cicada1000
Member
I used to have SA so bad that I wouldn't leave my mother's house or even answer the phone. Now (at 31!) I am finally able to hold a job and have my own place. I still have a long way to go - still don't have any real friends or feel confident enough to date, but I thought I would share some of the things that have helped me make some progress.
First I stopped taking the medications I was on. I am certainly not saying this is for everybody, or that they don't help, but in my case I realized that I had come to think that the drugs were going to fix everything by themselves. (and they obviously weren't as I had been on them for years) Also lost trust in my doctor when I found out that one of the new medications he had me on had a lot of potential dangerous side effects that he hadn't even told me about. I had even told him that I was feeling better the day he prescribed the new drug for me!!
Next I went back to college. I spent the first two years just going to class and going home without talking to anyone, but it got me out of the house.
Then I began to push myself to do things i was nervous about, liking joining an academic club, talking to classmates, and finally getting a part-time job. The job is still difficult sometimes because I have to deal with a lot of customers but I think it is helping me.
I also tried some CBT on my own - just realizing how many thoughts i have that aren't necessarily true - everyone is probably not looking at me and thinking that I am wierd or whatever. I am slowly learning to question these thoughts and assumptions.
I think SA is particularily hard to overcome because it becomes a part of your identity and getting over it means losing a part of yourself which is kind of scary, even if it is a part you don't like. Also I becomes what people expect of you, and it is all too easy to fall back into that role. In my case my family still treats me as if I haven't make any progress at all and I think it is going to take a long time to convince them that I have changed.
So now....
I am still trying CBT. I found a free online course at http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome that I am going to try. Also looking into ACT as it sounds similiar to Buddhist meditation which my brother says has helped his anxiety.
I'm also seeing a school counselor, and I am going to try a group for social anxiety and shyness that I found via meetup.com. I'm hoping maybe I can then try to join some other non SA groups.
I hope something in here helps someone. To any complete shut-ins like i was, please do something to just get out of the house regularly even if you don't speak to anyone - don't let SA steal half your life like i did. And it does get easier eventually!!
First I stopped taking the medications I was on. I am certainly not saying this is for everybody, or that they don't help, but in my case I realized that I had come to think that the drugs were going to fix everything by themselves. (and they obviously weren't as I had been on them for years) Also lost trust in my doctor when I found out that one of the new medications he had me on had a lot of potential dangerous side effects that he hadn't even told me about. I had even told him that I was feeling better the day he prescribed the new drug for me!!
Next I went back to college. I spent the first two years just going to class and going home without talking to anyone, but it got me out of the house.
Then I began to push myself to do things i was nervous about, liking joining an academic club, talking to classmates, and finally getting a part-time job. The job is still difficult sometimes because I have to deal with a lot of customers but I think it is helping me.
I also tried some CBT on my own - just realizing how many thoughts i have that aren't necessarily true - everyone is probably not looking at me and thinking that I am wierd or whatever. I am slowly learning to question these thoughts and assumptions.
I think SA is particularily hard to overcome because it becomes a part of your identity and getting over it means losing a part of yourself which is kind of scary, even if it is a part you don't like. Also I becomes what people expect of you, and it is all too easy to fall back into that role. In my case my family still treats me as if I haven't make any progress at all and I think it is going to take a long time to convince them that I have changed.
So now....
I am still trying CBT. I found a free online course at http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome that I am going to try. Also looking into ACT as it sounds similiar to Buddhist meditation which my brother says has helped his anxiety.
I'm also seeing a school counselor, and I am going to try a group for social anxiety and shyness that I found via meetup.com. I'm hoping maybe I can then try to join some other non SA groups.
I hope something in here helps someone. To any complete shut-ins like i was, please do something to just get out of the house regularly even if you don't speak to anyone - don't let SA steal half your life like i did. And it does get easier eventually!!
