Has anyone here ever started taking medication for social anxiety?

[The Sum of Awe]

I’m considering it. I’ve become increasingly more avoidant toward people I’m not used to. Especially at work. I am very happy in my day to day life by myself so it was hard for me to distinguish the misery. But it’s there and i need to take care of it. I usually only feel the stress at work.

I’m just worried about the cost, and the dependence on it, and also the side effects.

 

[The Hammer]

Most of the newer meds don't really cause a "dependency", though you may need to taper your dose off of them.

Side effects can be a pain, but most are manageable either changing meds or a change in dosage. This is honestly the most difficult part for some. It takes time.

I'm not good about costs. Not something I've had to worry about.

 

[JustGeorge]

I was in the past. It took awhile to find one that worked without causing too detrimental of side effects, but we did eventually find one.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Doctors have a professional responsibility.
If it is their honest professional opinion that they don't see any improvement in the future, why should they lie and say the opposite?

I want my doctors to be honest with me. I can still not believe them and go get a second and third and fourth opinion.
I want them to tell me what they honestly think. Not what they think I want to hear.

Most of the newer meds don't really cause a "dependency", though you may need to taper your dose off of them.

Side effects can be a pain, but most are manageable either changing meds or a change in dosage. This is honestly the most difficult part for some. It takes time.

I'm not good about costs. Not something I've had to worry about.

I was in the past. It took awhile to find one that worked without causing too detrimental of side effects, but we did eventually find one.

What are some of the side effects?

 

[an anarchist]

I used to take Gabapentin for my social anxiety at work.

It didn't drug me up or anything. I think it helped. I don't take it anymore though.

Gabapentin they gave me specifically because I have a history of substance abuse so Gabapentin isn't really addictive or anything.

 

[JustGeorge]

What are some of the side effects?

I remember telling the doctor of Prozac: "Well, my anxiety's gone." She was happy to hear it. "But now I wanna die." She wasn't happy about that, and changed it.

There was another I told her "this one's making me fat". She told me that doesn't happen, but checked my chart and said "wow! Ten pounds in a month! Yes, it is! Let's try something else."

A third one gave me the female version of ED.

Another I took happily for a year or so, and then randomly started throwing it up.

The last one they tried my on was sertraline. That one had a mild effect of messing with my vision a bit, but it wasn't intolerable.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I remember telling the doctor of Prozac: "Well, my anxiety's gone." She was happy to hear it. "But now I wanna die." She wasn't happy about that, and changed it.

There was another I told her "this one's making me fat". She told me that doesn't happen, but checked my chart and said "wow! Ten pounds in a month! Yes, it is! Let's try something else."

A third one gave me the female version of ED.

Another I took happily for a year or so, and then randomly started throwing it up.

The last one they tried my on was sertraline. That one had a mild effect of messing with my vision a bit, but it wasn't intolerable.

Jeez. That all sounds terrible and like quite a long process. Was it worth going through all of that?

 

[JustGeorge]

Jeez. That all sounds terrible and like quite a long process. Was it worth going through all of that?

At the time, yes. It was hard for me to function. I was terrified most of the day.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

At the time, yes. It was hard for me to function. I was terrified most of the day.

Did the anxiety return after getting off the meds?

 

[Balthazzar]

Energy fields interfere with my brain function. I guess it's part of being bipolar. It's some type of sensitivity to the surrounding energy. The meds made me too numb, or rather they put me in an emotional stupor, except for depression. My mania went away, but not the depression or feelings of sadness and despair. They have research papers out about EMI therapy, suggesting that a couple times a day showed improvements in patients under that treatment. EMI is electro Magnetic Interference, so I guess the treatment utilizes some type of electromagnetic field interference to counter other types of electromagnetic influence. The brain activity charts show a great deal of brain activity on the outside of the brain in the images, which is how I stumbled across the research papers utilizing EMI therapy. I'm an empath anyway, which means I'm sensitive to my surroundings, picking up on other people's energy. I typically remove myself from too much influence and it helps enough to warrant continuation of limiting my exposure to too much influence...at least until I find a more suitable way to handle the stressors of life. I was no less socially awkward on meds, so they didn't do much more than keep my mania in check. I'm off meds now and I'm at least able to laugh and feel joy every now and then. Not that I didn't get a warm fuzzy from time to time while on them, it's simply more pronounced and noticeable, making those moments note worthy. The mania is in check for the most part, but I still get cranky and too much influence gets me too worked up not to release the pressure, which typically entails anger outbursts. To be more proactive, I'll pick up a bo staff or nunchakus and practice for relief.

