Withdrawn

[carole]

Anathiona, thanks for our kind words of understanding and support that mean't alot to me.

Yes Medication sure can help in certain situations, but if it is just Social Phobia you are suffering from, I personally don't believe so, hey I only need a couple of drinks and I then become very social lol, but I will no longer do that to myself.

I often wish to be like others, when they get an invite, they are thrilled and really looking forward to the event, me I dread it, loose sleep over it, trying to find ways to get out of it, and feel sick to the stomach, even my own Niece"s wedding was like this big ordeal to me, but the best thing that happened was it turned out to be the best social event I have ever been to, I really enjoyed myself and did not feel bad at all, for the first time ever in my life., but yes I stay away from things like it was the dreaded plague, because that is how it feels to me.

I suppose if there was indeed a magic pill with no side effects, I would be tempted to take it, but that is highly unlikely.

One always feels enormous amount of guilt, letting friends and family down, especially my partner, who now does not go rather than go alone without me, this is what i was trying to say Leslie, and you are right it is very complicated, and in the past it caused many problems in my relationship, because he just did not get it, he thought I just picked and chose what I wanted to go to, it has taken years, but he now is very understanding, he has gotten used to it I suppose and accepted the way I am, and that I really cannot help it.

Despite this , yes I do have friends, and good ones at that, I have always chosen to have only a few, not a lot, but they generally tend to be good loyal ones, I have explained to them how I am, and they seem to be ok with it, and just like me anyhow, but like I said they are GOOD FRIENDS.

Anyway enough about me, I DON'T want to turn this into being about ME, just wanted people to have a better understanding of what Social Phobia is like and the impact it has on our lives and our loved ones,. that is what is really important to me, and this thread has given me the opportunity, to express this to each and everyone of you, I am grateful for being able to do this in such a public way, its like everything else educating people, is the only way to better understanding.

So thanks for bearing with me on this subject so close to my heart., it was not my intention to hi-jack this thread or change the subject in anyway, but I saw this as the perfect thread to help people to understand me and others like me,hopefully it will give people something to think about, who knows you may know someone who sounds just like this and often thought they were snobbish or whatever and now you will have some empathy for them, heres hoping.

PS one thing I must add PLEASE NEVER put all people with Social Phobia in the same category, we are all different, what bothers one , may not another, and every situation is different. THANKS.