Hi I'm new to this site, looking for any advice regarding social anxiety. Thank you.

[MW44]

Hi, I'm new to this site. I'm a 21 year old lad. Not really sure where to start but here goes.. I'm not particularly sure what I suffer from but it feels like pretty bad anxiety and shyness. I worry about leaving the house and having to interact with people, especially with girls. I begin struggling to breath, feel nausea and cannot eat or drink anything. These symptoms come about with simply the thought of having to speak with women, let alone being with them. It's pretty much hell at the moment, it's got the point where I'm totally fed up of living in fear. Does this sound like anxiety at all or what else could it be? I try and hide it from my parents as much as I can as I have a mentally ill sibling who's problems put a lot of pressure and stress onto my parents and I don't want them to have to deal with me too. What would the process be if I contacted my GP? Are there any other options to get over this illness?

Thanks for reading, I would really appreciate any advice at all.

[lonestar]

hi i suffer the same but in all aspects of life ,the best place 2 start wiv would b ur gp !!

[MW44]

Trouble with GP's from experience with other issues they always try and fob you off and avoid giving you any real assistant. I guess it's all luck on who you get. Thanks for the reply.

[lonestar]

this is true but u have 2 persever other wise u get over looked ,i know ive been there took me 26 years 2 find out what was wrong !!! not saying that it would take u that long !! i know what ur saying about gps but u have 2 get ur point across other wise u could end up like me !!! i have social anxietiy disorder so i kind of know what ur going through ,plus my mum is mentaly ill !!! guess the thing is not 2 give up MW44 , being on here is a good start , im more or less in the same position as u ,im about 2 start C.B.T ,r u on any meds !!! thing is u can only hide it 4 so long that i know and the more u do the worse it will get ,and trust me it might feel like it but ur not alone promise !!!

[MW44]

Thanks again for the response. I'm not on any meds at the moment. Usually I am fine, aslong as I am with my family and close friends. However my symptoms occur as soon as I encounter someone else. I'm fed up of not being able to speak to woman without being sick or having a panic attack. I feel like I'm missing out on so much. I will contact my GP regarding counselling, I feel that may benefit me more long term than medication. I understand I'll never get rid of the shyness and anxiety but it's got to the point where I need to try. I hope things start picking up for you lonestar, it's such a horrible illness but like you say it is somewhat consolling that there are plenty of us struggling with this. Whenever I'm out of the house it feels like everyone else loves life but I guess they may just be hiding problems like me.

[Pickle165]

Hi mw44, ive suffered with social anxiety for most of my life and i think the younger you re the harder it seems to be. dont feel shy about seeing your doctor, just go into them and tell it like it is, you will feel better for it after. also find out if there are any social anxiety groups in your area. theres a good book you can read by gillian butler about social anxiety and shyness. i know how lonely this can be. x

[F_Shadow1]

Hi, yeah this sounds exactly like social anxiety. As others have said going to your GP would be a start even if it's only to reduce the level of the anxiety itself. Just be honest and tell him/her everything you need to. In the longer-term, I think CBT would probably be the best answer (although that's just from my experience!) Whilst i haven't had social anxiety on that level, I have had times when any sort of socialising (particuarly when it involved a meal out, for some reason) was very hard, I found that various cbt techniques helped with this (Anxiety Uk website will give you more info). Also I know this is easy for me to say but being open about it to anyone you trust is also very rewarding I've found, whether it be a family member or a close friend. Took me years to accept that but it has helped. The more support you can get the better. Hope you get through this

[MW44]

cheers guys for the responses and advice, i'll take it all on board. I'll book an appointment with the GP to get the ball rolling. CBT in the future sounds like a good option. It's such a frustrating illness, I shouldn't have let it run this long really, I'm sure each year that goes by makes it harder to fix as such.