Social anxiety is ruining my life and preventing me getting a job

Made this the same name as somebody else's post so that hopefully more people will see it.

Basically, I have social anxiety, to a really bad extent. I would go to a therapist but the whole social anxiety thing makes that nearly impossible. I can over the phone make an appointment and all that but usually i just stand outside the building for an hour and then go, oh well its too late now i missed it.

Now its getting to the point where I cant get a job, i feel like my life is coming to a crashing halt, and I dont know what to do. I cant do just about anything and pretty much only posting this as some last resort, hoping for a miracle type thing.

Any suggestions are helpful and appreciated.

Plenty of other problems but if i can just get away from this roadblock I can deal with my other demons just like everyone else.

At this point seriously considering taking my own life to avoid homelessness, because the only way for me to get food while homeless would be extraordinarily difficult due to the social anxiety.

thanks for reading either way, sorry for complaining.

Reply 1

Joleee

have you tried antidepressants? i don't have much experience with them, but they say it's supposed to make coping easier. i would suggest try them out and it might at least make you strong enough to get into therapy.

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Original post by Joleee

Have to first go into therapy to get those, and get diagnosed

Reply 3

Joleee

Original post by Anonymous

Have to first go into therapy to get those, and get diagnosed

why? you just go to your GP for the meds. no need for therapy first.

Reply 4

Pathway

Original post by Anonymous

I get the predicament you're in, but if you want something to change (which it sounds like you do!) then you're gonna have to force yourself into anxiety provoking situations. Things won't change if you don't make a change. In the short term though, you could look into online private counselling, some do counsel over Skype (with and without video/audio), that could potentially help in the short term? Are you close to anybody? Siblings? Parents? Friends? Could they go with you to any in person appointments? I go with my best friend to most of my appointments (although when therapy starts she will only take me there and take me back), partially due to my anxiety and some other reasons. It helps keep me accountable and means I can't back out of things (which is usually my default).

Reply 5

prophetkid

Original post by Anonymous

Have to first go into therapy to get those, and get diagnosed

You don't need to see any therapist to get medication. Seeing your GP (you might be able to request a telephone appointment) will allow you to be prescribed anti-depressants or beta blockers. Beta blockers personally helped me overcome the majority of my social anxiety, I would really recommend them.

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

Original post by Joleee

why? you just go to your GP for the meds. no need for therapy first.

I wasnt aware, I thought depression or anxiety medication required a prescription. Keep in mind i live in canada

Reply 7

Pathway

Therapists can't prescribe medication. You need to go to a medical doctor.

Reply 8

username3900288

This is a very serious and self-destructive issue you are facing.

It is crucial that you identify any possible sources of your social anxiety before you go about attempting to cure it.

Because see, here is the thing:

From what i can gather, social anxiety appears to often manifest as a result of the victim rejecting themselves and then fearing social rejection from others. This rejection appears to occur from them acknowledging the fact that they do not live up to or their subconscious desire to satisfy specific expectations.

These expectations may be self-created, or may be related to conventional social and cultural expectations. They may also manifest as a result of socially anxious individuals comparing themselves to those who they subconsciously feel to be "superior" to them in some way. In any case, the individual rejects themselves and then desires acceptance from other people. The reason for this seems (to me at least) to be due to them subconsciously wanting others to approve of the aspects about themselves that they have rejected, as they themselves cannot bring themselves to accept these aspects. They feel that if they do not acquire approval in any manner they deem "meaningful", then their existence is "useless" and socially anxious people fear this assumption ever being treated as being "fact" by both themselves and others.

You need to identify the source of your anxiety and you need to bring yourself to accept yourself as who you are - a human who has potential to become someone amazing. You do NOT have to become rich, you do not need to have a "large array of friends", you do not need to live up to expectations if you do not want to. You are YOU and you are a human. Please do not take your own life and please learn to love who you are as an individual.