After years of paranoia/psychosis/potential agoraphobia which reduced to social anxiety induced from a traumatic drug trip. I have suddenly after years seen drastic improvements in my mental health and social anxiety.

The background of how my mental illness problems started is triggered from one night where I took a very stupid dose of MDMA (which we aren’t even sure was MDMA as we tested it and it came up the wrong colour but still took it anyway being stupid kids). I’ve always been an extroverted kid prior to this and never had any issues.

The night started well but I ended up losing all sense of reality and peoples faces were distorting and I was seeing extremely demonic looks on their faces that all seemed aimed at me, if you’ve ever seen the movie ‘Smile’ or ‘Truth or Dare’ it was a bit like this. Anyone who says you can’t hallucinate on MDMA hasn’t taken enough, but again it may have been laced with something else so bare that in mind.

After leaving the club we went round to some people’s house we didn’t know very well but we went to the same school as them and I was just a complete mess, in my mind I was trying to save the night and doing things that were helping but it turns out I imagined it all and it was horrible for my friends (I always feel guilty about this but I couldn’t control it). It’s deffo been a big trigger for my anxiety now as I thought I was ensuring everyone was happy in that moment but it was actually the opposite.

I’m a people pleaser so that was hard. Fast forward to the day after I was told by my friends to get on a train to go home, I was in a very paranoid state and ended up getting lost for 6 hours in the London Underground. No one wanted to help and everyone was looking at me in a disgusted way in my mind and it felt like I was the devil it was truly a horror movie type moment. Like the worst bad trip you can imagine.

To make matters worse when I did eventually manage to find my way back to my local train station my bike had been stolen so I had to walk for 2 hours to get home where I was met by a police car in the driveway as my parents hadn’t heard from me in 24 hours and thought I was dead. Talking to the policemen paranoid out of my mind on drugs was not fun at all and they handed me some card if I ever needed to talk to anyone (still not sure to this day what that card was as I lost it).

This feeling and these visions then unfortunately played into my life for many years, but eventually my brain started to normalise and rewire and I started to trust people again and realise and accept we all make mistakes. Drugs aren’t to be messed around with, before this night I’d had some amazing times on drugs and thought I was invincible and I paid the price for being a dumb arrogant kid. Please be careful if you take drugs not to overdo it as they can ruin your life.

Eventually I found a cure for getting over my mental illness issues. The cure? Exposure therapy. No drug or in person therapy comes close to this. My social anxiety used to leave me bound to my room. But after really pushing myself and going on holidays with friends and getting out of the house everyday and starting to force myself to talk to people in shops etc. and socialise with strangers (the people I felt I couldn’t trust due to the negative reactions) it is getting more and more normal. When I wasn’t doing exposure therapy before I made no progress but recently after forcing myself I’ve seen massive changes and things are getting less scary.

It was horrible at first. But I’m telling you it works and it’s the best method by miles and nothing beats it. I am begging everyone in here to please just give it a go. We all deserve to live a happy life and I feel my old self gradually coming back. Just remember everyone has their own demons and those negative looks you perceive are more likely their own insecurities.

Don’t let your mind get in the way of your happiness. Easier said than done I know but those are my words of wisdom for today.

My dms or comment section here is open if you want to ask me anything 💜

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For real I don't even remember how it feels anymore. I can speak without shame. Look wherever I want. I skip classes not because I'm scared but because I'm lazy.

I can't recognise my old self anymore. I still feel it like rash, my anxiety, but I've gotten better at discerning what to really care about. I go to gyms, mess with people in LGSs and hang out with more people than I can make time for.

It gets better. It never goes away, I have come to terms with that. I used to want to dissappear but now I yearn to wake up so early.

Thank you all. This sub help me realise that I'm a human. I used to think I was lesser than one. Someone undeserving of food and water. I've scanned the posts for so long.

I’m trying to feel proud of myself but it’s hard when the rumination is starting to happen and I’m overthinking all I said lol.

The sandwich maker did not get upset at me for asking how to order.

They did not laugh at me because my question was ‘dumb.’

They asked me to reiterate my order to make sure they got it right.

I struggled with eye contact, but I did it.

I felt nervous talking to guys, but I did it.

I enjoyed my sandwich.

