social anxiety

[man]

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take a class in something you enjoy. go travelling. just find unpressured environments where you can meet people. and make sure you're hammered whenever you leave the house.

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i stopped getting hammered. doesn't mix well with my depression. i used to get super baked, but that makes me just socially retarded, and sometimes even more anxious. not to mention super tired.

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yeah I'm jk. I know how you feel. I've never felt that most parties or bars are places to meet people unless you already know tons of people there. I think that's mostly an introvert trait. key to meeting new people is spending time in places where you don't feel pressured either way.

just like anything else, things might get better when you stop worrying about them. try to find other things to do that you enjoy--whether it's madden or hiking, just try to keep yourself from brooding too much. I've known some people with depression, and as much as anything it just takes determination to get over.

[wildzer0]

I actually used to have the same issues. I went on medication for it about 2 years ago and it made a huge difference. The thing for me was that after a few months (3-4) of taking medication, it was enough for me to get re-accustomed to going out without feeling freaked out and I was able to go off it without any recurring symptoms. I wasn't willing to stay on drugs as a permanent solution, so I figured on trying something different if that didn't work out but it turned out to be just what I needed to get everything back in line and I've not had any problems since.

[oddjob]

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There's nothing wrong with it. I feel the same way in many situations. I'd rather spend time with one friend for a couple of hours then with 6 friends in a loud room.

There is a theory that some people are more sensitive to outside stimuli then others. It causes them to naturally avoid prolonged periods of lots of stimulus. Do you have a tendency to kinda zone out when there are more people around and there is more stimuli for the brain to process? If so, then it could just be that you need more quiet time. There is nothing wrong with it.

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actually, i think when i was younger, i used to zone out a lot, which would probably help me stay out. now i don't do it that much, and i just need that quiet time.

on top of the anxiety and depression, i get sweaty head (hyperhidrosis) when i'm anxious and nervous or just uncomfortable. and then i get anxiety about sweating, which makes things even worse.

the only time i'm completely comforable going out, is when i go out dancing. then i'm kinda in my own zone. i don't get anxiety dancing.

[oddjob]

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I actually used to have the same issues. I went on medication for it about 2 years ago and it made a huge difference. The thing for me was that after a few months (3-4) of taking medication, it was enough for me to get re-accustomed to going out without feeling freaked out and I was able to go off it without any recurring symptoms. I wasn't willing to stay on drugs as a permanent solution, so I figured on trying something different if that didn't work out but it turned out to be just what I needed to get everything back in line and I've not had any problems since.

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what drugs were you on?

i got a friend on xanax. he's the most out going person i know. super friendly, and can talk and goof around with just about anyone, and he says it's all cause of xanax.

[man]

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the only time i'm completely comforable going out, is when i go out dancing. then i'm kinda in my own zone. i don't get anxiety dancing.

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weird, me too. my friends used to make fun of me for zoning out dancing and I used to be all "STEP OFF I'M IN THE ZONE"

[oddjob]

someone just deleted a post i was replying to, but i'll post this anyways

wierd that I find it completely the opposite. When I was younger I felt much more uncomfortable in social situations, as I get older I'm really indifferent which most likely is the cause of minimal to zero anxiety.

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this is why i'm worried. i always thought that as i get older, it'd get much better. but i'm finding the opposite true, and it's kinda freaking me out lately. i don't want to be a hermit. i'm getting up there in years (earlyish 30s) and most all my friends are married or in relationships. i know my anxiety and depression are directly attributingn to me being single.

or maybe it's my looks, personality and me being a miserable bastard.

[oddjob]

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the only time i'm completely comforable going out, is when i go out dancing. then i'm kinda in my own zone. i don't get anxiety dancing.

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weird, me too. my friends used to make fun of me for zoning out dancing and I used to be all "STEP OFF I'M IN THE ZONE"

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yah, i'll only freak out, when i'm krunking, or when i'm dance battling someone. then shlts gets real.

[wildzer0]

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what drugs were you on?

i got a friend on xanax. he's the most out going person i know. super friendly, and can talk and goof around with just about anyone, and he says it's all cause of xanax.

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I was on Lexapro (which is an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication). It didn't have any bad side effects or anything. All it really did was take away the anxiety, so social situations got a lot easier.

[popeye18]

I have a little social anxiety. Sometimes ill be excited about going out with friends and then for no reason ill just kinda get nervous about it. Usually its worse if i know ill be meeting people i dont know. However with alchohol im outgoing and all my nervousness goes away. Ive used drinking as a crutch in social situations for way too long and im trying to get away from it.

[tuq]

oddjob,

Why not just stay in and post on 2+2 all night? It's cheaper and PUI is not a crime.