ANXIETY AND SOCIAL ANXIETY
i had anxiety for years and did not know it. i thought i was just shy. but i wasnt. it was more than that. i was nervous to do many things normal people take for granted- standing in line to pay for things, pump gas, etc. i figured out that i had it when i was trying to get another job after a particularly shitty one that i had and quit. i was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. i was put on paxil and therapy (starting jan 2003). both worked and i am happy healthy and anxiety free. i was never really shy and am actually super outgoing. if you think you have a problem, here are links to find out.
paxil.com info
Am I Suffering From Social Anxiety
Disorder?
Take a moment to consider how you've been feeling lately. Do you experience
persistent fear and avoidance of social or performance situations? Unlike
people with everyday shyness, patients with Social Anxiety Disorder become
sick with fear over the belief they could do or say something to embarrass
or humiliate themselves. As a result, some people suffering from social anxiety
disorder avoid all socially related situations, significantly limiting their
life, work, and relationships.
Social Anxiety Disorder | What
Is It?
Am I Suffering From Social Anxiety Disorder?
Who Gets Social Anxiety Disorder?
What Are The Symptoms?
Support and Medication
Am I Suffering From Social Anxiety
Disorder?
Take a moment to consider how you've been feeling lately. Do you experience
persistent fear and avoidance of social or performance situations? Unlike
people with everyday shyness, patients with Social Anxiety Disorder become
sick with fear over the belief they could do or say something to embarrass
or humiliate themselves. As a result, some people suffering from social anxiety
disorder avoid all socially related situations, significantly limiting their
life, work, and relationships.
Who Gets Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social anxiety disorder is more common than you may think. It is the third
most common psychiatric disorder in the United States-approximately 15 million
Americans have social anxiety disorder in any given year.(12) The disorder
usually begins in childhood or early adolescence.(1)
What Are The Symptoms?
If you have social anxiety disorder, you often have an extreme fear of a situation
in which you have to meet new people or could be scrutinized by others. As
a result, you experience intense anxiety in these feared social situations-or
you avoid them entirely. Often you get physical symptoms such as blushing,
sweating, shaking, trembling, tense muscles, shaky voice, dry mouth, or a
pounding heart.(1)
When you have social anxiety disorder, you can feel very anxious in the presence of others. You might think other people are very confident in public and you are not. Just blushing can feel horribly embarrassing to you, and you might feel like everyone's eyes are always on you. You might feel anxious about giving a speech, talking to a boss, or dating.
Most people with social anxiety are aware their feelings are irrational. Even if they do manage to confront what they fear, they often feel anxious beforehand and intensely uncomfortable through the situation. After it is over, these feelings might continue because they worry about how they were judged or what others thought or said about them.
Support And Medication
Doctors use a set of questions to help determine whether you have social anxiety
disorder. These questions focus on fears and anxieties surrounding being in
social situations. They might also explore other problems, such as substance
abuse or depression, which often accompany social anxiety disorder.(5)
Treatment can involve medications, talk therapy, or both. Often, ongoing treatment is recommended to prevent your social anxiety disorder from returning.(6)
links -
paxil.com - has quizzes to find out if you might have anxiety