cookie84
Member
Hi Everyone,
I am so glad I have come across this site, I hope I can learn from other people on here and take positives from peoples stories to help myself.
I will give you a quick run down on my situation.......
I am a 23 year old female from Australia, happily married and dont have anything to complain about in life apart from my social phobia.... I have suffered from social phobia since I was about 14..... thats the earliest I can remember suffering anyhow.
Back at that age, I couldnt even walk down the street from my house without thinking people in cars or people in the shopping centres were saying something bad about me when they looked at me..... Walking into a shopping centre was a nerve wracking experience which would leave me panicky and sweaty etc...
I was taking Efexor XR until a couple of months ago, I decided I didnt want to be on meds anymore, I wanted to try to combat this without meds..... well so far not really so good......
I have found that my social phobia/anxiety has started to consume my life, it really is affecting my every day living.
I think about my social phobia/anxiety from the time I wake up until the time my head hits the pillow and I fall asleep....
With my social phobia I have a fear of going into shopping centres/super markets and especially running into people that I know and having to speak to them?? No one has ever noticed/picked this and I am naturally a chatterbox who talks lots who makes people laugh, I have good friends and play sport so I dont know why I am like this and it drives me mad.
Speaking in front of people at work, usually more than a couple of people leaves me feeling stressed out no end.... I wear my hair down at all times as I feel as though it hides me more?
If I find myself in these situations (shopping centres/speaking in front of groups) I get sweaty, and feel my face turning bright red... which makes me panic more. I will avoid going to a shop at any cost and only go if I can;t get out of it. The main problems is I cant stand having other peoples eyes on me especially if I have to speak, I dont like being the focus of peoples attention and as for the shopping centre/shops bit i really dont know????
There is alot more to it but thats the basics of it, I have never spoken to a professional about my situation as it's only now i have found myself at a breaking point..... I have booked in to see a Dr on Thursday this week and hope to get a referral to a Psychologist in my area and take it from there.....
I know this is a long first post but had to get it off my chest and I hope to hear from those of you who have some techniques to help calm yourself or to help your social phobia? I really am desperate and need to calm myself down even just a little bit until I am advised of techniques by a professional etc....
Thanks
I am so glad I have come across this site, I hope I can learn from other people on here and take positives from peoples stories to help myself.
I will give you a quick run down on my situation.......
I am a 23 year old female from Australia, happily married and dont have anything to complain about in life apart from my social phobia.... I have suffered from social phobia since I was about 14..... thats the earliest I can remember suffering anyhow.
Back at that age, I couldnt even walk down the street from my house without thinking people in cars or people in the shopping centres were saying something bad about me when they looked at me..... Walking into a shopping centre was a nerve wracking experience which would leave me panicky and sweaty etc...
I was taking Efexor XR until a couple of months ago, I decided I didnt want to be on meds anymore, I wanted to try to combat this without meds..... well so far not really so good......
I have found that my social phobia/anxiety has started to consume my life, it really is affecting my every day living.
I think about my social phobia/anxiety from the time I wake up until the time my head hits the pillow and I fall asleep....
With my social phobia I have a fear of going into shopping centres/super markets and especially running into people that I know and having to speak to them?? No one has ever noticed/picked this and I am naturally a chatterbox who talks lots who makes people laugh, I have good friends and play sport so I dont know why I am like this and it drives me mad.
Speaking in front of people at work, usually more than a couple of people leaves me feeling stressed out no end.... I wear my hair down at all times as I feel as though it hides me more?
If I find myself in these situations (shopping centres/speaking in front of groups) I get sweaty, and feel my face turning bright red... which makes me panic more. I will avoid going to a shop at any cost and only go if I can;t get out of it. The main problems is I cant stand having other peoples eyes on me especially if I have to speak, I dont like being the focus of peoples attention and as for the shopping centre/shops bit i really dont know????
There is alot more to it but thats the basics of it, I have never spoken to a professional about my situation as it's only now i have found myself at a breaking point..... I have booked in to see a Dr on Thursday this week and hope to get a referral to a Psychologist in my area and take it from there.....
I know this is a long first post but had to get it off my chest and I hope to hear from those of you who have some techniques to help calm yourself or to help your social phobia? I really am desperate and need to calm myself down even just a little bit until I am advised of techniques by a professional etc....
Thanks
