I believe I have a serious case of social anxiety disorder although I have never been professionally tested (due to the fact that I’m scared to see a doctor about it — go figure).

I have been with my fiance for a year and I almost break down into massive Panic Attacks everytime I am in the company of his parents. I have become unglued at dinner with them, spilling water all over the table due to my shaking hands. I avoid most of their family parties and claim either sickness or another event to attend. My fiance even says my nervousness is very noticeable and that I sometimes look like a complete mess. He tells me all the time to calm down and act myself, but I can’t. I don’t know why this happens to me but it does.

This happens with other things as well. I am petrified to continue my education and go off to college. I attempted it but I was nervous everyday in class and uneasy. I am a day care teacher and speaking with my boss and the children’s parents is a STRUGGLE! Help me!
I met my fiance at a high school party when I was under the influence of alcohol. I would have never had the nerve to approach him sober.

Also, job interviews….most nerve wrecking events in my life. I spend days worrying about them.

Medications often used for chronic, severe, or generalized social anxiety disorder include:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to relieve anxiety. SSRIs are often the first type of medication used to treat generalized social anxiety disorder.
Benzodiazepines, to relieve anxiety. They are fast-acting; however, they may be habit-forming and are not generally used in those with substance abuse problems.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), to relieve depression and anxiety. MAOIs have potentially serious side effects when they are taken with certain foods (such as some cheeses and red wine).
Beta-blockers, to reduce anxiety. Beta-blockers are sometimes used to treat physical symptoms of anxiety (such as tremors or rapid heart rate).
Venlafaxine, to help relieve anxiety and depression.
Ongoing treatment of social anxiety disorder usually includes continuing psychological counseling and regular checkups to monitor any medications you may be taking.

If professional counseling alone has not reduced your anxiety symptoms, medications may be added to your treatment.

It is possible to overcome the fears associated with social anxiety disorder. Working through fears with a specific type of therapy-cognitive-behavioral therapy that includes exposure therapy-may be the best approach for treating your anxiety. It is important to continue professional counseling even if you are taking medications to reduce anxiety.

Types of therapy that effectively treat social anxiety disorder include:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps you identify anxieties and situations that provoke the anxiety. Initially, you may feel uncomfortable while addressing the feared situations, but it is an important part of your recovery. Several types of cognitive-behavioral therapy are used to treat social anxiety disorder, including:
Exposure therapy. You will be guided by a professional counselor to imagine you are facing the feared situation until you no longer fear it, such as eating in public. Next, you may go with your counselor to a public place and eat until, eventually, you can eat by yourself in public without fear.
Social skills training. This therapy helps you develop the skills you need in social situations through rehearsing and role-playing. Your anxiety is reduced as you become more comfortable with and prepared for the feared social situations.
Cognitive restructuring. This therapy helps you learn to identify and improve fearful thinking to help you better handle social situations.
Symptom management skills. This therapy teaches you how to reduce stress by controlling your breathing and other physical responses to anxiety.
Supportive therapy. This can include:
Education about the disorder.
Family therapy, to support loved ones affected by your condition.
Group therapy or support groups, to seek support from others also diagnosed with the disorder.
If your anxiety is triggered by many social situations (generalized), you may need continuous and prolonged treatment with a combination of counseling and medications. During this time, your health professional will need to monitor your medications. If one medication is ineffective, you and your health professional may decide you should try another.

With social anxiety disorder, it is possible to progress from debilitating fear of one social situation to having anxiety about all social encounters (generalized). If this occurs, additional treatment is needed that usually includes adding medications and increasing the amount of professional counseling you receive.

You may also feel more anxious when starting professional counseling. This is because you are thinking about the situations that cause you fear and anxiety. Once the situations have been identified, the fears can be addressed through counseling-especially cognitive-behavioral therapy which includes exposure therapy-gradually exposing you to your fear.

