starkid wrote:
Social anxiety is a disorder and is therefore more serious than mere nervousness. If you, for example, find yourself restricting activities you very much like (such as avoiding places you love because of anxiety), that's a good clue that you have social anxiety. Constantly worrying about what people will think of you or do to you is another symptom. You can look up symptoms online.
Personally, I do not trust doctors of any kind to properly deal with these kinds of problems. If I were you, I would look up coping/self-treatment strategies. You can also try anonymous mental health phone lines or online chat as a start or for an anxiety attack; they can help you decide what to do/whether to see a doctor. Also you need to make sure that it's really you who has the problem; anxiety is normal if you are often in bad situations (like a sh***y home life, bullying at school/work, etc.)
If you decide to tell your doctor, however, just say, "I think I may have social anxiety, and I want some help." The doctor may ask you why you think that, so have ready some descriptions or examples about the kind of anxiety-related problems you've been dealing with. Try to get a referral to a therapist, because most general practitioners don't know much about mental health.
This is excellent advice! I agree with you that general practitioners often can not successfully diagnose or treat mental issues. Talk with a psychologist (not a psychiatrist) to figure out if it's social anxiety, general anxiety disorder, or something else. Despite what some doctors might think, it really does help to have a label to it so you can better understand what causes you to behave a certain way and how you can manage your anxiety when those situations arise. It helps to understand how your mind works and I hope you can find a good professional who can help you along this journey. Best regards.
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“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Buddha
"It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" -Alice in Wonderland
"I know that I know nothing." -Socrates
Diagnosed with ADHD, general anxiety disorder, chronic severe depression. In the process of obtaining an ASD diagnosis.
AQ from Psychology Tools: 45
10 Mar 2020, 7:12 pm
