Which medication(s) or therapies have helped your SA the most?

[CurbYourAnxiety]

Thinking of getting off all the meds I'm on as they are either somewhat effective with shitty side effects or very effective but a serious addiction guaranteed if used every day.

Therapy scares the shit out of me.

[Phantomy]

Most effective anti-anxiety med would be Diazepam or Phenibut

CBD Oil is good to quieten the mind, very mild & mellow effect. Expensive though.

Sertraline works well for anxiety but I put weight on with that, and that sucks.

Cannabis is excellent for understanding how your mind got into this mess but can cause paranoia which is counter-productive

CBT is proven to work but I didn't give it a chance when I tried it.

I find myself cycling through this lot over the years but as of right now I'm on a break from all of them so I can get used to my baseline unmedicated self rather than getting too dependant on one or more of the above. Above all else I think talking is probably the best therapy, it doesn't have to be a trained psychologist or counselor, just anyone who will listen.

[CurbYourAnxiety]

I understand what you mean about wanting to get used to your baseline unmedicated self. If you've been on meds for such a long time you forget what that is like.

I'm not sure how much damage i've done to myself from all the meds i have taken over the years so it's scary to think what my baseline unmedicated self is like now.

Have you tried CBD oil I thought it wasn't psychoactive?

I was on Diazepam and other benzos for around 9 years so i know how effective they are, basically cured my SA but having to detox yourself so much becomes too much to handle anymore

Never tried Phenibut i'll look it up later, what are your thoughts on it?

[Phantomy]

Phenibut works great for anti-anxiety and it gives you confidence like some kind of stimulant as well. I would consider it better than diazepam. It is a supplement and does not require prescription but it has similar properties to benzos due to its addiction potential and it would become necessity to detox yourself similar to a benzo detox if you take it daily. If you stick to once-a-week usage you will be ok. Fortunately a dose first thing in the morning will last all day (takes a couple of hours to kick in) and it will even have a sort of afterglow effect into the next day.

The CBD oil is totally dependant on the concentration of Cannabinoids in the oil. You need to look for something with 1000mg or more at least to get a decent effect. I found it was most effective when used in a vape pen but you have to find a CBD oil sold for this specific purpose. I think at these 1000mg+ concentrations there is a mild psychoactive effect in that it quietens the mind enough to not be overly concerned with your environment

[Pink*Lady]

Sertraline - Has helped me cope with depression, anxiety, self harming and social anxiety.

After losing weight exercising I had a very bad patch and went back on meds again. I've since put on 2 stone and am hungry all the time.

[Ajax Amsterdam]

Medications?

The only med I've taken specifically for both SA and depression has been Cipralex (Escitalopram). I've been on this since it was first brought to market. Without meds my brain chemistry is haywire, so it's something I just have to get on with. This med has helped stabilise me enough to give me a platform on which to build upon.

Therapies?

I've had Person-Centred Counselling, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I've also trained in Person-Centred Therapy and have taught myself Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I've been seen by psychiatrists also.

The worst - Psychiatrists. Both times I felt totally invalidated and came out worse than I went in.

The best - Well, I've gained something from all of the approaches simply because that's how I work. I look to take anything useful from anything I can. Having said that, and with a lot of hindsight, for me personally it's ACT and Mindfulness that I have found by far the best. These approaches simply suit me far better than the others I mentioned. ACT is also client-led rather than directive, and this also sits well with my Person-Centred training and beliefs.

Edit: After reading the posts after mine I remembered that I've also had hypnotherapy and taken propranolol. The fact I'd forgotten this probably shows how much good they were for me personally.

[Aelwyn]

The only medication I take is Slow Release propranolol - a lot better than the usual kind of propranolol as it doesn't exhaust you so much and doesn't suddenly wear off after two or three hours - well that's my experience anyway. It helps control shakiness, although it doesn't get rid of the underlying anxiety. I also find mindfulness and meditation helpful in a more general way especially when things are stressful.

I went to one session of hynotherapy but didn't feel it would help me - I found it stressful having to sit in front of somebody with my eyes closed, and was completely unable to imagine myself as a relaxed person, which he asked me to do. But again that's only my personal experience and it may work for some people.

[Laracroft1]

drugs - Ive been on Citalopram for years. I tried to come off it last summer with the aid of my doctor, but i went loopy and have now accepted that i have to take meds for good. Im ok with it. Im really interested in the phenibut, Anthony. I will find out about it.