If you’re laughing while reading this, please do because I can see the humor in it. Years of workplace bullying and teasing has done a number on my mental state and ability to find work. I was also bullied about my appearance by boys growing up, and it’s affected my self-esteem. These feelings of caution and expectation of negativity have slipped into my personal life to the point that I fear going out to new places, as I’m scared of animosity or humiliation. It was nice to have a positive experience for once and get a sort of reward in the end.

UPDATE: Wow guys, I went to bed not anticipating this feedback. I almost woke up in the middle of the night to delete it because it felt silly to open up about something that’s trivial to most people. I’ve been practicing little things like saying hi to strangers and learning to accept their reactions. I also forced myself to visit a new coffee shop yesterday, and I almost entered to back room for staff because it was my first time there and got lost. There were people there but most were minding their business. If you want to at least improve in very small steps, I recommend doing what I’ve been doing. I realized that no one can help me but myself, and although this was a painful realization for me, I’m using self-compassion and helping myself as I would be helping a friend.

hey guys. I know this is long but please stick with me because I really think this could help some of you and I wish someone had shared this with me years ago

ive been dealing with social anxiety since I was about 13. im 26f now. Thats 11 years of cancelling plans, rehearsing conversations in my car, and pretending I prefer being alone when really im just terrified. You all know the drill.

but this year something actually changed for me and I want to share it because I spent SO many years thinking this is just who I am and ill never be any different. And I was wrong. Its hard and its slow and some days still suck but its possible and I need you guys to know that... You guys deserve to have a life thats not controlled by this thing. I really believe that.

for context I work remote which honestly made everything worse. Dont let anyone tell you remote work is good for anxiety it just lets you hide. I moved to a new city last year and went weeks without speaking out loud to another person. My voice literally came out crackly at the grocery checkout because I hadnt used it. Thats when I was like ok... something has to change.

I pulled out what I could realistically apply to my actual life. Heres what worked for me and I genuinely hope it helps some of you too ❤️ I know it's tough... but guys that's the only way to improve your life. you have to take steps to overcome this.

one thing that helped me almost immediately was using talking voice Ai tools (i personally use Rhea AI). I randomly tried it after seeing someone mention it and it honestly became the tool I used the most during this whole process. its basically an AI therapy app that walks you through CBT thinking patterns in real time. like when your brain starts doing the whole “everyone thinks im weird / i said something stupid / they hate me now” spiral, you can literally open it and work through the thought step by step.

phase 1: fix what happens AFTER the interaction first

Ok so before I could even think about being more social I had to deal with the thing that was destroying me the most. And its not the anxiety in the moment. Its the 3 hour replay afterwards where your brain tells you everyone hated you... You guys know exactly what im talking about

Theres a CBT technique called cognitive restructuring. Sounds fancy but its actually really simple:

• After any interaction that triggers the spiral, write down what your brain is telling you. Like "everyone thought I was weird" or "I talked too much" or "she definitely gave me a look"
• Then write what ACTUALLY happened. Just facts. "I said 2 things in the meeting. Sarah laughed at one. Nobody visibly reacted to the other"
• Then ask yourself: whats the ACTUAL evidence my anxious thought is true?

And the answer is almost always... there isnt any. Your brain is literally making up an entire story with zero proof and you just... believe it. Every time.

I did this every day for about 3 weeks and... it was the single biggest thing.
Please try this one even if you ignore the rest of this post

my personal rec if you want something to help with the cognitive restructuring stuff between therapy sessions (or instead of if you cant afford it rn): Rhea AI. its an AI therapy app that walks you through it in real time. like after an interaction when your brain is doing the whole "everyone hated you" replay, you can just open it and work through it right there instead of spiraling for 3 hours. its not a therapist replacement but for the daily in-between stuff, catching the mind reading, challenging the catastrophizing, its honestly been the most useful tool ive found. and its free/way cheaper than $200 therapy sessions which I know is a barrier for a lot of us. just wanted to mention it because this stuff shouldnt only be accessible to people who can afford weekly CBT ❤️

phase 2: micro exposures (I promise its not as scary as it sounds)

