Drug use to Mask Social Anxiety

[elek2ronik]

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I've visited this forum!

Since learning about my SA over a year ago, I've learned to manage my SA much better. I actually started to open up to others and love myself more, so I could make friends and have meaningful relationships... SO for a while there I thought I had learned to tackle my SA and live a normal life...Until the beginning of this year. Since then, I've started going downhill socially again.

Since the beginning of this year, I've started a nasty habit (Pharmaceuticals) and it has been slowly increasing. I've realized that the reason I've continued to abuse certain RX's, is because It makes me WANT to live life and interact with friends/family and new people. I don't have any desire to quit anytime soon, so I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

I know what I'm doing is bad for me, but like I said, It motivates me and makes life a little more fun, which helps me overcome my SA.

Cheers

 

[omnighost]

Hello, I have been off and on painkillers for about 4 years. I can relate to what you are talking about. They make me feel normal, alive, and fearless. However even though it makes me feel so good for a day it has to end at some point. Your tolerance builds so the longer you take them the more you will need to get that happy feeling. After a while you just continually seek it, you crave it and you need it to cope with anything that disrupts that euphoric feeling.
I've done pretty much every drug known to man and in many different ways and I can tell you the cycle will only worsen unless you break it. From one pill addict to another I strongly recommend you get over the need before it consumes you and tears your life apart. A few of my friends from my hometown have overdosed or become so dependent on pills that nothing else matters.

 

[elek2ronik]

Hello, I have been off and on painkillers for about 4 years. I can relate to what you are talking about. They make me feel normal, alive, and fearless. However even though it makes me feel so good for a day it has to end at some point. Your tolerance builds so the longer you take them the more you will need to get that happy feeling. After a while you just continually seek it, you crave it and you need it to cope with anything that disrupts that euphoric feeling.
I've done pretty much every drug known to man and in many different ways and I can tell you the cycle will only worsen unless you break it. From one pill addict to another I strongly recommend you get over the need before it consumes you and tears your life apart. A few of my friends from my hometown have overdosed or become so dependent on pills that nothing else matters.

Hey omnighost - Thanks for the reply. I guess I do understand that it has to end sometime, and the outcome could be pretty bad depending how far my habits get. I frequent a couple of user forums and talk to a lot of addicts. I hear the horror stories, yet I still continue on. I guess that's part of being addicted, is that you "chase the high" without thinking of negative consequences down the road. I feel like I still have control, so I will try to keep things in control and work on myself instead of avoiding it.

 

[Section_31]

In my case, im on welbutrin. It doesnt give me a "high" at all per se, just seems to force my anxiety down.

Id rather take 1 pill a day, and be able to function. If that makes me addicted to somthing than so be it. Without it i could barely hold down a job before. Now im actually doing quite well.

 

[omnighost]

Wellbutrin is for depression and anxiety. I think the focus was more on narcotics, I can't speak for the original poster but generally RX addiction comes from narcotics and benzo's. Taking your meds. doesn't make you an addict it makes you a patient. Doing painkillers every day to feel alive is a bit different than taking a prescribed medication that is used for treating anxiety/depression.

 

[Section_31]

AH, good call omni.

My bad for jumping on that without slowing down and thinking about what iwas reading.,

 

[elek2ronik]

Oh yeah, I'm talking Narcotics. I'm glad the meds help you though Lone Gunman! If it works for you then keep taking it. That's how I see it anyway.

 

[Kiwong]

I don't take drugs prescribed or not. My life's fun enough without having to take Zoloft or Prozac.

 

[EvilFlyingCow]

Alcohol is a drug. I use that.

 

[Remus]

Lets keep the 'promoting illegal drugs use' talk off these forums, the webmaster is very strict on this. We don't want to have to ban people