Overcoming social fear?

[Kärnfysikern]

Johan, we all pay great attention to our diets to be fit and healthy in all ways that we possibly can, but have you considered that your feelings may be triggered by a reaction to certain foods? Some people have allergies to wheat which is a main part of pasta which most of us eat in abundance. Some also have an allergy to milk, another thing we all drink in abundance. The type of allergies I have mentioned are allergies of a neurological kind, these foods have a direct and adverse effect on the brain and nervous system for some people and can create states of anxiety in the people. It's worth asking the doctor if you could go on a diet program in conjunction with apprpriately qualified dieticians to see if you have any allergic reactions to any of the foods that you eat that create an anxious state of mind for you.

Just a suggestion mate, this type of thing is far more common than you would imagine.

I dont think it could possibly be the food. I often change completely what I eat and I have never noticed any impact on my mind whatsoever....
But thanks for the suggestions, its something I have never even considered, have to reserach that a bit.

[Quake]

I dont think it could possibly be the food. I often change completely what I eat and I have never noticed any impact on my mind whatsoever....
But thanks for the suggestions, its something I have never even considered, have to reserach that a bit.

Glad I could help. It's not until you start really taking notice that you will start to notice the effects different foods have on you. If you get the chance to do a monitored allergy diet, you may find out more than you'd imagined!

Good luck mate, and don't get too down, it's not worth it!

[Tock]

Next time you see a professional, and if you're dealing with a phobia, see a psychologist instead of a psychiatrist. Psychologists tend to be more efficient with phobias (which are usually easily and quickly cured, but sometimes require repeat treatments). Psychiatrists are better if you need pills or want to spend years delving into the dark, dank quagmire of your id, ego, and superego.

Two things you'll need . . .
1) Folks to lean on for support. You've got 'em here.
2) A plan to de-sensitize yourself from your phobia.

The way #2 works is like this: say you're deathly afraid of spiders, and want to get over that fear. Therapy would involve putting a very small spider in a room with you, and letting you gradually become accustomed to the situation; maybe let the little bug crawl on your arm. Then a spider a little bit bigger would be brought in, you spend more time with it on your arm, and keep going until you're eventually having conversations with a six-inch tarantula on your shoulder.
If you were working on a phobia of heights, you'd start off standing on a book, then the 1st rung of a ladder, and gradually get on higher and higher things (skyscrapers and airplanes) until you were so accustomed to high altitudes that it didn't bother you anymore.

With people and social situations . . . a psychologist would probably devise a therapy plan where you started off mixing and mingling in small groups, then gradually get into groups a little larger, then a little larger, and only when you were completely comfortable with the group you were in would you go to a larger group.

Essentially, phobias are all about losing control. You worry about what might happen IF a spider bit you, or IF you fell off a ladder, or IF you made a terrible fool of yourself at a party. So, you worry and worry and worry about what might happen so much that you can't do what you want to do.

So, essentially, all you need to do is start of small, become comfortable at each level, and progress as you are able. This is what psychologists excel at, and for the fastest releif from phobia, these are the professionals you should consult.

Good luck,
-Tock

ps-- If this is your only phobia, keep in mind that there are a lot of people who don't have social anxiety that avoid large groups only because they dislike crowds. Ya, some people don't like spinach, some people don't like the BBC, some people don't like France, and find other things that they do like. So, if this is your situation, don't worry about it. Relax, don't worry about it, just go out and enjoy the things that you do like.