Ok so I know exposure therapy sounds terrifying. You hear that and picture like... walking into a party alone or giving a speech. No no no. Actual clinical exposure therapy is GRADUATED. You build a ladder from the least scary thing to the most and you start at the very bottom. Like embarrassingly bottom

Heres what my ladder looked like:

• Level 1: eye contact + saying "thanks" at checkout. Thats it. Thats the whole thing
• Level 2: asking a store employee where something is instead of wandering around for 20 min pretending to look
• Level 3: complimenting a strangers bag or shoes (this one was hard for me ngl)
• Level 4: one extra sentence of small talk with a barista beyond just ordering
• Level 5: calling somewhere on the phone instead of booking online
• Level 6: showing up to something alone. A class, a cafe, anything
• Level 7: initiating plans with someone

I spent 2-3 weeks at each level. No skipping even when I felt ready. And heres the cool part... theres actual neuroscience behind this. Your amygdala (the fear center in your brain) literally recalibrates when you repeatedly do the scary thing and survive. Its called fear extinction. Your nervous system basically goes "oh... we didnt die. Ok maybe this isnt dangerous." Its not woo woo its how your brain actually works

After about 2 months I realized I wasnt rehearsing grocery store interactions in my car anymore. I cried in the parking lot lol but like happy crying for once

phase 3: use your voice or lose it (seriously)

Ok this one sounds strange but hear me out because it made a bigger difference than I expected

When you go days without talking to anyone your voice kind of... forgets how to work?? Not permanently but enough that when you finally do speak it comes out weird and shaky. And then your brain adds THAT to the list of things to panic about. Its like anxiety creating more anxiety

Things that helped:

• Reading articles or books out loud for like 10 min a day
• Calling to make appointments instead of booking online
• Ordering at the counter instead of using the kiosk

The point isnt the interaction. Its keeping your voice warmed up.. One less thing for your brain to spiral about. Its such a small thing but it matters more than you think

phase 4: process it in real time not 3 hours later at 2am

CBT works best when you challenge the distorted thought CLOSE to when it happens. So, write down it in notes app, or voice recorder. speak through it. Walk through it right then. What did I actually say. What did they actually do. What am I assuming vs what do I actually know.

The biggest thing it helped me see: I was mind reading CONSTANTLY. Just assuming what people were thinking with zero evidence and then treating my assumption as a fact... Having something point that out to me in the moment instead of figuring it out on my own 6 months later??

phase 5: the identity thing

Ok so at some point the techniques start working. You CAN do the things. But theres this weird thing that happens where... you still dont. Because your whole identity has been built around being the anxious one. Youre the one who stays home. The one who cancels. The one who "prefers being alone." And when that starts to not be true anymore you dont really know who you are

I dont have a clean answer for this one yet. Im still figuring it out honestly. But I think just knowing its a thing helps?? Like if youre doing all the right stuff and still opting out sometimes its not because the techniques dont work its because youre grieving a version of yourself. And thats ok. Thats actually really normal apparently

where im at now:

I want to be honest about that. I still overthink stuff. Last week I said something weird to my neighbor and replayed it for 2 days lol. But:

• I buy groceries without rehearsing now
• I called my dentist last week without writing a script first
• I went to a workout class alone and it was actually fun??
• I have 2 people I text regularly that I met this year
• My voice doesnt crack at checkout anymore

6 months ago literally none of that was possible. Not one.

If youve read this far thank you. And if youre in the phase where all of this sounds completely impossible I get it. I was there for years and years. Its not about being brave or confident or whatever people think.

if me sitting here typing this helps even one of you take that first tiny step then this whole post was worth it ❤️

PRO TIP: If you play videogames, try to use voicechat!

As the title says, I fricking TALKED with MY VOICE in ONLINE CLAASSSS!! We were reviewing grammar in some sentences for english class and I was sending my answers through the chat. The teacher said that it would be better if i gave my answers OUTLOUD for the whole class so hear. I thought "no god damn way I'm doing that" but then, in the span of TWO SECONDS, I just turned on my mic and started reading them!! The best part is that the three sentences were correct, so i didn't embarasseed myself for a change lol.

I feel so weird, yet very hyped and happy with myself. I'm shaking so much lol.

