I’m not asking this for people to tell me to google it, or to see my gp.
I’m asking for people with experience in their own lives for advice and knowledge. I don’t want a list of symptoms of a website, I need to know if I relate to actual living breathing people.

And treatment – is it true that medication should only be as a last resort? You wouldn’t recommend it? And the medication itself – is it only available in tablet/pill format? I can’t swallow pills (N)
=/

Thanks.

I’m actually kind of nervous right now talking about my anxiety so I’ll just say this: I swear to god, I experience every symptom on the list. When I still had to take gym class in elementary, I would absolutely refuse to do it because I thought I would look stupid and my classmates would make fun of me. I get so nervous talking in front of a large group of people or giving presentations and will purposely fake sick to miss class for an entire week if I have to just to avoid it. In school, when I forget what class I have first (our periods rotate on even and odd days) or I’m late, I’ll skip them because I don’t want to walk in to the wrong class or be the center of attention for 5 seconds. I avoid using public bathrooms when someone else is in there because..well, I don’t want them to hear me pee and think that I pee weird or something. I know that’s completely ridiculous, but it’s just something I can’t help. I always avoid calling people on the phone or making small talk with a cashier at a store or talking in front of people I don’t know because what if I say something stupid or embarrassing? I’m constantly worried about what other people, even strangers, think of me. I can’t go out without these negative thoughts. I remember doing something very embarrassing in 3 grade and I still think about it every now and then and get mini-Panic Attacks. If there’s a possibilty of being teased or critizied, I’ll avoid it. The less contact with people who will judge me, the better. It’s funny too, because I read mel’s answer above mine and she said she’s known as the "loud and crazy one"…and it’s the same with me. I’m actually pretty outgoing and I know lots of people were suprised to know that I have social anxiety and am intensely self conscious. It’s almost like I have two personalities: the normal me and the me with social anxiety.

As for treatment..it’s different for everybody and every situation. Some people find exposure therapy or cognitive therapy works for them and others don’t. Personally, I found exposure therapy to help lesson the anxiety for some things but for others, not so much. I refused to take medication for my anxiety, so now I’m learning to deal with the more stressful things in a healthy way. I think you should explore all your options first, try them and if they don’t work, then go for medication. I’m not sure if they have to be in pill form but I know when I was taking Prozac, it came in a liquid form and I took that because I have trouble swallowing pills too. (That’s another things I’m anxious about, actually.)

Anyway, best of luck to you. I highly recommend exposure thearpy, because I know that helped me a lot.