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Do you think there is hope for people suffering from severe Social Anxiety?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by GingerGuy, Sep 4, 2013.

  1. GingerGuy

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    We all know that we face a lot of difficulties for being LGBT. Many of us suffered from bullying, social exclusion, parental rejection and even sexual abuse. However, for some, people, whom are mostly straight, theres a huge problem that nulifies all other qualities they might posess. Social anxiety. There were times in my life I thought I suffered from it, but now Im fairly certain I dont have it to the slightest degree. Ive visited a Social Anxiety Forum on the internet (some of you may know about it, its pretty famous), and trust me, if you ever ead some of the posts, you will feel depressed for a long time. Its the saddest Internet place Ive ever seen. Those people are not simply shy. They suffer from a disease that handiccapes them, much like being blind or deaf. But the deficiency is even more cruel, because it inevitably plunges them into a lonesome existence. Most of the people who are there are in their twenties, but not a single one of them belonged to a commited relationship, and almost all of them were virgins. Understandable, after all they couldnt even look at a member of the sex they were attracted to in the eyes, much less going all the way through with them. The worst part is having no friends at all. Maybe I could live in celibacy, but not without anyone to celebrate the best moments of life together. Its just so sad to see them complaining about their miserable lives and trying to change, but rarely succeeding. If its never overcome, this disorder can lead to suicide. And I wouldnt blame the victim for it.

    After reading all of this, do you think theres still hope for this people? In my heart, I want to believe there is. But after reading through many threads in there, its difficult to believe they can make it if they want to.

    Life's genuinely unfair.
     
  2. Duplexaxis

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    Im no psychiatrist or psychologist but if the disorder stems from a physical difference in the brain much like psychopaths who have abnormally sized amygdalas then there may be nothing that can be done apart from help manage the problem. Studies conducted upon rehabilitating psychopaths showed it made them more likely to reoffend and therapy showed no improvements. Now obviously these people are not psychopaths but the comparison still remains.
     
  3. musikk021

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    Yes, as severe as social anxiety can get, there is hope. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven to be extremely successful as a treatment. Granted, the patient must be very committed to practicing the techniques he/she learns during therapy and to really actively try to change his/her mindset. Without active participation and the will power to change, it's nearly impossible to escape the anxiety.

    I have social anxiety myself, and it has hindered my life in many ways. However, the reason why I and many others who have the disorder don't seek help is due to the nature of the disorder itself. It's cyclical—people with social anxiety are afraid of being judged and don't want to be put at the center of attention to be examined/observed by others; however, the only real treatment is to seek a therapist for cognitive-behavioral therapy. But going to therapy inherently entails being at the center of attention and being "judged" by a stranger, which is exactly the situation that the socially anxious person strives most to avoid. See?

    Also, for socially anxious people, something as simple as making a phone call to set up an appointment can be debilitatingly scary, so it's difficult to even make the first move to get help from a therapist. It's just a never-ending cycle of fear and being stuck out of fear of experiencing more fear. Only about half of people who have social anxiety seek help; and of that half, most of them only seek help after suffering with it for 15-20 years. It's a truly terrible disorder.

    All that said, for those who are brave enough to step out of their comfort zone and seek help, there definitely is hope. With appropriate therapy and medication, many people with social anxiety can be helped. Even if not cured entirely, it can greatly improve their quality of life.
     
  4. Tightrope

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    I can't comment with professional certainty. As with any mental health condition, therapy, medication and/or a more positive environment can help a situation. Sometimes, a particular environment can be a huge stressor, but I do agree with the OP that it often results from the accumulation of "stuff."
     
  5. James

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    I've had to deal with severe social anxiety most of my life, only recently have I been able to break free and gain my life back. It's a tremendous feeling to be where I am in life right now. I still have a mild anxiety, but I'll take that over what I used to go through any day.
     
  6. LuvMyIB

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    I believe any disorder can be life threatening without the proper care with a psych doctor. One must see a doctor and be on medication to combat any disorder. Sad that many of us need medication to survive but if it makes your life more do-able then by all means do it. For years, I struggled with a few disorders and life was miserable. Now I am on the proper medication and life is better. So there is hope if one seeks to get help.
     
  7. Incognito10

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    I have moderate to severe social anxiety depending on the situation. In fact, I am pretty confident I know what site you're referring to and I have been miserable member since 2009. SA is terrible, on top of not being able to socialize and feel at ease in society and make friends, being gay makes it so much worse, I feel. It is highly resistant to change and a lot of medications do not work--there is no quick fix or miracle cure. I've tried many different meds only to stop due to them being ineffective or the side effects were so terrible they just weren't worth the effort. Right now, I am trying natural pills and am sorry to say, I don't feel too much of an effect.
     
  8. srslywtf

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    anxiety is treatable.. that is a fact.

    i am living proof.
     
