought I had a great attitude before my SA...I thought I was extremely positive, and didnt realize at all how I judged myself or others...

Socratic:About what you said about compassion and reassurance...I kinda get, but not sure. Like I guess what youre saying is if you feel like you have everything, you might feel like youre over your anxiety but really youre just comfotable and dependent on those things?

I dont know I havent really experienced either flip side...my lifes kinda in the middle of those extremes right now. But I definitely would agree.

I've come a long ways. I never had full-fledged Social-Phobia, but I was definitely in the social anxiety range. I would avoid people, girls especially.

This year I've grown closer to old friends, and have made plenty of new friends (including girls lol).

I really don't know how I did it. I guess I just grew out of my anxious phase. I really got lucky.

im glad the comments helped you i still get in panicy situations the key is to push it out of your mind when it pops in go somewhere quiet well as quiet as it can be ha ha ha and stop it from fully developing into a big huge thing!!! im sure you ve read loads of stuff about it.i read loads about it and it confused me so much and i felt it worked me uo even more!!! and made me worry even more!! for example if i read something some where that said ppl from sp or sa experienced this that and the other thing...and if i hadnt experienced that i would totally freak out and think in every stressfull or new situation i was gona feel these things untill i eventualy did because of worrying bout then so much.reading to much on it just fills your head with more areas of sp or sa to worry bout,i feel all you have to know bout it is where YOU think it is developing from what the most common side affects of it are..... not loads and loads of them jus the ones you yourself are feeling,HOW you are goiong to deal and cope with this YOUR OWN WAY not the way someone tells you to do it or the same way it has helped someone else.cause remember just coz you have the same condition as someone else evry1 is different!! obviously take ppls comments and advice but dont set your heart on that if you try something its going to work for you it will all take time and different methods to help you deal with it xxxxxxxx

Like just how long it would take the 'average' SA person to overcome.

Click to expand...

Here's my story. I've had SA for as long as I can remember. I had a few friends in high school because I'd kind of grown up with them, but I was more on the periphery of the circle. In college I had no friends. ZERO. I'm 27. I had no friends. I had never been on a date with a girl. It was bad.

After 3 months of concerted effort, I believe I have fixed 75% of my SA. I have a ton of acquaintances now, that I believe with time will turn into friends. I've been on 2 dates. I feel much happier.

Now, I was never at the point where I couldn't leave the house, or eat in public. I understand some folks on here have those problems, and I respect that those will take longer to address. However, if you're "shy", I believe you can fix it in a few months.

The first thing I did was visit my physician. He put me on some medication (Zoloft) that has been very helpful.

Then, I focused on being positive, and having fun talking to people. I practiced like hell. I put myself in some very uncomfortable situations (e.g. talking to random strangers). With time, the rest fell into place.

I'm not going to lie, it's been hard and very uncomfortable at times. PM me if you want to chat.

I'm far from overcoming SP, but its interesting to compare how I led my life a few years ago, to how I lead my life now. Thankfully, I can say that I'm moving in the right direction.

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hi,

well, u know i also have wondered the same thing, actually not how long but just when is my anxiety gone be over,i also work at it everyday, just like u saud i learned that attitude is the key to fight anxiety, and i have learned alot in just the few weeks i been through thanks to my new attitude towards life

but does it really matter how long it takes to "overcome" ur anxiety??

there are times i feel like u ,and just cant wait until i become average, but then there are other days, when im like for example, playing soccer with my friends and we are having so much fun and i feel great, and i wish everyday was like that,

is there something really important anxiety is preventing u from doing ?

Yeah I know what you mean PartyRings like it seems like the more you think about it, the worse it gets. Well maybe I should clarify that and say the more you OBSESS...like I dont think being aware of its bad, I think that helps you understand why you have it. And you wont get better until you understand why you have it. I do agree with you about that...like sometimes I wonder if I woke up one day and I didnt know I had SA, how different would my life be?
....something to think about. But I think as long as you know youve accomplished things and been able to overcome anxiety with situations in the past, you will slowly get better.


New shyguy: I guess to answer your first question, it doesnt really matter how long it takes to overcome anxiety....I mean I want it gone no matter how long it takes, I'm williing. Because i KNOW life can be better than this! So im willing to do whatever it takes. Ive just been wondering like with people in the past how long its taken, so I know what I'm dealing with here....lol. I dunno, I know it will take time. So im prepared for whatever happens. I have some great days and after those days I dont want to sleep (that sounds weird) but I dont want to sleep and wake up differently. I want that day to go on forever.

There are SOOOOO many things anxiety is preventing...from little to big. The biggest is just enjoying every single day. I try, but some days I just cant. I havent had a panic attack in a while, but I get those spacey feelings a lot still...so I have a ways to go.
And I'm in college now, and I'm trying to decide my major which is hard. Right now im planning everything in my life around my anxiety. I know once I overcome my anxiety I would have probably rather have a different job, because I will be able to do more things.
I am probably going to major in psychology and after I get my bachelor's, do this nursing program and be a registered nurse. I'll work as a nurse for a while, and get a steady income, then go back to school hopefully to be a psychologist. After going through what ive been through, I really want to help other people and I think having experienced it first hand I will know exactly how theyre feeling. So many people dont understand anxiety disorders, and its a need millions of the people just in the US have. But this will only happen if I myself can recover....

the whole wanting to know how long it takes people to recover, is just something Ive been wondering. I know its a "process" so theres not really a tiime table you can hold yourself accountable to.
But thanks for the feed back : )

I overcame it. I didn't seriously start working on it until my early twenties and at 25 I was pretty much over it. It's tough at times because you'll be going along feeling great, feeling like you're improving and even making big strides, then BAM, you're on your ass again feeling worse than before. It's all just part of the process and everyone working to overcome SA can expect that. You're right. Perseverance is key. You'll get over it

overcoming it to me, is all about your overall positive changes that you have to commit to.

its like extreme makeover. you need to change everything, from your thinking, to your physical aspect of it, learning new skills and so forth.

yeah, i have to agree that perserverance is the key.

i had the motivation, the desire to change, and the changes that i made is very significant from what i was 2 years ago.

for example, when you get depressed and stuff, it feels rather good to be so into the negative thoughts. it feels quite hard to think positive. it just feels good to be negative, to cry, to be self pity.. hmm, i dont know how to explain this.

anyway. you gotta do things one step at a time. for example, breathing techniques, when it is concrete, do relaxation techniques, then after that positive affirmations and so on..

1 thing to emphasise, dont give up. perservere.