Nov 22, 2016

Alcohol would only start messing with anxiety if you get addicted. In moderation it's fine as we all know in fact having a few drinks can relax you. Nicotine on the other hand a lot of people probably don't know that it also acts as a stimulant not just a sedative. Stimulants in general tend to increase anxiety. Have you ever had a cigarette and felt kind of worried or anxious? It's happened to me but not everyone. Even weed can make me feel anxious sometimes


As for this thread

A fool proof way to suppress social anxiety is benzodiazepine medications like valiums, xanax, ativan etc but those are obviously not a long term solution as they're too addictive and build tolerance real quick. besides, from personal experience they make me act like a r-----


Besides benzo drugs you can get the SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) medications such as prozac, lexapro, zoloft etc which targets your serotonin. The problem is though that serotonin is mainly related to depression rather than anxiety so these might not always be helpful for anxiety. That's where SNRI meds such as effexor, pristine, Cymbalta etc come in that target serotonin and norepinephrine also called noradrenaline which helps calm down anxiety. But these meds can take over a month to start working and can have side effects and sometimes things can get worse before they get better


If drugs aren't your thing you could always try proffessional therapy. This is obviously a longer and harder way to deal with it, but seriously it does work if you put effort into it and go in with an open mind

Otherwise you could just deal with it on your own seriously no one gives a s--- about you just change your mindset and the more you put yourself out there the more you'll "get used to" things and the less anxious you'll feel

 

Nov 22, 2016

Cut urself off from the media and social anxiety will just simply disappear...real s---...all the stuff society taught u will fade away and you'll be a normal human being again

 

Nov 22, 2016

yeah it's happened on a few rare occasions, i think if i smoke the ciggie too fast maybe? but yeah after it's like my hands get a little shaky and i just overall feel jittery and not the usual relaxed kind of feel. Or i'll start stressing out about minor things. I'd say it usually only lasts around 5 minutes though, if that.

actually i think i'm onto something here. One time me and friends were f---ing around and daring eachother to smoke tobacco through a bong. (this was a long time ago) i didn't smoke ciggies at the time and immediately after i inhaled mine, i felt like i was passing out kinda my entire body went heavy sweat gushing out of my forehead and within 30 seconds vomitted everywhere then was jsut laying on the floor unable to move for a few seconds cause headspins and was jsut f-----. so im thinking smoking too much tobacco too fast could maybe triger an anxiety/panic attack? or maybe it just f---s you up and taste like s--- and thats why i vomitted?

 

Nov 22, 2016

it's pretty weird and random. But there is definitely evidence to suggest that cigarettes increase anxiety. I quit about 6 months ago and I had one the other week and felt like throwing up

 

Nov 22, 2016

I've deff had that feeling before. like if i quit smoking, but then start again 3 days later i usually feel kind of like throwing up.

 

Nov 22, 2016

For what it's worth when I used to smoke I was noticeably more anxious than now that I've quit. I wouldn't say it was social anxiety just over stressing about things in general and being irritable. I feel calmer since quitting

 

Nov 22, 2016

I really respect your input and advice

I've started to take Niacin tablets which are natural Vitamin B12's and you can get them over the counter in many health stores. Vitamin B12 can help with psychological functions, it doesn't dramatically change things but I feel it does help.

 

Nov 22, 2016

social anxiety sounds like a s-----y 80s punk band

 

Nov 22, 2016

Guess its also something nerds have

 

Nov 22, 2016

p---- disorder

 

Nov 22, 2016

You might find that this effect much more than 10% of people.

50% of people are introverted, 50% are extroverted. Your OP could consist of anyone who is introverted.
There is literally nothing wrong with this, introverts draw their energy from being alone and have to force a persona when in public, extroverts are the opposite, they get their energy from being around other people and can't stand being alone.
Each has their own individual pros & cons.

This is just the absolute basics, there are nearly 100 different acknowledged personas.

Personally, I'm introverted. I enjoy being alone more than i enjoy being with other people. Doesn't mean I can't interact or enjoy being with others, it just means that at the end of the night I regain my energy by being on my own and reflecting on recent events.

 

Nov 22, 2016

True

But there will always be a few pepole that will respond in a negative way no matter what you do

I'm just happy that the majority do understand and appreciate the seriousness of it

 

Nov 22, 2016

I have a minor case of it myself.. I don't like to be around large groups of people, or talk to them.. or my gf's idiot friends

 

Nov 22, 2016

Introverts choose to spend time alone.
Someone with social anxiety has a fear of certain social situations which can greatly affect their life. It can be very extreme & can destroy their life.

 

Nov 22, 2016

I respect your opinion but I actually consider myself an extrovert but I find it almost impossible to live the life I naturally am deemed for because I'm terrified to open up and connect in some instances. I can understand why you would think I'm an introvert but the only thing that makes me come across that way is the weight of my anxiety disorder

 

Nov 22, 2016

Always suffered from social anxiety growing up, as I got older it faded more so and my general anxiety disorder got worse. Benzos can only help so much and shouldn't be an immediate go to. I've been taking klonopin and lorazepam on and off. Nice to see the effort put into this thread for awareness.

 

Nov 23, 2016

I don't really have social anxiety, I just hate most people in general

 

Nov 23, 2016

Does anybody have certain coping mechanisms they use to prevent or deal with an Anxiety Disorder?

 

Nov 24, 2016

I hate to use the term, or place myself into a group for disordered thinking, but I deal with it. If I'm not actively trying to fight it, and let it take over my thinking, way of living, I shut myself off from everyone, take away any chance of being in a position to feel anxious or any of the other s-----y feeling that come along with it.
Which, obviously is the worst thing to do as I am not pushing myself to show myself that the way I perceive a situation will be is incorrect. Therefore making isolation feel like the right way to get through day to day.

When I was seeing my last psych we started working on a anxiety hierarchy. Writing down all the events/ occasions I could think of and and listing a percentage next to them of how anxious they made me feel. Then working on going out and putting myself in the situation of the lowest % occasions to highest. I was pretty bad at doing it because.... why would I want to put myself in a position of feeling like s---. But in the past 2 months nearly everything on my list has happened and none of it was as bad as I imagined it would be. Of course.

This is one of those statements, I'm not sure about anyone else, but you have the logical side of your brain that tells yourself this, and you know this is truth. But then there is the other, irrational side that has you feeling the anxiety, and anything that you know is logical doesnt matter because this side of your brain is too strong and it takes over.