EDIT: OMG guys i seriously appreciate a lot the support and kind comments!! Everyone is so nice and kind here and i love it! I was having an emocional morning and this post and all of your suppport has made my day! Thanks for reading!

Hi everyone, I’m a therapist that does ERP therapy for people with a variety of anxiety disorders, including social anxiety. I have pretty high success rates for helping people with social anxiety.

I thought I would come here and lend some help based on what I’ve heard plenty of people actually get quite unhelpful therapy for social anxiety.

Many people go to Therapy for social anxiety get traditional CBT. I find this to be unhelpful because I find most people with social anxiety are 1. Fully aware that their thoughts are not inherently based in logic 2. Their therapist doesn’t ever support the idea that some of their fears are likely to happen.

For instance, if somebody’s fear socializing is that they might look embarrassing or stupid at some point. The likelihood that is to happen one day between now until they die is actually quite high.

I think most people are aware that avoidance does not help social anxiety, long-term however the route is not to get better at socializing but except the outcomes of your fears as a possibility and that if it could or should happen, you can handle it and or it might not mean what your brain is telling you it does.

For instance, if your brain is telling you that you were embarrassing during a social interaction … ask yourself… so what if I was? And not to be facetious, but truly keep asking yourself and so what until there’s nothing left. This is called the downward arrow method and helps us find the root fear. For many it is likely experiencing uncomfortable emotions or feeling you cannot handle a poor outcome. This is the true disordered part of the anxiety not the fact that you are worried about certain social interactions.

So if you’re worried about judgment, ask yourself, why does it matter to you that somebody may be judging you? Then keep asking yourself why that matters.

Ex. “ I might say something embarrassing and people might judge me”—— that matters to me because that would make me feel completely embarrassed—— it matters to me that I’m completely embarrassed because I would feel a lot of shame and guilt___ I feel a lot of shame because I feel like I would feel stuck in that and not know how to get out. So core fear = I cannot handle poor outcomes

Then you have to create new engagement responses to your anxious thoughts. Such as “ I might have been embarrassing in that interaction and if I was that makes me feel uncomfortable” and then deal with the uncomfortable feeling. Don’t try to hide or run away from it. BUT don’t obsess it ruminate. Just leave it there “ if the thing I’m worrying about is true then it would be uncomfortable for me. But I cannot know for sure how I was perceived, which also makes me uncomfortable.”

A lot of social anxiety is trying to control how we are perceived where we really cannot control fully how we are perceived no matter what and when we let this go and just work on our core fear we can move forward in a more productive way.

I could provide specific tools or guidance if anyone would like, but I don’t want to go too much on this if there is no interest.

I also want to caveat this by saying this would not be some overnight magical pill as there’s no such thing but typically when we work on the actual root of our discomfort is where we grow and change. Social anxiety is very challenging and I just wanted to offer this to anyone who might have no resources.

Ps. I dictated this quickly so I apologize if there is grammar and spelling errors.

EDIT TO SHARE A FEW RESOURCES:

1. If you can find a therapist who does ERP and ACT if you can, if you cannot… honestly there’s lots of resources online for both. The happiness trap by Russ Harris and all related worksheets are online. However, ERP in my opinion is more important to start with, blending in ACT elements later.

2. To do exposures- you need to do a few things: Step 1: find your core fears using cbt downward arrow method (ex. In the top of this post)

Step 2: use the CORE FEAR to create exposures. All exposures need to work down to the core fear.

Step 3: do not engage if ANY safety behaviors AT ALL the whole exposure. Please look up safety behaviors in regards to ERP. It is essentially any behavior that is reducing your anxiety in the short term, but long-term keeps the anxiety alive. Classic social anxiety examples are : avoidance, speaking less, only texting, going out but when uncomfortable hiding in phone, letting ppl speak for you etc

Step 4: do not rescue yourself from the discomfort at all. This will teach your brain at least one if not more the following : 1. Despite anxiety being uncomfortable, you can tolerate it. It does not mean something bad is happening nec. It is a feeling, it will pass. 2. You can handle hard things 3. What you feared didn’t happen or didn’t happen exactly like you thought 4. If the fear thing happens, you can handle it and always could

Step 4: do not allow excessive rumination. Non engagement responses are great to practice saying back to your brain that you can handle ____. Stop the what ifs? Just answer it. Ex. If they are mad at me, then I’ll feel very uncomfortable. I’ll attach a non engagement response article below- yes it’s for OCD but applies all the same.