EMI and Bipolar - From google scholar

 

[JustGeorge]

Did the anxiety return after getting off the meds?

Yes, unfortunately.

 

[The Hammer]

Did the anxiety return after getting off the meds?

Meds work best when used in conjunction with regular psychotherapy.

 

[JustGeorge]

Meds work best when used in conjunction with regular psychotherapy.

In my case, I had both... I was just a mess.

 

[The Hammer]

In my case, I had both... I was just a mess.

You too?

 

[Heyo]

I’m considering it. I’ve become increasingly more avoidant toward people I’m not used to. Especially at work. I am very happy in my day to day life by myself so it was hard for me to distinguish the misery. But it’s there and i need to take care of it. I usually only feel the stress at work.

I’m just worried about the cost, and the dependence on it, and also the side effects.

Do you have a diagnosis for SAD? Or do you think you have it?
Anxiety is often a symptom of depression and is treated with the same sort of medicaments, SSRI usually. SSRI can have massive side effects in the beginning, which go away after about two weeks. A lasting side effect is a reduced libido.
There are alternative treatments, different drugs, like MAOI, therapy and, most effective of all, exercise.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

I’m considering it. I’ve become increasingly more avoidant toward people I’m not used to. Especially at work. I am very happy in my day to day life by myself so it was hard for me to distinguish the misery. But it’s there and i need to take care of it. I usually only feel the stress at work.

I’m just worried about the cost, and the dependence on it, and also the side effects.

I am taking it and I have so for the last 35 years. It means for me, that I have less aviodance towards meeting people. I can do it if I want to, but as a personality I am in effect non-social in a way. The pills don't help with that,

 

[Eddi]

I didn't know there was meds for social anxiety

I don't have it anymore but back in 1999 I had it real bad but never sought medical help

Maybe if I had things would have turned out better?

Who knows!

 

[Kathryn]

I don't ever get depressed, but I do get anxious. I got particularly anxious after my precious husband suddenly died a few years ago, to the point where I couldn't sleep. I mean, I absolutely COULD NOT SLEEP unless I was worn completely out, so I finally went to a doctor and told her and she prescribed something for me to take at night. I don't even remember what it was but I do remember that I took it for several months, like six months, and never felt any side effects. I think it carried over till the next day because I recall feeling calmer in general. To be completely honest, though I did get off of it, I am considering getting back on something, but I am just not sure. I mean, I do like a glass of wine in the evening and I cannot have that on that particular medication. But it was pretty mild overall.

 

[Spice]

I turned down meds for years. Thought I just needed to build a backbone and "get over it" whatever "it" was at the moment. I didn't have social anxiety for many years. It was mostly functioning depression and avoidance. I ended up with all kinds of physical ailments with no adverse health factors identified. I was still "functioning." But then it all came crashing down. You don't want to go that route, believe me. I was diagnosed with Accumulative PTSD and once properly addressed, my physical ailments healed themselves. All except for the getting old factors. LOL

If your doctor recommends "just a little something to take the edge off" go for it! Once I finally submitted, I felt so much better I requested a little more "edge filing" and have been building my mental health back bit by bit, including my ability to socialize. It's been 11 years, but I've gone from the inability to finish my grocery shopping without having to get out of there, to a normal, but still quiet social life of volunteering and friends. There's still progress to be made, but I fall into the range of "normal" now. LOL

 

[Heyo]

I don't ever get depressed, but I do get anxious. I got particularly anxious after my precious husband suddenly died a few years ago, to the point where I couldn't sleep. I mean, I absolutely COULD NOT SLEEP unless I was worn completely out, so I finally went to a doctor and told her and she prescribed something for me to take at night. I don't even remember what it was but I do remember that I took it for several months, like six months, and never felt any side effects. I think it carried over till the next day because I recall feeling calmer in general. To be completely honest, though I did get off of it, I am considering getting back on something, but I am just not sure. I mean, I do like a glass of wine in the evening and I cannot have that on that particular medication. But it was pretty mild overall.

Pretty mild, no side effects; could it have been valerian? It's very potent for a purely herbal remedy.