Social Anxiety Blogs

I figure I'll do like everyone else, and start off with my social anxiety story.

I've always been a shy kid. Presentations in elementary terrified me. By high school I had this feeling of impending doom every morning before school. Walking in the doors would make my stomach tie up in a knot that lasted til I walked in my front door at the end of the day. In June 2006 I graduated high school and quit my job, looking for one last summer of fun before I got into real life. Huge mistake. I failed to realize that all my other friends had jobs. And my boyfriend (who I depend on almost exclusively for support) would be 300 kilometres away all summer. Those two months were a complete downward spiral. I never left the house by myself, and rarely left when asked by other people. I lost contact with everyone I knew in high school because I was too afraid to phone or e-mail them.

By November I was being berated for not having a job, depressed about losing my friends, and sick of everything. I came across the term "Social Anxiety Disorder" by chance while messing around on the internet. I bawled my eyes out; It described me perfectly. There was something wrong with me. But it could be helped!

So I worked up the courage to tell my doctor, who got me into therapy and put me on Paxil (I manage on just 20mgs a day). Things are just getting better and better. I'm overall happier and less anxious, and things are always getting better.

I think I've figured out the source of my SA. My mum and dad had/have issues with depression. My mum and her mum had/have anxiety issues, so there's definitely a genetic predisposition. I also have a abusive sister. She was constantly physically and verbally abusive when I was younger. Now the physical abuse has slowed down (though constantly threatened) but the verbal abuse has become worse. As of rightn ow I'm working on disowning her, which seems to be helping.

And that's my story so far.