Triggering: Social anxiety - struggling to cope.

[Catharsis.]

I'm really in need of some advice here, I'm not sure what to do.

I've struggled with severe social anxiety for a long, long time. I thought I'd been getting better at managing it. But I simply have not. It's gotten to the point where talking to almost is absolutely horrible and painful. I come away from any conversation feeling like a tool, no matter what happened. I stammer, I stutter, I don't know what to say and I look at the ground and start mumbling. I can't handle people, I'm too bad around them. I'm not cool enough, I'm not funny enough, I'm not intelligent enough, none of that. It really, really triggers me. Today, I tried to talk, but I couldn't. I stammered and just couldn't say anything after that, my mind went blank and everyone was looking. I really wanted to go home and slash myself to pieces. I felt like such a failure. Such an idiot. It happens every time.

Outside of my family, I have one person I feel truly at ease with, and she has helped me build up my confidence a little, and I made some progress over the summer. But that's been erased by recent downfalls, and, even with confidence, my social skills suck. I can't maintain a conversation, on the rare occasion I succeed in starting one. I just don't know what to say, and I can't keep the other person interested in anything else but what a loser I am.

It really fucking sucks. I'm never, ever going to be able to overcome this. I was only lucky that one person stuck with me, otherwise, I'd have no-one, because the sad truth is, very few people want to be around someone who suffers from social anxiety. To the vast majority of people, I'll always come across as a pathetic beta. And people don't want to be around people like that.

What can I do? I can't live like this. I can't come home and feel like crying or cutting every day. I'm hating myself more and more because of it. I'm already on medication, but not for this specifically. I was prescribed Fluoxetine/Prozac for depression over the summer, however, it is also used to treat social anxiety, and it did help for a short while, but it's no longer having any effect, as both issues are getting worse. Do you think I could talk to CAMHS about changing to a different medication? I am going to therapy, but what we've covered regarding my social anxiety hasn't helped, really. Does anyone have any ideas? It would be much appreciated.

[Pessimistic Panda]

I'm one that has social anxiety as well. I hardly ever go out or talk to people. Though I am getting better. You're 17, there's time to get better. I know it might sound awkward at first, but see if there's anywhere around you that offers like group therapy or therapy in general. I found if I learn to talk to a therapist, which can help people in my case, and I"m not as nervous around people, it'd be better.

Another interesting technique I've tried, which is hit and miss but it does help, at people could misinterpret it as rude, or that you do have an issue with you anxiety. Try to not talk to the person directly, if there's another person in the room with you that you feel more comfortable around, talk to them and convey what you have to say.