Posted by Lao Tzu on June 11, 2008, at 5:28:36
In reply to Anyone successful in managing their Social anxiety, posted by misterd on June 11, 2008, at 0:23:41
I have suffered for many years with social anxiety. It's much much better now, but I'm on all kinds of medication and supplements. I still have a touch of it, but not to the degree I had it only three years ago. You sound like your opposed to meds. I can understand that. There are no GREAT meds for social anxiety, but I have discovered that the RIGHT medication (for you) that helps your depression will often help with social anxiety, but it may not totally eliminate it from your life. Also, I am bipolar, and bipolars usually have problems with their dopamine pathways, oscillating between having too much or too little dopamine. There is probably something wrong with dopamine and serotonin levels in people who have social anxiety, and perhaps gabaergic pathways too. Typically, if you did decide to see a family doctor about your social anxiety, he or she would recommend an antidepressant drug, but this might not be the complete solution in many cases of social anxiety. The only thing I can say is that if your social anxiety is causing panic attacks and making your everyday life a living hell, medication might be the only way to solve it. If you are experiencing states of extreme anxiety, especially around people, accompanied by irritability and overstimulation (with panic attacks) and then periods of having very little energy or motivation and hard to focus on things, chances are that something is wrong with dopamine and/or serotonin metabolism. If your social anxiety is making your life excruciatingly difficult to function around other people, and I mean everyday, then I can only recommend you see a psychiatrist, NOT a family doctor. However, if you don't want to see a doctor and take meds, then there are some supplements that may be able to help you, like 5-HTP or Saint John's Wort, kava kava (low dosage. Too much in one day can cause stimulation) vitamin B3 (Niacin), vitamin B6, magnesium/calcium complex, omega-3 fish oil, and B12 (for energy. Take a very low dosage in the beginning by cutting pills into 4 pieces. Typically, B12 comes in 1,000mcg. I feel that this is too much to take in the beginning. Get a pill cutter and cut the 1,000mcg tablet into 4 pieces at 250mcg each. Take this for a couple of weeks and gradually increase it. Some people do good on 500mcg, others on 800mcg per day. B12 will help a lot with energy). I am sure there are other supplements but these are just a few that might be helpful. Remember, if you have periods of feeling overstimulated (including panic attacks)and racing thoughts, followed by periods of low energy, lack of motivation, and depressed mood, there may be problems with dopamine and serotonin, and medication might be necessary. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:834088
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20080326/msgs/834110.html