Hypnotherapy - i had it 20years ago, when my anxiety was reaaallllly bad. It did work. It didnt cure me but it made my anxiety get back to a manageable level. Maybe i will give that a go again.

Private councillor - im seeing one right now. I really like that i can say whatever i want to her and she still thinks im a decent, blameless person. Result!! I feel ok when i come away from her, not like crap which is what i expected to feel after talking about really sensitive stuff.

[Quicksand]

^ citalopram is hard to come off i've found even with GP support. obviously not ready to do it yet after trying and might have to accept i'll need these things for good with what we've been through. considering a change myself but have to think twice with a teenager i want to keep at home doing normal teenage things until she's ready to fly the nest.

[humphrey]

^^ I tried to come off citalopram with the help of my doctor starting last November, it was being reduced at the rate of 10mg a month from the 40mg a day I was on, I was OK until I got down to 10mg dose (3 months in) and I went to Sh*t. So after discussion with the Doc, a slowly worked back up to 40mg (that was to see if 20/30mg would suffice) but I need to be on the full 40, for at least the next 10 years, probably forever.

I am also on Mirtazapine, which is a blessing as hit helps me to sleep. The odd time I've forgotten to take it, I toss and turn, sleep roughly and have terrible nightmares.

[Coffee]

Originally Posted by CurbYourAnxiety

Therapy scares the shit out of me.

It is terrifying, no question about that.

But, it's also getting at the root cause and you probably know that. If you can find the will to face it and are ok with going through some painful stuff and doing most of the work yourself, it can be worth it on the other side.

[Ajax Amsterdam]

Originally Posted by CurbYourAnxiety

Therapy scares the shit out of me.

I've always really enjoyed it. Both having my own therapy and delivering therapy.

[Rachel87]

Sertraline has made me feel more assertive and I feel like I am talking to people more since I started it. I'm a long way from being 'cured' but it has def helped a little. Also I seem to not dwell on things as much and my self harm has dramatically reduced. I've tried phenibut in the past - it seems to put me in a good mood, but didn't do much for my social anxiety. I sometimes wonder if it would have more of an effect now that I'm on sertraline but I'm a bit worried about possible negative effects from mixing the two

[Phantomy]

Originally Posted by Rachel87

Sertraline has made me feel more assertive and I feel like I am talking to people more since I started it. I'm a long way from being 'cured' but it has def helped a little. Also I seem to not dwell on things as much and my self harm has dramatically reduced. I've tried phenibut in the past - it seems to put me in a good mood, but didn't do much for my social anxiety. I sometimes wonder if it would have more of an effect now that I'm on sertraline but I'm a bit worried about possible negative effects from mixing the two

I found phenibut had less of an effect when combined with sertraline but no negative effects.

The best thing I can say about sertraline is it helps you not to give a fck about things, this is a positive and a negative. It also puts weight on fast but mirtazapine is the worst for putting weight on !!

[Hayman]

Fluoxetine has helped me in the past, but I***8217;m only allowed six month courses at a time ***8211; and my GP no longer prescribes it to me. Instead he pushed me down the CBT route, which as I explain below, ended up making me feel even worse and incredibly frustrated. With fluoxetine, I noticed positive effects within a few weeks. My parents noticed I wasn't "moaning" as much and I know the usual nonsense that causes me my problems were going over my head a lot more. I was more care free and felt more relaxed in myself. It didn't change my chronic luck but things didn't get to me as much. Within weeks of my course running out, I simply reverted back to type***8230; I had two subsequent courses of Fluoxetine where exactly the same thing happened***8230; I felt I improved by about 50% whilst on them and then reverted back to how I was within weeks of being removed from them.

There was one I took before Fluoxetine (going back some nine or ten years, here***8230;) which unfortunately I can't remember the name of. It didn't have chance to take effect because it made me so jittery that I couldn't keep still. My GP had to take me off them.

I will say that Fluoxetine was more for my Depression than Social Anxiety, but it certainly aided both conditions.

I've had CBT in the past, but that was a complete waste of time. All it was about, from my point of view, was facing the same fears that I already was facing ***8211; that we***8217;re giving me my problems in the first place. It wasn***8217;t the right course of action for me as I was already doing (and failing) what was being asked of me and my assessor come to the conclusion it would probably be for the best if I didn't proceed further. My depression and social anxiety actually heightened following this 'treatment'. Sadly, the medical profession seems to be under the impression that this is the only course of action you can have and if you feel no better ***8211; it's all our fault. A way of passing the blame onto the sufferer ***8211; a classic pastime of those who misunderstand what Social Anxiety is.

