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I never thought I'd be posting this in here, but I no longer have social anxiety 
Just wanted to post so that ppl realize not everyone with SA has it their entire lives. There is a lot of hope for getting over it and I am proof of that.
I developed it as a young teenager and had it about 8 years--seemed much longer to me though since I was so young when I got it. I had been shy as a kid, but at 13 the blushing, trembling, inability to look people in the eyes started. Life was h***. High school was painful, I didn't have any friends at a time when I desperately needed them and needed to be forming relationships and building my social skills for later on in life. It hurt me emotionally which I am still recovering from. I just missed a major stage in my emotional development b/c of this. Spent many lonely days and nights crying and sank into deep depression. Went thru a period of about 2 years where I only spoke with 2 people (my parents).
I can now do all of the normal things ppl do and SA does not inhibit my life at all. I can meet new ppl, form business relationships, talk in person or over the phone, join clubs, sit in class, present in front of groups of ppl, etc., etc. etc. There are only a couple things that are still relatively hard for me, but I can do them, I just feel a little uncomfortable. Oddly enough sitting around a table in close range to other people (especially if they are right across from me) still is uncomfortable. But I've realized no one really cares if I look shy and I've messed up in the past and moved on enough times that I know it doesn't affect what ppl think of me. The other thing that is still uncomfortable for me is buying things at a store lol so weird I know but I'm just not sure how to act when I'm standing there in line waiting for a long time. I've figured out that it doesn't matter how you act in such a situation, but it still makes me feel a little uncomfortable.
When I'm really tired I have a few problems with my social behavior, though it's not really SA. I just tend to avoid ppl more and am not up for longer conversations.
In my case, the SA gradually lessened so that when I was about 20 it became more manageable. Not gone by any means, but when it lessened I started trying new things socially and getting myself to do things I was anxious about. I did enough things and had enough experiences that I started to feel more comfortable. Then I realized I could have a little SA and no one would notice so I started doing all the social things I had ever wanted to do. Nothing bad happened and the SA became much less when I realized this and the pressure to not show any symptoms of SA was off me. That's how I gotto where I am now.
Hope this encourages some of you who have just gotten SA or who have had it a long time and are not convinced you will ever get over it.
Forgot to mention, I tried about 7 different anxiety and antidepressant meds and non of them worked. The only one that kinda worked was clonopin and that has to be taken short term. I know that often meds work for ppl but that wasn't the case with me.
Just wanted to post so that ppl realize not everyone with SA has it their entire lives. There is a lot of hope for getting over it and I am proof of that. I developed it as a young teenager and had it about 8 years--seemed much longer to me though since I was so young when I got it. I had been shy as a kid, but at 13 the blushing, trembling, inability to look people in the eyes started. Life was h***. High school was painful, I didn't have any friends at a time when I desperately needed them and needed to be forming relationships and building my social skills for later on in life. It hurt me emotionally which I am still recovering from. I just missed a major stage in my emotional development b/c of this. Spent many lonely days and nights crying and sank into deep depression. Went thru a period of about 2 years where I only spoke with 2 people (my parents).
I can now do all of the normal things ppl do and SA does not inhibit my life at all. I can meet new ppl, form business relationships, talk in person or over the phone, join clubs, sit in class, present in front of groups of ppl, etc., etc. etc. There are only a couple things that are still relatively hard for me, but I can do them, I just feel a little uncomfortable. Oddly enough sitting around a table in close range to other people (especially if they are right across from me) still is uncomfortable. But I've realized no one really cares if I look shy and I've messed up in the past and moved on enough times that I know it doesn't affect what ppl think of me. The other thing that is still uncomfortable for me is buying things at a store lol so weird I know but I'm just not sure how to act when I'm standing there in line waiting for a long time. I've figured out that it doesn't matter how you act in such a situation, but it still makes me feel a little uncomfortable.
When I'm really tired I have a few problems with my social behavior, though it's not really SA. I just tend to avoid ppl more and am not up for longer conversations.
In my case, the SA gradually lessened so that when I was about 20 it became more manageable. Not gone by any means, but when it lessened I started trying new things socially and getting myself to do things I was anxious about. I did enough things and had enough experiences that I started to feel more comfortable. Then I realized I could have a little SA and no one would notice so I started doing all the social things I had ever wanted to do. Nothing bad happened and the SA became much less when I realized this and the pressure to not show any symptoms of SA was off me. That's how I gotto where I am now.
Hope this encourages some of you who have just gotten SA or who have had it a long time and are not convinced you will ever get over it.
Forgot to mention, I tried about 7 different anxiety and antidepressant meds and non of them worked. The only one that kinda worked was clonopin and that has to be taken short term. I know that often meds work for ppl but that wasn't the case with me.