If you are taking medications to treat social anxiety disorder, you will need regular checkups to monitor the medications (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and their potential side effects. The medications may cause bothersome side effects that may make your anxiety worse at first. These side effects may get better over time. But if they do not, you may need to take a different medicine.

If social anxiety disorder is left untreated or improperly treated, it can cause debilitating distress that interferes with daily activities. Physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate, blushing, shortness of breath, and dizziness can occur and need to be assessed.

Other psychological conditions (such as depression or substance abuse) may accompany social anxiety disorder, and these conditions need additional treatment. If left untreated, the combination of social anxiety disorder and another psychological condition (such as depression) can increase the risk of attempted suicide.

what are some short term treatments i can do to get through something less than 20 minutes tomorrow?
I dont want to try anti depressants and drugs just some ways to help cope with it, i end up having a panic attack.

Really the only answer is medication. And Benzodiazepines are really your only choice there. Xanax (alprazolam), Ativan (lorazepam), or Valium (diazepam) are the best and fastest acting. Ativan is often the drug of choice in hospitals for anti-anxiety relief before procedures or to give to a claustrophobic person having an MRI. They are all good. And one dose certainly will not hurt. And anyone recommending breathing exercises and "getting to the centre of anxiety" is not very helpful, especially for a single need.

Nana, my former nanny, is suffering from general anxiety disorder. She worries about every little thing – dirty laundry, picnics, allowances, family gatherings… whatever. It’s not bad to get worried sometimes but she’s overdoing it. She worries too much. She always seems scared even if there’s nothing to be scared about. She’s also having problems with her health. She always feel dizzy and nauseous. Her head aches often and her heart always pound twice as fast. Please tell me the treatments for GAD. I really want to help Nana. I know it’s hard to live a life filled with tension and worries.

The two main treatments for a general anxiety disorder are medication and psychotherapy. The type of medication used in treating GAD is an anti-depressant. As in name suggests, an anti-depressant fights depression. It tries to counter all negative thoughts like distress, agony and anxiety. One of the newer types of anti-depressant is the SSRI or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Even if it causes nausea and sexual dysfunction in some cases, SSRI is considered very helpful for it enhances the mood by manipulating neurotransmitters.

Two types of helpful therapies are behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. Behavioral therapy aims to lessen or to eliminate the behavior brought by the disorder. In your Nana’s case, it’s the anxiety. Through behavioral therapy, she’ll be taught how to relax in times of worry-filled situations and how to breathe well to fight hyperventilation. Cognitive therapy, on the other hand, aims to discover the connection between your Nana’s mental state and her anxiety.
She’ll be taught how to deal with unwanted thoughts full of anxiety to prevent GAD symptoms. It will help her fight the disorder.

i have gad anxiety disorder i get tension headaches, weaK arms and legs, sweaty palms , hot face, chest pounding of heart, cant focus, ears popping , sinus pressure,unstable in legs standing and at times lose of appetite and trouble falling asleep and more tired in the am, i currently use sublinqual b12 dots, fish oil, and xanax on occasion, i have heard vitamin d helps what type you get and what the best remedy or herbal treatment..?

Hey… Victoria here, maybe my personal story can give you some solace…

a lil about me- about a year after my husband left me and my daughter died about 5 years ago.. I was at a very difficult point in my life, and was ultimately diagnosed with depression, severe anxiety, and panic disorder. I would say that i’ve always for the most part been a little depressed and had some degree of anxiety, but this just completely tipped the scale. I remember there were days on end I would just lie in bed, and whenever I would be in a social environment my anxiety would go through the roof and I would often have Panic Attacks. Therapy never seemed to be effective for me, and my psych put me on damn near every med out there. I’ve been on everything from wellbutrin to paxil, zoloft, prozac, lexapro, celexa, buspar, valium, klonopin, xanax.. etc. Sometimes 2-3 different ones in combo at the same time. Nothing really seemed to work for me. With the exception of some of the benzos (klono./xanax) .. these worked well for a little while, but I grew tolerance quickly, and became highly addicted.

