Talking To All The Right People?

[voodoochild16]

So ever since I was in grade 7 I've been seeing a councelor. What's amazing is I did not actual get Social Anxiety until grade 9 in the winter. I know this exactly because I was forced to drop out of school at that time because I slept in too much and missed two weeks of school forcing the principal to call my mom and tell her that they had to kick me out until I catch up on my work missed. I did not have enough motivation to get that work required done, I was either lost in translation for a bit or just totally confused with what I was going to do next. I was a very social person before any of this happened, had a good circle of friends... doing well in school, always talking.

I guess I took advantage of just having all that time off, I pretty much sat around on the computer playing video games, not doing home school school work because the anxiety was too intense for me to motivate myself to do it. My father never understood me and always judged me for the position I was in and always told me to get a life. To this day now that I have moved out of his house I have not spoken to him, we never talk.

So since grade 9 I've been suffering from social anxiety, it's been about 5 years. Things have gradually gotten better in the past two years, and I still feel very depressed, have a very low-motivation level, always think too far ahead etc. Everytime I step into my psychiatrist's office I do most of the talking... he knows my condition (even though I diagnosed myself from using Google) and he knows *all about* social anxiety and how to treat it *supposedly* and I feel like we get "no where" every time I see him.

He is the most educated psychiatrist in my area that knows the most about Social Anxiety. I've asked him if there are other therapists locally that treat this disorder but their aren't any. Self therapy for me is driven by me, and it has helped improve my mood so far but it's still so damn hard... so intense... can't stop thinking too far ahead in life with fear and anxiety... its just the way we think and it's cemented into our brains.. it takes 45-54 days to change brain chemistry... must be a hell of a life-time challenge to achieve something like that.

Guessing there are alot of people in the same position right now, but where do I go from here?. What is the point in living??, well I guess you can say hope is a good thing.

[arthur56]

have you tried antidepressant meds, what meds have you taken, sounds like depression is your main problem
a program of exercising and long walks would help, go to a local gym if there is one

tell the psych that you think he should be trying harder to help you

do you snore? if so you may have sleep apnea which reduces energy levels, sadly docs seldom think of it, you should ask doc for tests of possible ophysical causes, low bloodsugar, thyroid, etc

[voodoochild16]

Originally Posted by arthur56

have you tried antidepressant meds, what meds have you taken, sounds like depression is your main problem
a program of exercising and long walks would help, go to a local gym if there is one

tell the psych that you think he should be trying harder to help you

do you snore? if so you may have sleep apnea which reduces energy levels, sadly docs seldom think of it, you should ask doc for tests of possible ophysical causes, low bloodsugar, thyroid, etc

I walk like 17 miles a day at work... and I've taken meds and nothing has worked, and im confident nothing will ever work because meds do not completely change brain chemistry. All the essentials of my diet have nothing to do with social anxiety in my opinion. I appreciate you bringing these possibilities up however. All I can think of is writing down what I'm thinking and bringing it to my therapist.