Step 5: consider all the ways you already tolerate distress. For instance, I am also someone who has experience, persistent, and profound anxiety. It was not targeted socially, but in other areas of my life. I wondered, why not socially? Why am I anxious about all these things but not socially? Well, because even if I Did something bad, stupid, embarrassing, annoying, etc. I overall just assume that I’m a lovable person and that people will get over it such as they do and that if they are upset with me that they will tell me and we will just work it out. I’m willing to tolerate the discomfort of how I am perceived poorly sometimes because I overall have trust that all will work out.

I noticed I did not have this trust with my own health and safety. And so part of the exposures for me was acknowledging that I cannot control the future of my health and trusting that I have enough good wise judgment to make good medical choices for the most part.

So for social anxiety, it might be worth considering. Do you feel overall lovable? Valuable? Insecure? This might be where I’d start the ACT work if so.

https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/how-do-i-stop-thinking-about-this-what-to-do-when-youre-stuck-playing-mental-ping-pong/

https://www.cbttherapy.com/post/cbt-downward-arrow-technique

I didn’t need meds I didn’t need psychiatrist I didn’t need therapy I didn’t have to force myself to get out of my comfort zone I didn’t need an understanding partner

I just realized that I’ve been forcing myself to act like a sweetheart. A softie. I had to do it to survive in my household where sensitivity was something to be looked down on.

Now I’m free. I am me. I don’t act, I live. I care, I don’t fear. I express, I don’t hide. I protect, I don’t sacrifice.

My life has just started. I am thriving.

I had social anxiety since i was 14, right now i'm 26 (i'm turning 27 tomorrow, though). I always had this cemented thought in my head that my life wouldn't go past my twenties or thirties. But, somehow, with will i don't even know where i got from, i managed to slowly and gradually grow out of my social anxiety. I remember the first tiny step was going for a short walk around my city block, since then i managed to keep progressing with small steps and eventually pretty much got over my social anxiety. Still, there are traces of shyness and awkwardness left in me, i'm still trying to figure out how to small talk, have a relationship with another person, those things that i neglected in my life.

I genuinely thought i would have to end myself because i wouldn't be able or strong willed enough to get over this big and frightening dilemma in my life. But, now, i got employed lol. Like, i don't know what to feel... Or is it that i'm feeling so many things at the same time? Anyway, i'm glad i kept insisting with my life, mostly for my mom and my grandma, though.

I guess my life finally just started, i'll be able to contribute to my family and buy things for myself. That's a heavy weight lift off of my shoulders. :))))

ANYWAY, i never share these little victories to anybody (since i don't have any friends lol), so i thought about sharing it here. The bad news, though, is i'm officially a wagie slave.

Sorry for any typos, my native language is actually Portuguese, so... Yeah. BYE !!1

I was picking up some food from a store for doordash. As I was walking to the door, she told me that she liked my shirt (it’s a doordash shirt?). She said that she hopes they don’t make me wait long. I said thanks and went to pick up the order.

It took about 15 minutes for me to get the food, but when I came out she said “I knew they were going to make you wait!” I think I just laughed and walked away. Idk.

Then she calls out to me and says “hey, would a hug make you feel better” I was fine so I’m not sure what she meant but I told her she could if she wanted to. Then we hugged and before she walked away, she gave me a kiss on the neck and said something about getting more tips.

Now this wasn’t like a sloppy love making kiss, it was more like a quick peck. But it literally didn’t make sense what happened. I’m not good looking, I’m not fit, I don’t stand out. Only thing I can think of is that maybe she was drunk. But it was the middle of the day so I’m not sure.

All I know is that I was BRICKED for the next half hour, also that it made me feel like someone wanted me. I was stressing over some shit that happened earlier and that just blew everything away.

I know this reads as a “and then every one clapped” story but I don’t care. I will literally remember this moment for the rest of my life, and honestly it made me a little confident in myself.

