Social skills vs. anxiety

Post Reply New Topic

So many people think that I have bad social skills, but in reality I think (besides possibly being rusty) my real problem is anxiety. It's what stops me from speaking to people in the first place and hinders my social development. Sometimes I try to imagine myself having a normal conversation without being so agitated, which is theoretically possible, but I think that this would require something beyond a typical forceful conversation. Drugs, perhaps.

Does anyone know of anything that might possibly remove social anxiety (or generally)? I've been reading about amphetamines, the kind ADHD people have, but I'm not totally sure they'd do anything besides boosting mental capabilities. Recently, after looking up barbiturates in a dictionary, I realized that since apparently some are used as 'truth serums' that they may be able to act as uninhibitors, which might eliminate the anxiety. But I'd need to research more.

PS. I was given Zyprexa once for something unrelated (well, depression, which I'm not sure it's really for) and it ended up making me extroverted. Way too extroverted, which is why I won't try it again. It was an interesting random occurrence, though.

alcohol!! !

The common things that are prescribed for anxiety these days are SSRI's and benzodiazepines. I don't think barbituates are prescribed very often on an outpatient basis, anymore (there was a lot of abuse of them in the 70's, apparently).

I'd expect suggestions to do CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) first, though.

Yes!

I wouldn't resort to drugs or alcohol, prescription or otherwise for social anxiety.

I think you really need to sit and ask yourself exactly what element of socialization makes you nervous.

When you think you know what it is, get back to me and perhaps we can find a non destructive way to mitigate this.

The problem is that it's all kinds. Whenever it concerns unknown people (everyone is, at one point or another...) I get really agitated, my prior calmness obliterated from existence.

I've never went to a party, probably because I know I wouldn't like it too much. I'd feel similarly anxious as in any other situation, but I'm not sure if it would be worse, because even in some conferences lately, meetings that I actually want to attend and enjoy, I am frozen by fear and just cannot start talking with anyone.

That's why I think it's a deep issue, one that possibly cannot be solved simply by adapting myself mentally or just forcing myself (of course, I tried that many times... I just still have that paralyzing fear in the background, which is not at all conducive to a good conversation). I can never really eliminate the anxiety in the end.

Time has mostly eradicated my social anxieties. That and pushing myself a little, though not too much.
I don't know if there's anything that makes it go away quicker, though.