I would agree with IntheLabyrinth - I too would not recommend a psychiatrist. I am sure lots of them are good people, but in my experience and knowledge (which extends to both), a psychologist / therapist is more what are you seeking I think.
Having someone to talk to in a structured and guided way about the issues that you are experiencing can only be a good thing. I have attended various therapists over the years for my social anxiety / low self esteem and depression and, despite the fact that I am not exactly 'better', I am undoubtedly VASTLY less bad than I used to be.
And I am pretty sure that therapy was instrumental in getting me to the relatively better place that I occupy now.
The thing you will want to find out is, what sort of therapy is best suited to you. Do you want to try something more talk-based, or do you want to try something that relies more / partially on particular methods / actions in order to achieve change (such as EMDR).
EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is something I tried over the last year, for example. It did not cure my social anxiety (yet!), but it did make it far, far easier for me to stop constantly berating myself and attacking myself mentally, if you know what I mean. It's a technique - kind of like hypnosis, I guess - where you focus on a repetitive movement (in which the therapist moves a pen or something similar back and forth in front of your eyes), while you focus on the images / thoughts that you want to work on replacing. It's supposed to reset your brain or some such thing.
Anyway, I am no expert and I am not pushing EMDR on you, I promise!
I am just saying that there are loads of different types of therapy available. Do some googling on social anxiety and therapy and see what you can find. And when you do go to see a therapist, don't feel you have to stick with the same therapist if you don't think they're the right fit for you.
Shop around - it is your mind after all.
Seriously though - therapy can help. It can be hard work (emotionally and psychologically it can be exhausting), but in my experience it has always been worth the effort. There are no overnight cures - but gradual change is possible, if you want it...
Good luck!