  9. unknown17050

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    Of course, there is hope for everybody; big, small, young, old, everyone; part of it all is giving them a chance to do that.
     
  10. biggayguy

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    It's been several months since I was elected as the resident council president here at the nursing center. At first I was way outside my comfort zone and wanted to hide when it was time for the monthly meeting. With support and encouragement from staff and other residents I am becoming used to the role. Basically I run the monthly meeting where residents can voice their concerns, problems and suggestions. The goal is to make this a better place to live. So, I suggest trying something that is a bit outside of your comfort zone.
     
  11. Pocky

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    Social anxiety is treatable, just like any other anxiety disorder.

    As somebody who has had social anxiety for the past few years, I find the OP's original post quite negative and condescending to be perfectly honest.
     
  12. gibson234

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    I have got social anxiety and recently it's got better. I'm still in the progess of reducing it as a problem but here how its done from what I understand. Exposure unlike most anxiety problems isn't enough for social anxiety, people have to go in with a positive mind. They have to trust that if some thing goes wrong that they can deal with it therefore there is no need to fear the worst.
    "Life's genuinely unfair." Yea but you have to make it fair for yourself. You can feel sorry for yourself and give in to social anxiety or you can find the strenght to overcome it and get on with the only life you are going to ever have.

    ---------- Post added 5th Sep 2013 at 11:29 AM ----------

    Tbf it's better than most the responses to my social anxiety that I've got. Namely "Why don't you talk?" and other stupid questions. Most people think I'm quiet because I want to be. Yea like I want to be an outcast.
     
  13. MichaelB

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    Yes, I'm living proof. I refused to leave my house for 3 years solidly, missed school and just generally hated life. The only points where I left my house because of social anxiety was to attend my therapy. However, nearly 3 years on and I've passed school and college (made friends in both places :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:) plus I also now have a part time job which is incredibly social.

    It doesn't help you much personally I know, and my heart goes out to you for suffering from it. Those 3 years were pure hell for me, but I'd like you to know that it can get better!
     
  14. Pocky

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    I'm not so sure.

    The OP's post paints a picture that somehow people like you and myself are defective, sub-human basket cases incapable of change.

    The whole "In my heart..." and "life is truly unfair" remarks are condescending, given the context of the rest of the post.
     
  15. WillowMaiden

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    Or (and I'm not being rude here, merely suggesting neutrally) you could be reading the post defensively because the subject matter is personal to you. And hey that makes sense because it's not unfounded that some people are dicks about this sort of thing and you get so used to that, that you can't even get totally comfortable with someone being nice about it, even people being understanding starts to look suspicious sometimes. So I'm just saying, going into this post, you could have had your guard up a bit, expecting and thusly finding something offensive about it when in this instance there isn't really anything to get butthurt over. To me, the post is just a very sympathetic message from an "outsider" who's just trying to wish people luck on getting on with a pain in the ass disorder, which is always nice of someone to say/do. I could be wrong, I'm not good at reading people in person, let alone over the interwebs, but the intent didn't read false, condescending or dicky to me.
     
  16. LD579

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    I can definitely see what you mean. While I wasn't offended by the post (I think it's a case of tone being hard to read through text), I think I'm in the same boat as you.

    Therapy can be very, very helpful. People have to step out of their comfort zone many times, which isn't fun or easy, but it becomes easier over time. I think that's the key: exposure.
     
    #16 LD579, Sep 5, 2013
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2013
  17. Naomilly92

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    I have severe Social Anxiety, I'm not really sure why, I've got nothing to be shy about, just the way life is I guess, I'm going to attempt to be more outgoing.. Or just sociable by joining an LGB society at University
     
  18. Pocky

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    Don't worry, there's no butthurt :lol: Just as you said, it's hard to read tone etc. on a forum so it appears as if I'm more emotionally invested in this topic than I actually am.

    I just don't want somebody suffering from any sort of anxiety or anxiety-related disorder to read this and feel as if they're doomed. Because it's just so untrue and it is certainly possible to change and have a very fulfilling life with love, friends, career and the rest of it.
     
  19. Emulator

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    Yes. If they build up confidence and get over the anxiety, they would manage.
    I have a form of social anxiety as well, I do not want to meet anyone I know (or sometimes, anyone at all) in an unarranged setting or outside of the usual location we meet. All along I got over the anxiety by being antisocial - doing what I want to do when I wish to do it. It effectively takes others' attention away.
    I'm not encouraging or discouraging anyone to be antisocial, but it's just how I got by. Now, though, at times when I start to crave for attention, it gets bad.
     
  20. Pocky

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    Yup.

    Exposure and learning the strategies to manage the unpredictability which comes with it. Essentially (in my case) re-learning how to deal with people and acknowledging that I have no control over what they do.