Then one day while researching online i came across this reputable looking website http://www.anxiety.pcti-system.com .. which talked about this program to eliminate your anxiety for good, all naturally. Long story short, I wound up signing up to try it and the program worked amazing.. Not only do I no longer have panic attacks and anxiety gone, but my depression has also seemed to dissipate a little. And I’m currently starting to slowly ween off the meds I’m on. >>>>

I would personally say that possibly the biggest driving factor in all this is OCD. I think obsessing and constantly having your thoughts focused on your own condition and constantly analyzing your own thoughts/actions plays a very significant role in the persistence of our ails. Almost like the condition is a small lit fire, and OCD is the fuel that keeps it consistently burning… Also, I’ve come to the conclusion that meds are generally a unhealthy short term cure that only semi-treats the symptoms, and never the cause. Hope I was of some help!

Will I feel like a normal person?
How well will it work?
Will I be a happier person?
Will all my worrying and insecurities die down?
Will I have any personality changes?
If ur someone with GAD who has been treated for it, it would be such a relief if you could answer some my questions or just explain what it feels like to be treated for it.

Nate: Treatment for GAD generally MIGHT, depending on your situation, involve some medication (mild), counseling to help you understand what it is causing your reactions, and suggestions for somethings you can do for yourself (like learning relaxation techniques). Having someone assist you is important, to help you understand your worries and insecurities, to LISTEN to you. From personal experience, you will be happier, you may change in some small ways (but change is what you want/need, right?) and the calm you will feel is incredible! When your relieved of the worry and insecurity, you WILL feel some much better, it’s a NATURAL high!! I’m not sure what a "normal" person is, it will work as well as you will let it and the effort you put into it, your worries and insecurities will die down, and I think you may enjoy some of the changes you will experience (being happier, not worrying all the time, feeling more secure, etc.) see what I mean? Take care

What treatment would you recommend for social anxiety disorder? It’s gotten to the point where I can barely function socially.

I used to see a psychologist but then moved to a new location, and with school and work, I don’t have time/money to visit someone regularly — especially at Manhattan prices.

Are there any home-remedies I could try? I really can’t afford to see a psychologist at the moment and my insurance doesn’t cover it.

The more you expose yourself to social situations the more relaxed you will become in that kind of environment. Start off with small gatherings of 4-5 people and then move up to a few dozen and the eventually a large event with hundreds or even thousands of people.

My doctor recommended I go into a residential treatment facility for social anxiety disorder for several weeks. She didn’t really know where was good though. I was wondering if there were any really good treatment places for it in the U.S.

Hi Linnea,

Sebastiaan here

I’ve suffered from social anxiety disorder for over 5 years and am now completely healed. I have no social anxiety anymore. This is possible for you as well. And for anyone reading this for that matter…

I’ve experienced almost all of the possible options for therapy and would like you to give you the best two out there.

One of the ways -which your doctor probably advised you- is CBT.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is based on the premise that thoughts cause feelings. And that your feelings affect your behavior. The therapy uncovers negative thinking, irrational beliefs and unwanted behaviors that cause your negative emotions.

These negative thoughts, beliefs and behaviors first get identified. Once that’s achieved the approach is to replace these with more rational, positive ones.

This in turn changes the way you think about social situations that give you anxiety. And as a result you’ll feel better, can think more clearly, and make better decisions.

Aside from that, CBT teaches you how to control the physical symptoms of your anxiety through various relaxation and breathing exercises.

And CBT also focuses on exposure therapy.

This is where you will systematically desensitize yourself to social situations you fear.
Together with your therapist you think of a social situation that you might fear.

For example saying hi to a colleague. Before facing the situation in real life you work with your therapist to minimize the amount of anxiety you experience when thinking about the fearful situation.

Then once you feel confident enough to face it in real life, you take the step and "expose" yourself to the situation.

Once you feel comfortable doing that, you go on to the next step. You slowly but surely expose yourself to more and more social situations. But you get less anxious and more and more confident the more situations you are able to face.