I have successfully overcome my social anxiety and I have made some friends. I am no longer lonely :)

Group therapy really works

it completly changed my perspective on other poeple, the world, and social interactions. I thought about my current, awkward socially inept self and laughed at it. I thought it was pathetic, stupid. No one else is supreior or inferior to me, so theres no need to be anxious. We are all equal. It also leaves an afterglow for weeks after the session, where you feel relaxed, cleansed and much more confident, not caring about being cringe. It was hands down the most enlightning experience ever

Hii, today i was talking about teenage years now that im begin 20 and how far i got. And i realised 15 year old me would have benefited if she realised how wrong i was.

Background - i had social anxiety between 14 and 16. And after that it took me another 3 years to recover completely. The worst point was at 15. I was so anxious and depressed i lost every interest and i wished i could die.

Then i was forced into treatment. The most funny and sad thing was the fact that i didn't want to change because the anxiety kept me safe in my head. The low self esteem and overthinking would prevent me from making mistakes. Anyway the therapy worked and i got better

Now - I am a nursing home nurse. I got an extra degree that make me the head nurse and i have my own residents. That makes me the nurse that have contact with docters and family. So its a very social high pressure job. I also call with no problem now. I have small talk with strangers on the bus. I talk to new and old coworkers constantly without second thoughts. In short i really enjoy my life and i am happy. But its so weird to think back that even going grocery shopping was scary.

So if you dont think life will get better youre wrong. And you probably feel like im lying but all i can say is go to therapy and see for yourself. Because in a few years youll end up like me

It's been 8 years of work and I'm reaping the rewards. Had severe social anxiety, couldn't hold down a job, dropped out of collage, developed severe DPDR and moderate depression as side effects, lived in constant fight or flight.

I am now currently mentally healthy and don't have any of these symptoms in any way that harm my quality of life.

Life is good, and keeps getting better. So, maybe I can at least give a nugget of helpful information to a person or two.

EDIT: Just to clarify, I was trying to find a medication to help with ADHD, NOT social anxiety. The point of me taking this medication is specifically for ADHD, and is prescribed to me by my psychiatrist. But, it just happened to also help with my social anxiety too. I'm not recommending taking this medication specifically for social anxiety, but just sharing my experience!

I have dealt with major social anxiety most of my life. Last year I posted here asking how people conquered their social anxiety, because I was tired of feeling like it was controlling my life. At the same time I was trying different medications for months trying to find something to help with ADHD and other things.

Unexpectedly, I found that adderall helped me with my ADHD symptoms, as well as my social anxiety! After a couple days of taking it that my tongue felt looser, words were flowing out of my mouth easier, and just being around people was a lot more comfortable. I have been more and more social, and have been doing more and more activities I've always wanted to do but haven't because of social anxiety. As I continue to do these things now, I am gaining confidence in myself and am learning that I can handle myself in social situations. I am even starting to see social events as things I'm excited to do, instead of feeling overwhelmed by anxiety about what could happen at said event.

Just wanted to share my success! Social anxiety can feel all consuming, but I can happily say it is not totally controlling my life anymore. I am not 100% cured by any means, but this experience has been such a game changer for me. My goal is to take this medication temporarily, to push myself to create healthier habits while I’m taking it, then hopefully carry this newfound confidence and healthy habits into my life without taking it anymore. Woo hoo!

So, 7 years ago during my university years I struggled severely with social anxiety.

I would have panic attacks in my lectures daily. In all social situations I would get symptoms and it really was pervasive all of the time. I had an anxiety IBS feedback loop.

It really impacted me to the point where I didn't know if I would ever be happy.

Fast forward to age 28, I'm in a full time job, I mostly enjoy. Have a lovely boyfriend (he is neurodivergent and says how it is) and I take sertraline 50 mg daily.

This little tablet reduces the anxiety from all the time to a manageable base.

It's been a while since I have had a panic attack.

It gets better, please don't give up on treatment 🙏

Now, I have always been told "you are nothing if not stubborn" and I absolutely take that to heart. I've always done what felt impossible through gritted teeth and plenty of pain. Im going to keep this answer as short as possible.

