Posted by KathrynLex on January 23, 2016, at 22:54:19
In reply to Re: SSRI even worth the try for severe social anxiety?, posted by john locke on January 21, 2016, at 13:12:40
> > It's different for everyone, but SSRI's really helped with my social anxiety. If you're open to the idea, I think it's worth a try. As far as sedatives you might want to try during the first few weeks of taking the SSRI, ask your doctor to prescribe a benzo like Xanax or Klonopin.
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> I second Scott's question: which SSRI's did you use?
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> Also, would you mind going into more detail about your symptoms of anxiety before and after being on these SSRI's? What did it "feel" like when you were on them. Did you feel like yourself?
>I had a lot of success with Prozac and Lexapro. (While I know many people who found Paxil and Zoloft to be useful for anxiety, I didn't tolerate either one of them very well. Both made me horribly dizzy, and I couldn't continue taking either one.)
Before taking medication, I had a lot of difficulty in social situations because my mind was racing with questions like, "What if I say something embarrassing? What if I inadvertently offend someone? What if I do something awkward and spill my drink on someone?" This constant stream of questioning and worrying would often times prevent me from going to social gatherings at all. I also canceled plans at the last minute because even thought I liked the idea of going, the questions would start up and I couldn't stand the thought of making a fool out of myself.
These thoughts came with physical symptoms like sweaty palms, a quiver in my voice, a racing heart, an inability to focus...which of course made things infinitely more difficult.
After taking medication, I felt very much like me, but the volume had been turned down on some of my social anxiety. It went from a 10 (being the highest number) to about a 4. So the anxiety was still there, but instead of being at the forefront of my mind, it got shifted to the background, and I found it much easier to interact with people. The physical symptoms of my social anxiety also went away, and I became happier because I was making connections with people.
Having been on so many different medications, I think it's worth trying just about anything because finding the right SSRI can really improve the quality of your life. That being said, listen to your body, and if you take an SSRI and you don't feel like yourself, then try a different one. And you may ultimately decide that SSRI's aren't for you, but at least that's one more avenue you tried.
I hope this is useful, and whatever you decide to do, I hope you find what you need to help with your social anxiety.
poster:KathrynLex
thread:1085601
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20151225/msgs/1085682.html