I've truthfully done more off my own back (i.e ***8211; slowly increased exposure therapy, but under my own terms and conditions) than I ever done with seeking professional help. Sure, progress has been slow and I***8217;m still no further ahead in terms of life progressions now than I was when I was 16 (a huge contributory factor to my issues) but I'm at least getting out more and holding at least basic conversations. Typically the negative replies, stigmas and criticisms are all still there ***8211; again, a huge contributory factor to my conditions which only galvanise them even more, but I've got to the stage where I've accepted whatever I do will never be enough. Whilst it***8217;s demoralising, I actually find it funny at how one person can do 'x' and have lots of positive praise, but if I do 'x' ***8211; I***8217;m either completely ignored or ridiculed. They don't like this pointing out to them though***8230;! They don't like knowing that I do actually have valid points for my issues. It means they've got to find new, ingenuous ways of demeaning me in the future and ensuring my place at the very bottom of the social ladder continues. In an odd way, it brings a smile to my face!

Originally Posted by Antony

CBT is proven to work but I didn't give it a chance when I tried it.

As what I said above - it sadly doesn't work for everyone. Not enough is done to highlight that it's not the magic solution we're led to believe***8230;

[Ajax Amsterdam]

^
I just want to add to what Hayman said there to Antony about CBT.
No therapeutic approach has EVER been proven to be more effective than the rest. CBT is not proven to work across the board. Many respond to it; many do not. It's a shame that some feel a failure because they don't respond to it.

With therapy the most crucial factor is actually the quality of the relationship between therapist and client. That is something that's been proven time and again by research. It also helps that we go for a therapeutic approach that we feel suits our needs best, though this can be difficult if CBT is all that's on offer, and it often is these days, sadly.

@jinny

I'm on my phone so this might not be so in-depth a reply.
I have heard people say they have felt violated by therapy, though I'm yet to encounter it personally.

Therapy is a deeply personal thing isn't it. Very intimate in many ways. Here you have a virtual stranger probing around inside you and by its nature, therapy is probing around deeply personal and often traumatic feelings. It's often not a comfortable thing to do. It can expose very uncomfortable feelings and leave a person feeling very exposed themselves. I'm not saying this always happens, but it can do. When you feel uncomfortable with anyone getting too close, be it physically or emotionally it could feel similar. Sort of like a violation.

In your shoes i think I'd actually bring this issue up in your counselling if you have it. It could be well worth working through this initially. Making your therapist aware from the off could be very useful. Otherwise it could become a block to you getting much from the experience.

Your question isn't weird at all.
As I said, therapy can be a deeply personal and intimate experience, and it can bring up strong feelings and emotions. If you need to ask anything further I'll get back to you once I'm home midweek.

Take care, Jinny.

[Phantomy]

I always thought I didn't give CBT a chance because the therapist swore by it but I guess it may have been doomed to fail from the off in my case then.

Hayman the description of your predicament seems similar to mine, same ages and everything, the difference being you appear to have made an effort with making progress somehow on the friend & social front whereas thus far I have avoided that but now realise I can't go on like this (being a loner) forever because I will go insane eventually. Difficult to know where or how to start though. I have been depressed/avoidant/anxious for so long I can't just fit in and carry on as if nothings happened. This has resulted in me hanging around here with people who share the same experience of life. Maybe something will come of it, I don't know but it's better than doing nothing at all. It's a start.

[Mr. Nobody]

SA meets have been the most helpful for me over the years, I have to say these are possibly underestimated as a source of help & recovery,

group therapy helped me a little bit,.. I liked meeting people with similar issues,
in an odd way, it was good to see so many other people from all walks of life having similar experiences to mine,...so often I'd felt like the odd one out.

I had about 20-odd sessions of person-centred counselling specially for social anxiety,
that helped me the most, as far as counselling went,..
NHS counselling was hopeless in my opinion, with huge waiting times and ineffectual counsellors.
thankfully a local university was doing an SA counselling study and was looking for participants for free counselling

haven't tried any medication other than (mostly useless) off the shelf herbal supplements for anxiety and depression.

[Mo34]

Medication - Citalapram 40mg (60mg back in the day before they lowered the limit). Was offered escitalopram but turned it down. Was offered Diazepam but turned it down. Beta blockers didn't work for me at all no effect positively or negatively.

