flagstone
10-08-2012, 07:26 PM
Hi everyone. I just joined here tonight because I'm needing a bit of advice or even to hear that someone has gone through something similar. Here's my story, i guess.
I'm 21 years old. I suffered from from pretty bad social anxiety disorder from as early as i can remember to about a year and a half ago. The month I turned 20 i finally went to a doctor and got prescribed Paxil, which I have been taking ever since. It worked wonders in the beginning. I was able to get a job and a boyfriend and go shopping and run errands without social anxiety ruining me. My social anxiety is still gone, in fact. I enrolled in community college this semester and I'm able to talk to classmates and teachers without feeling nervous. I hardly remember what social anxiety feels like.
I had my first panic attack about 5 months ago. I've had a few every month since. I feel like it is ruining my life. I live in constant fear of having another. It isn't triggered by anything in particular, although I become more afraid of them at night for some reason. I've read about the fear-adrenaline-fear cycle and becoming more informed has helped me a lot, but I can't shake the anxiety. I'm still taking Paxil, and my doctor upped my dosage from 20 to 30 mg a couple of months ago, but I can't tell a difference. I'm also beginning to feel negatively towards Paxil because I don't feel like myself anymore. Social anxiety, for me, never caused panic attacks. I honestly want to be off of it but I am terrified after reading so many horror stories of withdrawal.
Anyway, I basically feel trapped. I feel like I have everything I need to get better but I can't for some reason. Could it be possible that Paxil has "pooped" out for me? And if it has, why hasn't my social anxiety returned?
I'm 21 years old. I suffered from from pretty bad social anxiety disorder from as early as i can remember to about a year and a half ago. The month I turned 20 i finally went to a doctor and got prescribed Paxil, which I have been taking ever since. It worked wonders in the beginning. I was able to get a job and a boyfriend and go shopping and run errands without social anxiety ruining me. My social anxiety is still gone, in fact. I enrolled in community college this semester and I'm able to talk to classmates and teachers without feeling nervous. I hardly remember what social anxiety feels like.
I had my first panic attack about 5 months ago. I've had a few every month since. I feel like it is ruining my life. I live in constant fear of having another. It isn't triggered by anything in particular, although I become more afraid of them at night for some reason. I've read about the fear-adrenaline-fear cycle and becoming more informed has helped me a lot, but I can't shake the anxiety. I'm still taking Paxil, and my doctor upped my dosage from 20 to 30 mg a couple of months ago, but I can't tell a difference. I'm also beginning to feel negatively towards Paxil because I don't feel like myself anymore. Social anxiety, for me, never caused panic attacks. I honestly want to be off of it but I am terrified after reading so many horror stories of withdrawal.
Anyway, I basically feel trapped. I feel like I have everything I need to get better but I can't for some reason. Could it be possible that Paxil has "pooped" out for me? And if it has, why hasn't my social anxiety returned?