An additional form of social anxiety treatment in CBT is group therapy for social anxiety.

Here you practice role-playing and other methods to improve your social skills. This lessens your anxiety as you feel more competent and confident in your social abilities.

CBT is the most recognized form of therapy and will get you results. However, the downside is that it is expensive and that it is hard and challenging work. Plus you are not guaranteed to completely recover…

A program that you doctor might have referred you to (I’m not related to this program) is this one:

http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/international.html

…

The second form of therapy -which I have experienced and am certified in- is called EFT. This stands for Emotional Freedom Technique.

It’s a psychological form of accupuncture yet instead of using needles you use the finger tips to stimulate specific meredian points on the body. It’s a weird looking technique, yet in the hands of a skilled professional extremely effective. We’re talking above 95% success rates here!

I was extremely skeptical in the beginning myself as well, but I have applied it to myself successfully, have undergone training and have healed over a hundred people of several different emotional issues. Including social phobia’s…

I have struggled for years and have worked very hard and intensively trying to solve my social anxiety using all sorts of psychology approaches, herbs, affirmations, hypnosis, NLP etc.

And I made progress with them for sure. But after years of trying very hard I only solved maybe 40% of my social anxiety. EFT helped me within months to clear the remaining 60%.

Trust me, this stuff really works.

The premise of EFT is that "the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system."

And when you tap on specific meridian points on your body while being focused in on your "problem", the disruption in your energy system gets balanced out and due to that the negative emotions disappears.

I know, you now probably think I lost it…

…Or that I’m some weird airy-fairy woo-woo guy that believes in ghosts and fairy tales.

But seriously, this weird technique is an amazing form of social anxiety treatment. In fact, I believe it to be the most effective form of Social Anxiety Treatment out there.

It’s fast, painfree and extremely effective. You experience relief and will feel better after only one session (though completely overcoming your SAD takes several more sessions).

I have a video on youtube where I explain how it works and where I guide you through the process.
You might want to have a look and try it for yourself. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jnlu1DaHLo# )

I offer a coaching package called "Social Anxiety to Social Confidence Guaranteed" on my site. Here I coach you 1 on 1 via skype (getting coached from the comfort of your own home and the ease of sitting behind your PC) to social confidence within 3 months. Guaranteed.

For the exact details, go here:

http://www.social-anxiety-solutions.com/cure-social-anxiety.html

i haven’t been diagnosed or anything but I feel like I have anxiety because I am always anxious and I get depressed every once in awhile. I did some research and found a website with information on anxiety here:
http://www.dealing-with-anxiety.net/anxiety-disorder-treatment.html/

Am I crazy for looking for treatment or should I wait for this to go away on it’s own? If you were me what would you do… seriously… it really sucks being me nowadays.

I’d start with the breathing program you can’t go wrong with that. I wouldn’t take any meds until I saw a doctor though.

It’s sort of a self diagnoses. I’ve been asking around for years and doing research off and on and I came across the symptoms for Social Anxiety Disorder. I seem to have about 90% of the symptoms in such a severe way that it effects my daily life dramatically. I’m unable to see psychologists or doctors due to the cost, and I don’t have any support from family. I’ve been reading about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but how do I know that’s right for me? As long as I know a certain treatment will work for me, I would be willing to do everything in my power to try and get it. I’m afraid if I wait too long, my depression as a result from my social anxiety will get even worse and impair any chances I have of recovering. Thanks everyone!

I also have social anxiety and I feel for you….I tried everything because I’m not much of a medicine person and I thought I could handle it myself but I couldnt I’m on Lexapro right now and I’m doing so much better you wouldnt even think I had social anxiety. If you don’t have the money I would say get a good book about the subject…goodluck

I was just diagnosed with social anxiety disorder whats the best treament.

I suffered for years, but it improved when I started Paxtil / Aropax (Antidepressant). It’s not to be taken lightly, and get good medical advice first, but it solved my problem after years of intense unwelcome anxiety.