# CBT and Meds or CBT no Meds or Just Meds?



## aalfredo (Oct 12, 2008)

Here is my dilema 

I participated in a Social anxiety 14 week treatment using CBT and therapy inhouse exposures, and I think I have made great progess. However I have some sticking points that really can be frustraintg at times. 

One of them is meeting females, I coinsider myself to be an attractive male however and I wnat to meet more females; howver I have high Anxiety when approaching women in clubs and coffeshops etc. 

I have come up with 2 options to tackle this:

1) I keep on going out there approaching women and take rejections and successes as feedback untill I become comfortable 

2)See my Doc and get take the SSRI lexapro for a few months and keep on going out there approaching women and take rejections and successes as feedback untill I become comfortable then get off the SSRI

I am not on any medication and I dont know how easy it is it get of the SSRI's plus I am not really keen on the idea either - but I am willing to do what it takes to address this party of my life .

Please dont give me the talk to your Dr Speech, I have seen many therapists and my overall feeling is they do not really understand social anxiety - Maybe it’s just me and I feel more comfortable posing my questions to you guys – 

Chime up and give me your feedback 

Cheers Al


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## dontcare (Oct 6, 2008)

I would say that if you have so much avoidance that it is stopping you from doing the therapy, then you should go on medication. If you are able to handle the anxiety then don't. That's just my take on it though and there are many who disagree with me.

btw I am on a low dose of celexa, after suffering rather severe side effects from another ssri. I needed the medication, I couldn't have gone to therapy otherwise but it's not something I would have done if I had the choice.


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## Riggs (Feb 28, 2009)

Are you sure it's SA you have around women? I think it's perfectly normal to be nervous around a stranger you have an interest in. Men and women have been struggling like this for ages. The fact that you are out there trying tells me you have mostly moved past SA and into the realm of normal shyness.


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## Futurebeats (Feb 11, 2009)

You don't even sound like you have SA man, you just sound like a normal guy!

Maybe read a PUA book or something to learn some techniques and build up your confidence.

The fact you can actually go out there, and approach people in clubs/coffeeshops is great, the anxiety is just natural for most guys meeting women


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