I thought I'd share my experience with Nardil as it may tempt others into trying it.
I suffered from debilitating social anxiety and depression for years, I've had social anxiety for the majority of my life, but it wasn't until my late teens that it really became severe. I couldn't be around people without getting very shaky, sweaty, on edge and having continuous thoughts that were centered on how others perceived me. Talking to strangers would get me into a very panicky state of mind and body, keeping eye contact was painful. I was always wondering if i was staring at the right place, or if i was looking too long, or even if my anxiety could be seen in my face. Thus i was not able to do much in this world; no job, no friends and no relatives. I was completely isolated with my pathetic self which could do nothing but obsess about my failures. And even doing simple things like grocery shopping made me feel very bad, which i sometimes avoided since just looking at the cashier made me uncomfortable. No human should live like this and of course there were often suicidal thoughts that came and went, and I also went down the route of abusing many illicit drugs.
I had for a long time a very negative view on medications and psychologists/psychiatrists which made me try to handle my problems by myself. But since it was nowhere near working I mustered up the courage of seeking help. I was as many others started on SSRIs/SNRIs/Betablockers then TCAs. But none of these medications gave me any positive effects at all. Even CBT was useless and i became more and more desperate. I researched various supplements, vitamins, and popped various pills one after another. No relief, no hope, only despair.
One day i came into contact with irreversible MAOIs (Nardil/Parnate) due to this thing called the internet. And i spent probably hundreds of hours reading about them on various web-pages and literature. I decided for myself that even if it's the last thing i do in my life, I'm not going to stop until I've gotten my hands on one of them. Since these medications are long forgotten relics of the past the path to getting it wasn't easy, but one day i managed to convince a pdoc to start me on it.
Nardil (Phenelzine) took about 8 weeks before i noticed any positive effects, but god what a difference it made! It completely turned my life and now when I think back at all the things I've gone through due to anxiety I can only laugh about it. Now I'm extremely social, and the thing I love the most in life is actually talking to other people. It's such joy just to be at great peace while looking at people's faces when words are coming out of my mouth. Flirting with women is now a passion. I've also become a great listener, whereas before i was too busy watching my own behavior and could thus never remember a single word the other person said. I've lost most inhibitions to the point that I'm able to say and do anything out in public.
I'm sure there's loads of other people out there in a similar situation that I've been. Never stop trying to get better; where there's a will, there's a way.
I suffered from debilitating social anxiety and depression for years, I've had social anxiety for the majority of my life, but it wasn't until my late teens that it really became severe. I couldn't be around people without getting very shaky, sweaty, on edge and having continuous thoughts that were centered on how others perceived me. Talking to strangers would get me into a very panicky state of mind and body, keeping eye contact was painful. I was always wondering if i was staring at the right place, or if i was looking too long, or even if my anxiety could be seen in my face. Thus i was not able to do much in this world; no job, no friends and no relatives. I was completely isolated with my pathetic self which could do nothing but obsess about my failures. And even doing simple things like grocery shopping made me feel very bad, which i sometimes avoided since just looking at the cashier made me uncomfortable. No human should live like this and of course there were often suicidal thoughts that came and went, and I also went down the route of abusing many illicit drugs.
I had for a long time a very negative view on medications and psychologists/psychiatrists which made me try to handle my problems by myself. But since it was nowhere near working I mustered up the courage of seeking help. I was as many others started on SSRIs/SNRIs/Betablockers then TCAs. But none of these medications gave me any positive effects at all. Even CBT was useless and i became more and more desperate. I researched various supplements, vitamins, and popped various pills one after another. No relief, no hope, only despair.
One day i came into contact with irreversible MAOIs (Nardil/Parnate) due to this thing called the internet. And i spent probably hundreds of hours reading about them on various web-pages and literature. I decided for myself that even if it's the last thing i do in my life, I'm not going to stop until I've gotten my hands on one of them. Since these medications are long forgotten relics of the past the path to getting it wasn't easy, but one day i managed to convince a pdoc to start me on it.
Nardil (Phenelzine) took about 8 weeks before i noticed any positive effects, but god what a difference it made! It completely turned my life and now when I think back at all the things I've gone through due to anxiety I can only laugh about it. Now I'm extremely social, and the thing I love the most in life is actually talking to other people. It's such joy just to be at great peace while looking at people's faces when words are coming out of my mouth. Flirting with women is now a passion. I've also become a great listener, whereas before i was too busy watching my own behavior and could thus never remember a single word the other person said. I've lost most inhibitions to the point that I'm able to say and do anything out in public.
I'm sure there's loads of other people out there in a similar situation that I've been. Never stop trying to get better; where there's a will, there's a way.