When did you realise you suffer with social anxiety?

[Anonymous]

Did your doctor diagnose you? Or is it something you label yourself after reading about it online, all the symptoms sound like you? Did you get help? is it working?

[fauchelevent]

I suffer with generalised anxiety, so not quite social anxiety but it fits :P I realised probably around 14-ish when I was anxious pretty much all the time. I'd get a lot of panic attacks, had shitty self-esteem, and was pretty much constantly twitching, trembling or shaking my leg. I had palpitations and chest pain just from getting so anxious and stressed all the time. I read up a little on it and realised that I had it.

It was also around that time that my father's mental illness was becoming more and more obvious as he refused to take his meds, even if I didn't know it at the time, and I saw my symptoms kinda reflected back at me.

I didn't get help with it until about a year ago when my uni work was piling up and it was all getting a lot worse. I'd already been told twice by teachers in college that they thought it would be better if I saw a doctor about my anxiety because I burst into tears pretty much everyday and one day managed to do it in front of them, but I'd refused to go. It wasn't something I felt out of control of, I was dealing with it. But when it got worse at uni and a lecturer decided to call me out on it and recommend I speak to their wellbeing service, with the reassurance of my partner, I decided I should probably go.

I'm getting help in the form of therapy and a counsellor. I was recently offered medication but refused it due to concerns that it would interfere with other medication or symptoms would be a lot worse. My anxiety is better than it used to be, though I still suffer from it, so I'd say that the therapy is working and when I come off of my medication soon, I'll probably take the anxiety meds.

[Asker]

Thanks for sharing that

[Jadekitten]

I realized around 7th grade. I was considering home schooling because I was constantly anxious. I had like one friend and whenever someone would talk to me I had no idea what to say and would get scared. Class was horrible and I was in constant fear of presentations or getting called on. I rarely left the house when I didn't have to, and was so depressed and anxious that I thought there had to be a reason. I looked online and realized my symptoms sounded a lot like social anxiety. I talked to my mom and I started going to therapy. I went to therapy until right before freshman year of HS and it was still pretty bad then but now it's manageable and I deal with it every day. I'm 99% sure most people wouldn't know I struggle with it. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to deal with it.

[Panick-attack]

I have had social anxiety my entire life and at first, I was told I was just shy and I was but then the thoughts started to come in. What does he think? Does she really hate me? Why did she say that? Did I say something wrong? I'm not sure when I figured out I had S. A. but it was around 14/15 and I labelled myself and went to my friends about it. Later on I saw a psychologist and she didn't help much tbh but I can deal with it now. Not sure how but I get by. It's still there and it has it's ups and downs for sure.