*HELP!!*

[xladyjx]

Hey! Im Jenny, Im 21 and am on this site looking for friendship with people who actually understand how I feel...
I have Social Anxiety (as well as OCD & Trichotillomania) and I feel trapped in my own life at the moment, I feel as if Im going round in circles cause the social anxiety makes me stay indoors, when Im indoors my OCD stricks up and I have to perform my rituals then cause of the rituals I begin to feel anxious so start pulling my hair...where does it all end?
I have no real friends who I could rely on and the last time I went out with someone other than my boyfriend was about 2-3 years ago. Im starting to feel inadequate (cant spell it!) as I cant do things that most other 'normal' girls could do such as attend a family social event with him without either a) making his life hell and causing arguements over anything so as to get out of it or b) completely avoiding the situation altogether. He understands to a certain point but I dont think anyone can truely understand unless they suffer it too, I sometimes think he thinks Im making a mountain out of a mole hill when I start saying I want to commit suicide just to avoid a party, etc.
I dont get any help from docs other than shoving drugs down my throat that they have even told me 'will not help me with my problems' so why the hell they give me them I dont know!
I feel as if Ive missed out on so much in my life as it is, Ive had chances of modelling, etc but due to all this couldnt face it; at the moment I cant work with all this happening and I just want to live my life in a confident, happy way where I dont feel held back byy my own thoughts and feelings.... is this ever gonna happen?

[Daisybun]

Hi Jenny and welcome to the forum. There's lots of support and help on here, I hope that this helps you to realise that you are not alone, and that you can get better. There are alternatives to drugs - have you talked to your dr about CBT to help with your thought patterns and get your confidence back. Read through some of the post and you will find that people are going through similar things, that can reassure you you are not alone; some people have had successes and that will encourage you that you too can start on the road to recovery.

Take care
Daisybun

'This too will pass'

[kirgray]

Hi Jenny

Just wanted to say hi and totally understand how you feel, I hate social events too, I find it so hard to hold conversations with people, and feel they are critisising what I look like.

XkirstyX

[clickaway]

Jenny,

Have you considered doing a 'No Panic' CBT course over the phone? They do group sessions and these sessions are free apart from the £15 membership fee and the cost of the phone calls.

The groups are customised and I know they do them for OCD sufferers too.

Give this number a ring to find out more
01952 590005

http://www.nopanic.org.uk/

Another site worth looking at at is Social Anxiety UK.
They have advice, message board and also arrange meet-ups.

Take Care,




Ray
http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[axel]

Jenny, i recently finished a cbt group and it sounds like this may be just what you need. Join a group, try the phone call deal mentioned above or read some books on it and do the exercises regularly and I am sure it will help you a great deal. We used two good and short cbt books in my group, Been there, done that? DO THIS! By Sam Obitz (www.tao3.com) and Mastery of your Anxiety and Panic-Third Edition by Michelle Craske and David Barlow (www.amazon.com). The first one is probably better suited to your needs as the second one focusses on panic disorder which you didn't mention being a problem for you, but the cbt exercises for anxiety overlap each other so both are very helpful in building your confidence and self-esteem.

[xladyjx]

Thank you Axel! I will look out for those books, I am supposedly on a waiting list for CBT but who knows, the docs in this country are a disgrace to all ppl who suffer with anything to do with anxiety, they just dont wanna know!
Take care, Jen xxxx

[chucklehound]

Hi Jen, I agree, the Drs are rubbish when it comes to anxiety. Hope your CBT goes well

Take care

Chuckle

xxxx

[carol1969]

Change is scary but it is so important so start by taking small steps like going to the local shop everyday. In time it will get easier and you can take an even bigger step and maybe go shopping in your local town.
Take Care
Carol x

If you have peace of mind you have everything

[axel]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Thank you Axel! I will look out for those books, I am supposedly on a waiting list for CBT but who knows, the docs in this country are a disgrace to all ppl who suffer with anything to do with anxiety, they just dont wanna know!
Take care, Jen xxxx

<div align="right">Originally posted by xladyjx - 03 July 2006 : 07:27:01</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

You're welcome Jen and I hope they are helpful to you. I'm in the USA and I went through quite a few not so stellar therapists and docs here before finding a cbt program that worked for me. Doctors here just want to give you a pill for anxiety and if one does not work they just turn you into a guinea pig until they find one that helps. I hope you get to start cbt soon and let me know how you are doing?

[axel]

How are you doing Jen? Have you started cbt yet?