# Is therapy worth the trouble...?



## justin984 (Jun 9, 2005)

I have what I would call moderate social anxiety. I've overcome my anxiety enough to be functional in society. I can go to the grocery store, make phone calls to schedule an appointment, explain to a customer what type of computer memory they should buy, etc etc. I've even managed to somehow get a girlfriend with the help of online dating.

Other then that though, I am alone. I know no one. I have no friends. I have no social life to speak of. I sit at home and play xbox and online poker all day when I'm not working. I'm extremely awkward in any conversation that isn't scripted. I have trouble being myself around anyone I haven't known for a very long time. And I would love to change all of this.

I have realistic goals. I'm not looking to become a social elite. One or two friends and the ability to hold a conversation would be perfectly acceptable for me.

I saw a psychiatrist twice when I was 15 and was diagnosed with social anxiety and given a prescription for paxil. I remember feeling kind of dizzy the first day, but I'm not sure if that was actually the medicine or just a combination of nervousness and placebo. I stopped taking the medicine and that was it.

I am now going on 24 and I've put off getting help ever since. I've been thinking over the past few years about seeing a therapist but I keep convincing myself that there is nothing they could really do for me. Is therapy really worth the trouble? Has anyone out there made any significant improvement by seeing someone? I would schedule an appointment tomorrow if I could convince myself that SA is really "overcomable".


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## jane (Jan 30, 2006)

justin984 said:


> Is therapy really worth the trouble?


Unless it's outside of your budget, I don't see what harm it could do.
At worst, you wasted a few hours that would have been spent playing xbox, anyway. At best, your health improves.

Personally, social anxiety supprt groups were a tremendous help to me.


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## Sean_Catlin (Dec 7, 2007)

I feel and almost like you,my anxiety feels like extreme im not sure.Being only 18 im trying to find alot of ways to make me happy,I dont have any friends at all.I dropped all of them a long time ago for a girlfriend.Silly i dea i know,Now i find it so hard to socialize with people and get out there.

Just stick with your girlfriend and try and make things work with her.


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## daaaaave (Jan 1, 2007)

I feel a lot like you. Therapy is good as it will at least help you get in touch with your feelings. I liked group therapy cause I got feedback from the other people in the group. I wouldn't say I have changed my life very much yet, but I think I am making progress.


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## take_no_bull (Nov 13, 2007)

hi justin. This is just my own opinion based on my experience. I find that physchiatrists are/were a waste of time in my case. They call it therapy, but in reality..you sit there and talk and the therapists writes down notes. I seen a few , the last one for about 5 months. It was covered under my health insurance so i gave it a chance. To be honest, i really wanted to see a physchologist but they are not covered under the health insurance and can cost anywhere from $100/hour and up. Look up the difference between both therapists and decide which is better.


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