I finally did it. After 30 some years of feeling like I was missing out on many, many things in life, I decided to get help.
Until recently I didn't think there was anything wrong with me other than being a shy person. I thought, like most other people, that "that's just the way I am". I finally decided to do some research, and lo and behold, I discover that the problem isn't that I am shy (I am very comfortable around people I know well), it's that I suffer from anxiety brought on by meeting new people, being in social situations, etc. So for the better part of the last 30 years I have had to endure feeling like I was always on the outside of everything, missing out on numerouos opportunities because I was a "shy" person.
I fit the diagnosis pretty much 100%- most any kind of social situation causes me great anxiety to the point where I avoid putting myself in the situation of having to go to parties, meeting new people, I have even had issues with everyday things (this was in the past) like calling someone on the telephone. Anyone who doesn't suffer from this condition might find it difficult to relate, but IT SUCKS BIGTIME.
So after all this time I finally realized that it isn't just that I am who I am, I actually have a problem that might be able to be resolved and talked to my doctor about the fact that I suffer from social anxiety. She asked me a few questions, trying to determine if I also had depression, etc., and then wrote me prescription for Zoloft and clonazepam (like Xanax).
I have only been taking the meds for three weeks. The Zolft kicked my ass at first with a bunch of side effects. Now the side effects are going away and the medicine seems to be kicking in (it sometimes takes up to 6 weeks for full effect).
Hopefully the Zoloft keeps doing it's stuff, cause it feels GREAT to be able to go out in public and not constantly feel like everyone is judging you. I feel more confident, and I have a much greater desire to socialize. I really hope that the stuff keeps working cause I can honestly see it changing my life 100% if it does.
The doctor also gave me the clonazepam to take the edge off until the Zoloft kicks in. This stuff works wonders. I took one before I went out the other night. Although at our first stop I was COMPLETELY out of my element, I felt very relaxed and had a smile on my face the entire time. Later we went to a club that I go to often. As soon as we walked in I walked up to the bar to get a drink and some chick comes up behind me and starts grinding up on me. Normally I would have had to have had several drinks in me to loosen up, but I was 100% sober (except for the clonazepam, of course) and grabbed her and chatted her up no prob.
I really don't have any complaints about my life as it is.....in the past I have always managed to land good looking girlfriends, very good friends in general, and have been successful financially, but if my treatment for SA goes well it will be the icing on the cake.
The point of this post isn't to glorify the use of medication. I just want to encourage anyone else out there who has similar issues to seek some help. No one should be forced to live a life filled with anxiety when there are treatments available.
Until recently I didn't think there was anything wrong with me other than being a shy person. I thought, like most other people, that "that's just the way I am". I finally decided to do some research, and lo and behold, I discover that the problem isn't that I am shy (I am very comfortable around people I know well), it's that I suffer from anxiety brought on by meeting new people, being in social situations, etc. So for the better part of the last 30 years I have had to endure feeling like I was always on the outside of everything, missing out on numerouos opportunities because I was a "shy" person.
I fit the diagnosis pretty much 100%- most any kind of social situation causes me great anxiety to the point where I avoid putting myself in the situation of having to go to parties, meeting new people, I have even had issues with everyday things (this was in the past) like calling someone on the telephone. Anyone who doesn't suffer from this condition might find it difficult to relate, but IT SUCKS BIGTIME.
So after all this time I finally realized that it isn't just that I am who I am, I actually have a problem that might be able to be resolved and talked to my doctor about the fact that I suffer from social anxiety. She asked me a few questions, trying to determine if I also had depression, etc., and then wrote me prescription for Zoloft and clonazepam (like Xanax).
I have only been taking the meds for three weeks. The Zolft kicked my ass at first with a bunch of side effects. Now the side effects are going away and the medicine seems to be kicking in (it sometimes takes up to 6 weeks for full effect).
Hopefully the Zoloft keeps doing it's stuff, cause it feels GREAT to be able to go out in public and not constantly feel like everyone is judging you. I feel more confident, and I have a much greater desire to socialize. I really hope that the stuff keeps working cause I can honestly see it changing my life 100% if it does.
The doctor also gave me the clonazepam to take the edge off until the Zoloft kicks in. This stuff works wonders. I took one before I went out the other night. Although at our first stop I was COMPLETELY out of my element, I felt very relaxed and had a smile on my face the entire time. Later we went to a club that I go to often. As soon as we walked in I walked up to the bar to get a drink and some chick comes up behind me and starts grinding up on me. Normally I would have had to have had several drinks in me to loosen up, but I was 100% sober (except for the clonazepam, of course) and grabbed her and chatted her up no prob.
I really don't have any complaints about my life as it is.....in the past I have always managed to land good looking girlfriends, very good friends in general, and have been successful financially, but if my treatment for SA goes well it will be the icing on the cake.
The point of this post isn't to glorify the use of medication. I just want to encourage anyone else out there who has similar issues to seek some help. No one should be forced to live a life filled with anxiety when there are treatments available.