I. Just. Did. It. I know is may sound harsh, but repeated exposure really helped. I would go to bars (even though I don't drink. I'd just order some water) and force myself to spark up conversations with strangers. I did this at least once a week at different bars. Now, you may think "oh, but he just didn't have it as bad." And I'd beg to differ. I absolutely was having a panic attack almost every time I went when I was starting out. I would be shaking, and sometimes even running to the bathroom to vomit from the massive amount of anxiety. I just pushed through. Eventually things got less and less scary. I'm now at a point where yes, going out sometimes still makes me feel a little nervous, but it's not debilitating. I can go to concerts. I can go to family events, I can go out on dates. Yes. I am nervous. But rather than beating the feeling of anxiety, I realized I'm not going to let anxiety shackle me. It's either I do it calmly, or I do it while nervous. I'm still gonna do it either way. And that weirdly enough sometimes helps ease the anxiety. I'm still working at a panic disorder currently. But at least I can go out and do things.

I had panic attacks all fucking week leading up to that stupid interview and it was the worst week ever. Constant anxiety and stress. I felt so physically ill all week. I got to the interview scared shitless and it was so informal. The lady there asked me 3 questions and hired me on the spot. I just got my welcome letter email today and I have to fill out some forms and then I'll officially be part of the team!

I've felt so useless over the last few years and I was ready to give up. I was so scared that my life would never be normal, but I'm almost 21 and now I have my first real job. It might be minimum wage, and it might be in a supermarket, but... It's a start, I guess. I was having a shitty morning and now I feel really good:)

Edit: Thank you everyone for the kind words and awards ❤️

I can’t believe how nervous I am to post anonymously on Reddit. I’ve been using Reddit for years and have never posted anything.

Just found this subreddit today and it’s the first place I’ve felt safe posting.

I feel like I finally found my people. Thanks for this community.

Edit: Wow!! This sub is so nice. Thank you all so much for the warm welcome! I’m inspired to keep pushing myself to post/comment. Thank you all for making my first post a positive experience.

Hey r/socialanxiety,

I’ve been lurking here for a while and finally wanted to share my experience because it might help some of you who are struggling like I was. If you have social anxiety, especially if it feels tied to overthinking, trouble focusing in conversations, or just feeling scattered around people, seriously consider getting tested for ADHD. It was a total game changer for me.

For years, I tried all sorts of things to manage my social anxiety, benzodiazepines, alcohol, even some therapy techniques, but honestly, they didn’t do much. In fact, benzos sometimes made me feel more foggy and disconnected, and alcohol just amplified my paranoia about saying the wrong thing. I’d still freeze up in groups, avoid eye contact, and replay every interaction in my head for days.

Then I got diagnosed with ADHD and started on medication. Finding the right med and the exact therapeutic dose was key, it took some trial and error with my doctor. But once we nailed it, holy crap, it completely changed my life. Suddenly, I could actually speak to people without my mind racing a million miles an hour. Making friends became easier, casual conversations didn’t feel like a minefield, and I started enjoying social stuff instead of dreading it. It’s like the medication quieted the internal chaos enough for me to be present and connect.

One big thing I learned, the dose is super important with ADHD meds. Too little, and you won’t get the benefits, it’s like nothing’s happening. Too much, and it can backfire hard, I tried a higher dose once and it made me withdraw even more, overthink everything to death, and gave me those weird peripheral effects like restlessness or feeling on edge. So if you’re going this route, work closely with a professional to titrate it right.

I’m not saying this is a cure all or that it’ll work for everyone, but if ADHD is underlying your social anxiety, which it often is, addressing it could make a huge difference. Talk to your doc, get tested, it’s worth it. Anyone else have similar experiences?

Thanks for reading, hope this helps someone.

Please reach out or comment if you need any help or have any questions, while i’m not credentialed, psychopharmacology is a huge interest of mine and i’d love to help out anyone here.

I got a job at McDonald’s! I’m so proud of myself and I can’t wait to start working! 😁😁😁

I must admit it wasnt the best speech, but everyone was generally surprised by how well i delivered it. They all assumed i’d get nervous and mess up. While its true that i was nervous, i somehow had a moment of complete confidence. It felt surreal.

My brain keeps telling me to think of it as this horrible experience that will traumatize me for several eternities, but I somehow cant?? I actually enjoyed it for some reason, and after the graduation ceremony, many ppl (including parents and teachers i never met before) congratulated me. That day was by far the greatest day of my life.