Social and generalized anxiety

[VioletAntigone]

Hi Mark;
I am hoping that you might be able to offer some practical advice that does not include breathing techniques or therapy (therapy is not an option for me right now, and although breathing techniques have been mentioned to me, that by itself is really pretty ineffective).

I have horrible social anxiety that affects me physically, on a daily basis. I experience anything from feeling sick/queasy, to trembling visibly, or my face turning bright red. Sometimes my eyes water, as if I'm going to start crying. I am afraid to go into public very often, I won't go anywhere where I have to stand in line, etc.

This is infuriating to me, because most of my life I have been an outgoing person who, although dysfunctional on many levels, never had any problem approaching people. Over the past three years my life has taken some really damaging, self-esteem depleting turns, and although I am coming out of that in many ways, the anxiety continues to prevail.

I have read a little about "cognitive-behavioral" therapy, but here is one issue that I have: as soon as I become aware of the possibility of physical symptoms manifesting for me, it happens. So, as soon as I become self-conscious, which is pretty much all of the time, I start to tremble, or turn red, or feel sick, or whatever. It's horrible, and as I said, I am not able to go to therapy right now, and simply trying to breathe through my stomach is really not a valid solution by itself.

I am hoping that you have some insight into how I might be able to at least gradually realign my thought process, or possibly some helpful meditation techniques or mantras to do in my down time.
Thanks.

[historyteach]

Antigone;

I went through social anxiety quite a while ago. I found meditation and visualization quite helpful, along with meds. I was on BuSpar at the time.
The meditation I used is in Gloria Steinum's book, Revolution From Within. I recomend it.

Mark will be here to address your concerns much better than I. I just want you to know you're not alone.

Shalom!

[VioletAntigone]

Thanks, Historyteach....I suppose I should have mentioned that I have been taking Zoloft and Neurontin for about seven months....but I will certainly check out the reading material you mentioned!

[MarkSichelCSW]

I'm giving you a link to material about panic disorder which is all relevant to your social anxiety & the symptoms you get when you have social anxiety. You can skip over the article on breathing techniques; I totally understand what you mean when you say you can't do that.
http://www.psybersquare.com/anxiety/panic_not_cat.html

& the link below relates specifically to cognitive & behavioral techniques
http://www.psybersquare.com/anxiety/...g_therapy.html