[perdition79]

So now we can use the term "Social Anxiety Disorder" for hermits and paranoid shut-ins. I love America.

To anybody who thinks they have "Social Anxiety Disorder" or any other excuse to take prescription drugs, here's a little motivational pep talk for ya:

You're the center of your own universe, but guess what: nobody's out to get you, you're not important enough to be a threat to anyone else. Life is cheap, and yours is no exception. To about 6.5 billion people, you exist only as an object to be exploited. Get over yourself, get out of your suburbanized, cookie-cutter life, head downtown, park the car and walk around a bit. Enjoy your community. Stare at beautiful women, eat delicious food at small restaurants, go to concerts, listen to a crazy homeless street preacher for five minutes. Enjoy your life. These carefree days are few and fleeting. When TSHTF, will you look back wistfully at simple pleasures in your town, or will you remember days of popping pills to make you numb, sitting around watching television and playing on the internet? Christ, should this even be an issue at this website? We are the 1 percent of people who KNOW that these are the best days we'll ever see in our lives, and some among us are avoiding life? Come on!

That said, I'm done paying my bills, so I'm heading to downtown St. Petersburg, five minutes drive from my apartment, to pay $1 for parking, walk around while eating a chicken parm sandwich, stare at women, buy some records, maybe see a $15 concert by a band I've never heard of. Crazy street preacher is probably asleep in Williams Park right now, so no ranting about our eternal damnation. No drugs, no alcohol, no pharmaceutical goodies; just pure, uncut life. Mainline some while you still have the chance.

[Chris25]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('perdition79', 'S')o now we can use the term "Social Anxiety Disorder" for hermits and paranoid shut-ins. I love America.

To anybody who thinks they have "Social Anxiety Disorder" or any other excuse to take prescription drugs, here's a little motivational pep talk for ya:

You're the center of your own universe, but guess what: nobody's out to get you, you're not important enough to be a threat to anyone else. Life is cheap, and yours is no exception. To about 6.5 billion people, you exist only as an object to be exploited. Get over yourself, get out of your suburbanized, cookie-cutter life, head downtown, park the car and walk around a bit. Enjoy your community. Stare at beautiful women, eat delicious food at small restaurants, go to concerts, listen to a crazy homeless street preacher for five minutes. Enjoy your life. These carefree days are few and fleeting. When TSHTF, will you look back wistfully at simple pleasures in your town, or will you remember days of popping pills to make you numb, sitting around watching television and playing on the internet? Christ, should this even be an issue at this website? We are the 1 percent of people who KNOW that these are the best days we'll ever see in our lives, and some among us are avoiding life? Come on!

That said, I'm done paying my bills, so I'm heading to downtown St. Petersburg, five minutes drive from my apartment, to pay $1 for parking, walk around while eating a chicken parm sandwich, stare at women, buy some records, maybe see a $15 concert by a band I've never heard of. Crazy street preacher is probably asleep in Williams Park right now, so no ranting about our eternal damnation. No drugs, no alcohol, no pharmaceutical goodies; just pure, uncut life. Mainline some while you still have the chance.

[WildRose]

Frank, I had my share of social phobia in my younger years. I was quite overweight as a youngster and endured a lot of ridicule. Then, when I'd finally had enough of that, I started running and got into really good shape and then had a different problem - too much attention from the opposite sex! For me, this led to social anxiety, especially in situations where I had to mix with a lot of people I didn't know. I am still more comfortable with smaller groups and one-on-one, but I have gradually learned to navigate the larger group situations with relative ease.

What has helped me is taking the initiative with a stranger by imagining that he or she is just as uncomfortable as I am about making small talk. I got so used to doing this that my kids, when they were younger, would comment on the friendly conversations they witnessed between me and the bank teller or the lady beside us in the doctor's waiting room. Then I transferred this to the larger group situations. Just try not to be too hard on yourself, and not to build the social event or exposure up in your head too much.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', ' ')then had a different problem - too much attention from the opposite sex!

[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', ' ')then had a different problem - too much attention from the opposite sex!

[PrairieMule]

I use to have social anxieties when I was younger. My advisor in college suggested I take as many Public Speaking Classes for my business degree electives. So I took about 12 hours of Public Speaking, Voice and Diction, Business Communications, and a course on Selling.

By the time I graduated I could debate confidantley in front of 200 of my peers.

Try a Dale Carnagie Course and a lot of cardio exercise instead of Paxil. That stuff is addictive.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', ' ')I think a lot of people would say being attractive has advantages and disadvanes!

[frankthetank]

Wow. Thank you for all the encouraging words. I kind of had a thought that people on here might know something about it. For some reason we "Get it" while the other 99% have no clue (they don't!).

Its really tough when the only time you can converse with others is online or in a drunken state!

Yes my wife is very attractive, but for some reason this area has A LARGE number of very attractive college age girls (no lie) and i see a lot of good looking women with UGLY dudes! I wouldn't say i'm ugly, but skinny! Too bad winters here suck, taxes are HIGH, and job market is only good for professionals.

I pretty much avoid most social situations, even when i'm in stores. Like if i see an employee coming to ask if i need help, i'll walk the other way! or if i see someone i know, i do the same thing. Its weird? Job interviews are probably the worse, i try to stay at jobs as long as possible because i fear the hiring process so much (behind public speaking, which i only had to do in high school--not good). I pretty much left college because there was NO way i could make it through a speech course that was required.

Alcohol only came into my life less then 2 years ago. Other then that i've never been drunk. A girl i know from work TOLD me to go to a party (until then i never showed up). I got all liquored up before that and WHAM, i was free. I still use alcohol for social functions (always before i go...i never drive...) and thats about it. I hate drinking it, so i just take shots of Rumpelminz or something like that. I'm no drunk and the last time i had alcohol was over a month ago. Although, all this talk makes me want to go downtown and dance! (which i'm not really good at sober/drunk)

Thanks again.

[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('WildRose', ' ')I think a lot of people would say being attractive has advantages and disadvanes!

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'I') have had it my whole life, its annoying and i have never sought treatment for it. Only time i've every felt free in my life is when i'm drunk

Do any other drugs work? (legal or otherwise--Paxil?)

My wife wants me to seek treatment and i'm hesitating...I've gotten this far (almost 30).