Therapy - Person centered counselling (non NHS) by far the best option for me. Have had NHS CBT both group and individual but found it of very limited use/benefit (if any) to me. Individual was by far the better of the two CBT options.

NHS support worker from the CMHT - probably the most helpful thing I've accessed. Helped me a lot/hugely but as I got better they removed it. Destroying in the process all the good progress made, mostly because I had no other support network to fall back on (i.e family).
Good old NHS ay, effective as always at making things worse/screwing it up.

[Custard_cream]

CBT was really helpful for me and Sertraline. Found Citalopram great at first, then it made me feel much worse.

[Mo34]

^
Yeah, that I think is the key really, more than anything else.

[Phantomy]

^ Easier said than done though isn't it !

[Ajax Amsterdam]

Originally Posted by jinny

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question Ajax.
I'm wondering if this is due to having such strong emotional barriers up & that if you are emotionally open then people asking personal questions wouldn't bother you.

I've met people in the past who within minutes have told me all sorts about themselves. Whereas I tell nobody anything about myself. Except on here.

I think it might be a good starting point Ajax, to find out why I can't be open about who I am or what I feel.

I hope you don't mind me quoting. If you do, tell me and I'll amend my post.

Anyway, no prob's. I'm happy to answer if I can do.

I suspect you are right. In a therapeutic setting or with people I trust I am very open. But, many people are not so open and have, probably as a defence mechanism, built strong walls around how they feel. Some people can feel that if they open up they will simply fall apart. I know that plenty of people skirt around their issues rather than delve into them. Some may even just quit therapy if they feel a counsellor is getting close to the core of an issue. No one wants to feel vulnerable and exposed.

If a person is well defended, and it sounds like you are, then it is possible to feel somewhat violated in some way by a process that needs to pick away at those defences in order to get to what's underneath.

Hopefully, if you do have counselling, you will be able to feel comfortable and safe enough to work on this and any other issues that are affecting you.

[Mo34]

Originally Posted by Antony

^ Easier said than done though isn't it !

Yeah it is easier said than done. I've had severe sa for 30 odd years and been a shut in for periods of years at a time. It's far from easy or instant for that matter but I can say trying new things and pushing myself out there (even in small ways) has nearly always resulted in something positive changing in my life at some point, tho I couldn't/can't always see it initially or the effect is cumulative. (Hence I guess why a support worker was the most helpful thing for me - he got me out of the house etc and gave me encouragement, and the occasional kickup the backside, lol ).

On saying that Ppl have sa for different reasons. It can be a symptom of other disorders which perhaps arnt as straightforward as just myself where the main issue is trauma, anxiety and avoidence.

[ExSAguy]

I may have said it before and I will say it again.
5HTP WORKS.

It works on people who said it's all placebo like my work friend.

I have to taper off after a bottle say 2-3 months for a while to help it work again, but such a mood boost all the time
Humming and singing to myself at work despite everything going tits up due to incompetent workers lol

[Hayman]

Thanks @Ajax Amsterdam. I didn't wish to sound overly negative about CBT as I do fully accept it has worked for some people and good for them… However as I explained and as you also see, it's not the answer for everyone. There is not enough to highlight this and indeed, no one should feel a failure for not having success with it. I certainly don't… I just feel let down that I'm made to feel (by certain doctors) as if I wasn't trying hard enough or for being awkward for a course of treatment that simply wasn't the right course of action for me… The same people who genuinely wonder why I lack confidence and self-esteem when all I hear is negative things said about me. Typically, this is all somehow my fault however – which in turn has pushed me away from seeking professional 'help' all together.

Hi @Antony. I've made the best efforts I possibly can in recent years. I've pushed myself about as far as I feel I can comfortably go outside of my comfort zone. Whilst the success has been limited (just in terms of making myself feel a little more confident) and slow, I've done much more outside of seeking professional help than standing still or going backwards whilst I sought it. I know myself and how far I can push myself. Doctors read words from a textbook and then generally act horrified around you when you can't conform. There's so much more to the situation we face and the feelings we have over simply reading about the condition which doesn't actually show a real depth of understanding.

Again, I appreciate the likes of CBT has worked for some people. Clearly it has it's benefits. There just needs to be more understanding not only to that it doesn't work for everyone and those who it doesn't work for shouldn't be demonised, blamed or made to feel they're not making enough effort for a course of action that didn't work for them. I'm mainly pointing my finger at the medical professionals, here...