Dear Anthony~
I’d like to welcome
you here to the Forum and think you have done a pretty good job in firstly
posting here to a bunch of strangers and secondly giving such a good account of
your life and what you have to live with. Honest and clear. I guess a lot of us
can relate.
First off I can see a couple
of pretty big plusses. You hold down a job, which with such anxiety is no mean
feat, and you keep friends and actually go out with them.
Not having had a relationship
with a girl at 21 is no big deal at all. It will be more a question of what each
has to offer the other rather than age – it’s never a race, just opportunity.
You can also see the need
for change and did in fact make an attempt before which did not quite work out – OK regard it as a learning experience. You were right though professional help
is the only practical way to go. How would you feel about having another
attempt?
If it was me I’d book
a long appointment with a GP and then show all that post above you just made. I
personally found I had to write everything down first and share the paper at the
start of the consultation so I got everything out clearly without chickening
out on the embarrassing or frightening bits. It was the start of a great improvement,
did not happen all at once but I’m streets better now.
Apart from medical
support is there anyone in your life you can talk frankly to, who will try to
understand and care? Could be family or a friend. I had the support of my partner
when my depression, anxiety and other things were really bad, and it did make a
difference.
If you look around this forum at those who have
social anxiety you will see how many have had the same sort of problems, and
how they have coped. There is also some information in The Facts menu above.
If you Google
social anxiety beyondblue forum
you will find heaps
It would be great if
you talked some more
Croix
