New york shy guy

Number1usjoe · Intermediate User Joined: Aug 05, 2006 Posts: 222

I am 31 I feel I have social anxiety my whole life.

I am pretty quiet guy. I do try to overcome my issues.

I am afraid of heights afraid of strangers croweds, girls, bugs and pee shy.

I am new to taking meds this month.
I am on lexapro.

I am shy to walk to bank and go on bus, train and walk in streets.

I do these things because I have to but I dont go food shopping or to do laundry.

I guess part of it is I am lazy but mostly I dont want to be around people.

I used to drink often and get past my shyness with alcohol but since starting meds I have stopped.

I am feeling good about it and so far nearly a month into it with out a urge for drinking.

I also quit drinking coffee. I feel it heightend my fearfulness and also caused my urge to want to calm down with alcohol.

I used to feel more shy in past and aqward. I have improved my confidences with alcohol and also just years of living with it and getting over it or accpeting and working with shyness. I still have to work and be in public so I just do it.

I dont like throwing out trash walking down street or getting mail asking directions from strangers or talking to girls but I have done them all and am not a virgin.

I was married and have had a bunch of diff. relationships but not as consistantly as I would like.

Snowman · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 3:30 am Post subject:

Hi Number1usjoe,

You sound a lot like me, using booze to self-medicate and hating using the bus or subway, hating doing grocery shopping or going to work. All my life...

You are definitely NOT lazy, my friend. You have a disease that affects more people than we probably know about.

Do yourself a favour and stay off the booze, it sounds like youy're off to a good start! Smile

If you want to PM me to talk, that's okay; like I said, you sound a lot like me.

Best,
Snowman

Ems · Newbie User Joined: Aug 28, 2006 Posts: 22 Location: UK

Hi Number1usjoe,

I understand where you are coming from. I had a massive social phobia when I was about 15, I was shy before that but it developed into something more intense. I am 30 now and still have that depression and suspicion of people. I seems to everyone else that I haven't got a problem but I get depressed when I feel let down by others. I feel different to everyone else. I use alcohol to help me through life. I used to binge eat to make myself feel better but I've now turned to drink and smoking these days. I used to feel so alone and that no-one else understood how I felt. It is the worst feeling having a social phobia, but I found that it gets better with time. The more exposure to the 'horrors' of society and interaction the better you are at coping with it. I still have an uncomfortable feeling in social situations and wish I didn't need to use stimulants to make me get through this life.
xxx