Should i go for help?

[fluffy202]

I'm socialphobic. I've tried going to counselors, and i'm not sure if i should keep trying. I just don't believe they can help me, and i'm not sure if i'm willing to let them try. I guess i'm wondering if i'm somehow obligated to go for help so i don't become a burden on mainstream society. i guess that's a little weird. Fear is a hard thing to conquer. and i can't help but wondering if i'm the only one that can really get me out of it. I know why i'm afraid, i know how to deal with the major symptoms, i just can't stop being afraid. And i don't think they can help me with that. Am i wrong?

[fluffy202]

I'm afraid of people because first my whole grade level basically wanted me to either go crazy or die, and then i got to a lovely little place with this very controlling sunuvabith and his "if i can't have you no one will" attitude which resulted in the stealing of my friends, and almost my sanity. He even had me convinced it was my fault. I've always been a little lost when it comes to social do's and don'ts and it doesn't help when everybody's trying to tell me how to live my life. And then i go to counselors who think they can bully answers out of me and then find out very quickly just how much of a ***** i can be when i have to be. I don't want to go on medication. That may sound crazy to a lot of people here, but mind altering drugs have some very bad effects on me and i don't want to go through those again. Plus, i can't afford to be attached to an expensive pill. I can barely afford to go to college.

[MMahon]

Why are you afraid?  Fear is a prominent feature of anxiety and depression..  Sometimes we need help beyond talking to get control of our anxiety and fear.  Anxiety can become a completely physical thing that talk and thought simply cannot control.  Our nervous systems are so much more then our thought process.
Many of us need medication to keep our anxiety controlled.  I have always been amazed by how 1 little pill can take me from being so physicallly ill and completely useless to being able to go about my life in a somewhat normal manner within 15 minutes or less.  There are no magic words that have ever been able to do that.  I have never been able to talk myself out of my condition and would never willingly talk myself into it. There certainly is a place for talk therapy and it can be very beneficial in some ways for many people.  In combination with medication they both are the preferred treatment for anxiety and depression.
Let us know how we can help.  Take care.

[jodie_kok]

Help is good!

Have you tried any anti-depressants or anything like that? I had a friend who went on Prozac for an unrelated issue, and suddenly she found that she felt MUCH more comfortable in social settings.

As for counselors, do you know any that are specialized in anxiety and social phobia? Also, have you talked to them about other topics? The idea that you might "become a burden on mainstream society" sounds kind of like depression, and the roots of your fears might be coming from other unresolved issues in your life.

It does take time to find a counselor you "click" with and that you can trust and feel safe with. In my experience, a good counselor is a major pillar of support. It's worth the effort.