Don't know what to do with social anxiety?
Hi everyone, making this anonymous, hope you dont mind
All of my life (since primary school at least) I've been cripplingly shy. So much so that throughout school I got bullied severely because I was literally terrified of speaking up for myself.
Now i'm in first year of university and seminars absolutely terrify me, the thought of speaking out literally scares me so much and is something I would never do. I hate halls because I'm shy I didn't want to talk to my flatmates all the time and now they hate me.
I really feel like now i'm at the stage of university it's holding me back even more. I don't go to clubs because I hate guys talking to me , scares me somehow.
Has anyone else resolved their anxiety with pills or something? I have never talked about this with ayone and in the past I've only been ridiculed for how shy I am. It wasn't until recently that I discovered social anxiety exists. I just thought I was some weird shy person.
All of my life (since primary school at least) I've been cripplingly shy. So much so that throughout school I got bullied severely because I was literally terrified of speaking up for myself.
Now i'm in first year of university and seminars absolutely terrify me, the thought of speaking out literally scares me so much and is something I would never do. I hate halls because I'm shy I didn't want to talk to my flatmates all the time and now they hate me.
I really feel like now i'm at the stage of university it's holding me back even more. I don't go to clubs because I hate guys talking to me , scares me somehow.
Has anyone else resolved their anxiety with pills or something? I have never talked about this with ayone and in the past I've only been ridiculed for how shy I am. It wasn't until recently that I discovered social anxiety exists. I just thought I was some weird shy person.
Original post by Anonymous
Hi everyone, making this anonymous, hope you dont mind
All of my life (since primary school at least) I've been cripplingly shy. So much so that throughout school I got bullied severely because I was literally terrified of speaking up for myself.
Now i'm in first year of university and seminars absolutely terrify me, the thought of speaking out literally scares me so much and is something I would never do. I hate halls because I'm shy I didn't want to talk to my flatmates all the time and now they hate me.
I really feel like now i'm at the stage of university it's holding me back even more. I don't go to clubs because I hate guys talking to me , scares me somehow.
Has anyone else resolved their anxiety with pills or something? I have never talked about this with ayone and in the past I've only been ridiculed for how shy I am. It wasn't until recently that I discovered social anxiety exists. I just thought I was some weird shy person.
All of my life (since primary school at least) I've been cripplingly shy. So much so that throughout school I got bullied severely because I was literally terrified of speaking up for myself.
Now i'm in first year of university and seminars absolutely terrify me, the thought of speaking out literally scares me so much and is something I would never do. I hate halls because I'm shy I didn't want to talk to my flatmates all the time and now they hate me.
I really feel like now i'm at the stage of university it's holding me back even more. I don't go to clubs because I hate guys talking to me , scares me somehow.
Has anyone else resolved their anxiety with pills or something? I have never talked about this with ayone and in the past I've only been ridiculed for how shy I am. It wasn't until recently that I discovered social anxiety exists. I just thought I was some weird shy person.
Hi, I'm so sorry you're going through this but you can definitely get past it with the right help
have you tried talking to your family about how you're feeling? I'm sure they'd understand and with things like these, just talking to someone can do wonders. I was in similar position at school as I also have anxiety and was really sacred sometimes about making a fool of myself, even when saying 'here' for the register filled me with dread sometimes lol and it's understandable that you would be concerned after being bullied. Personally, my social anxiety got a lot better after starting Uni, you start to realise that most people don't actually care that much, they're too wrapped up in themselves to think loads about what you say or how you act tbh and when you start making friends and get close to people with similar interests they won't care either. Perhaps look into speaking to a counsellor (at your Uni maybe?) or your gp, mental health services are improving all the time and they're there to help you. Hope this helps in some way, good luck op! 
(edited 8 years ago)
Hi there! I'm sorry you're going through all of this, and I truly hope that you reach a point where you overcome this issue. I actually had social anxiety all of my life as well, but I didn't know it was an actual condition until university as well. I'm a bit different from your case. I was a social person but I struggled internally because no one would believe that I had anxiety issues. I couldn't talk in front of people, could never ever go on dates, was so concerned about people thinking about me negatively, and it eventually drove me to depression. I dropped classes where a presentation was required because I couldn't talk in front of people for the fear of getting judged, and drank alcohol in the morning at times to relieve anxiety.
I went to a Psychiatrist, which I still visit every once in a while. I am still currently taking SSRIs, and sometimes take Benzos as well. SSRI's have helped me, but I do believe I need counseling along with it to fully recover. I think both would be helpful. I think it would be a good idea for you to visit a Counselor first. I'm sure she will be able to give you more advice and maybe you will feel comfortable enough to talk about your past and the issues that you are facing.
I also had problems with dating due to my anxiety problems, and because I was so scared about what they thought about me and etc. This sounds super out there but I actually semi got over it by using Tinder haha What I am trying to say is exposure does help. It might be really really hard but you can take tiny steps at a time.
Please feel free to message me if you have any questions regarding medication or etc! Good Luck!!!!
I went to a Psychiatrist, which I still visit every once in a while. I am still currently taking SSRIs, and sometimes take Benzos as well. SSRI's have helped me, but I do believe I need counseling along with it to fully recover. I think both would be helpful.
I think it would be a good idea for you to visit a Counselor first. I'm sure she will be able to give you more advice and maybe you will feel comfortable enough to talk about your past and the issues that you are facing. I also had problems with dating due to my anxiety problems, and because I was so scared about what they thought about me and etc. This sounds super out there but I actually semi got over it by using Tinder haha What I am trying to say is exposure does help. It might be really really hard but you can take tiny steps at a time.
Please feel free to message me if you have any questions regarding medication or etc! Good Luck!!!!
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