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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Anxiety, Shyness. How Can I Overcome Fear Of Outsiders?

I suffer for shyness/ anxiety . I am currently taking a medication but I feel as though it is not working. With me being severely shyness it causes me to avoid situation and making new friends. With all of this it causes me to become depressed. What I want to k ow is there something that can make me outgoing and carefree. I want to finally be happy for once and to be able to carry on a conversation with a complete stranger with my shyness and anxiety getting in the way. I will do what ever it takes before it is too late.
Sun, 31 Mar 2013
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Psychiatrist 's  Response
Hello
Welcome to Health Care Magic

With available information in your question it seems that you are having Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder. It is a disorder in which individual feels anxious in conversing with strangers, avoids group discussion, avoid presentations, can't make new friends, even in some anxiety may occur on talking to opposite sex also.
You have not mentioned what medicine you are taking. But for social anxiety treatment is available.
For milder cases even giving Propranolol a beta blocker just before any presentation is sufficient.
But for others medicines like SSRI as Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertaline etc. and SNRI as Duloxetine are given.For episodic treatment medicines as Propranolol, Benzodiazepines can be taken.

Visit a good psychiatrist for evaluation.

Thanks
Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi
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General & Family Physician Dr. Jay Patel's  Response
hi,

Best way to treat this is "SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION" Let me explain one way to do it,
Their will be one person whom u can talk freely right , or may be comfortable with.
now I want that person to help you to over come your problem by helping you to "desensitization"
The person whom u are comfortable need to bring one different person from his friends whom u have never met , ask person whom u are comfortable to stay with you and get a talk going then ask him to leave you and the new person alone for 5 mins at a time and let u and new person to bond with and make sure to start talk with topic which are in common with u and new person's interest. this will ease some of the anxiety in 2-3 meeting with the same person and u will be able to stay longer with new person without the person whom u were comfortable with, this needs to be repeated so many time before u will be meet a total stranger and talk to them comfortable on the first meeting, their after u can slowly try to go to small gathering may be friends only party/ superbowl ,
meanwhile the medicine will help u to prevent sudden panic attack ,
try it their will be many failures before u will succeed , but once u are u will feel top of the world, ( therapy tied and tested by me my self and it worked like charm for me but it took me more then 40 trial to come our of the first phase so hope it helps.)
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Psychiatrist Dr. Sundar Gnanavel's  Response
Hello..........
Thanks for your query. From your history, it appears you suffer from a form of anxiety disorder called as social anxiety disorder. The treatment would include:
1. Anti-anxiety medication like SSRIs
2. Psychotherapy techniques like systemic desensitisation
Yoga, meditation and breathing relaxation techniques are likely to be beneficial. Undertake a psychiatric evaluation as early as possible to plan appropriate management and also to rule out other anxiety disorders. Wish you good health.
Regards
Dr Sundar
Psychiatrist
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Anxiety, Shyness. How Can I Overcome Fear Of Outsiders?

Hello Welcome to Health Care Magic With available information in your question it seems that you are having Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder. It is a disorder in which individual feels anxious in conversing with strangers, avoids group discussion, avoid presentations, can t make new friends, even in some anxiety may occur on talking to opposite sex also. You have not mentioned what medicine you are taking. But for social anxiety treatment is available. For milder cases even giving Propranolol a beta blocker just before any presentation is sufficient. But for others medicines like SSRI as Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertaline etc. and SNRI as Duloxetine are given.For episodic treatment medicines as Propranolol, Benzodiazepines can be taken. Visit a good psychiatrist for evaluation. Thanks Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi