Where do they help?

[Pessima]

i just wanted to ask u sth that i dont understand:

can medication really help if you feel unease when you are around other people?

For example, i don't have panic attacks, and i can "endure" any situation given - for instance, i just came back from a christmas concert where i had to play the piano - and i did well ( of course not that well as when i didn;t have this intense problem with people)

social phobia is about being afraid to interact with peolpe, to talk to people etc, it's not like agoraphobia for example that you may experience intense sweating,fainting etc - to me the only symptom is that i have a constant headache and i cannot concentrate - i am taking antidepressants

and my question is:do u believe that there is really any medication that helps particularly with SOCIAL phobia? i believe no( i hope there is of course). because medications are only to relieve the symptoms right?

[RabidBadger]

Hi Pessima

I have had anxiety problems and panic attacks for nine years and I have found that taking anti-depressants doesn't stop me having a high level of background anxiety. They do, however, seem to stop it from escalating into the sort of blind panic that really debilitates you.

Just over a year ago I was suffering terribly from agoraphobia, to the point where I would only leave my bedroom if I really had to. Now I go to the shops, I go out to the local woods with my camera and I go to a pub two nights a week. I don't put all my improvements down to the medication - I have also had to address the way I think about things - but I do think that the drugs have played a part.

I don't know how you will relate this to your social phobia but they are not prescribed to treat the symptoms - in fact, as you'll probably know, they introduce a lot of new symptoms of their own.

Good luck

Chris

[Pessima]

thanxc Chris and good luck with your agoraphobia

i know it's horrible coz my brother had severe agoraphobia for 5 years(he was locked in his room for almost 2,5 years) but know he's totally active, i know that you can too..

the odd thing is that sometimes i am afraid i will have the same problem with him....

as for me, i will turn to alternative sources( bach's remedy''s etc) , low dosage of antidepressants and phychotherapy :)