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My friend does little projects to help herself overcome her problems. For instance, when she goes out to eat, she'll show up a half hour or so before anyone and sit by herself at a table. Sounds stupid, but she's so shy--this is a VERY hard thing for her to do.

She finally got a job at a retail store part time and is forced to speak with people and give advice on purchases.

It can be overcome in little steps---you just have to find what works for you.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be very effective for overcoming all sorts of anxieties & phobias, including social anxiety. Usually you will see a psychologist for about 12 sessions, but often great improvements can be felt after as little as 6 sessions.

What CBT does is help you to recognise the automatic thoughts you're having in certain situations (and which lead to you feeling anxious), and to then challenge & change these thoughts.

Have a look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_...

Well, first of all, you must consider if you even have an actual disorder - the "symptoms" you just described sounds perfectly normal to me; in fact, I think I do the same thing as you! There are two other people that I know who laugh uncontrollably when they have to speak in front of a large group.

Before you start giving yourself more anxiety over this, just know that you are not alone! Whenever I am the center of attention, my face goes all red and I get very, VERY tongue-tied. I also unconsciously start to play with my hair. Everyone has a mannerism or two when speaking, so relax.

Here's how I get over the apprehension - I make sure I have all my basic ideas on note cards, so that if I do lose my way, a quick peek at the cards has me back on track. Also, I don't look right at a person's face for too long - you want to be sure to look up every now and then, but you don't have to look straight into the audience member's eyes - that'll freak both of you out.

I am also very shy, and I don't like to talk much around classmates - but I think that just participating more in class will help, even if it's just raising your hand once a day. Don't let other people intimidate you, because EVERYONE has something about themselves that freaks them out, and I'm positive that everyone who doesn't have a mental illness thinks that they have a mental illness at least once.

Dude, you're only 18 - yes, you're an adult now. And I find that just by recognizing myself as an adult (I'm the same age), I start to feel that I slowly have more authority over my own life. It's very true that problems you have now may exist for a while, but that doesn't mean you have to suffer. Force yourself to take risks talking out loud - the more you practice, the easier it will be for you to talk before groups.

If you are seriously worried, then it is probably better to be talking to a professional - but it sounds like you just need some morale-boosting. Again, don't stress too much about it. I read things that get me freaked out, but if you obsess over them then it might seem more true.

In conclusion, I don't think you have a disorder. And if you did, then the correct term would be "stage-fright," an illness more common and way less harmful than your research says. Talk to someone in person about this - you will benefit more from that than any more advice I could give you.

Best of luck and sorry for the essay!

-Pisces2222

***Btw, I agree 100% with Valkyrie - small steps/little tricks are the way to go about this kind of thing!****

I have suffered from social anxiety disorder all my life. The following is some information about social anxiety disorder. Read the information and if you feel you have it contact a psychiatrist. There are medications and therapy for this condition. I hope this helps you. Social anxiety is the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. Put another way, social anxiety is the fear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated by other people. If a person usually becomes anxious in social situations, but seems fine when they are alone, then "social anxiety" may be the problem. People with social anxiety are many times seen by others as being shy, quiet, backward, withdrawn, inhibited, unfriendly, nervous, aloof, and disinterested. People with social anxiety want to be "normal" socially, they want to make friends and they want to be involved and engaged in social interactions. Having social anxiety prevents people from being able to do the things they want. People with social anxiety usually experience significant distress in the following situations: Being introduced to other people Being teased or criticized Being the center of attention Social situations where the person exhibits excessive self-consciousness Being watched or observed while doing something Having to say something in a formal, public situation Meeting people in authority ("important people/authority figures") Feeling insecure and out of place in social situations ("I don’t know what to say.") Embarrassing easily (e.g., blushing) Meeting other peoples’ eyes Swallowing, writing, talking, making phone calls if in public This list is not a complete list of symptoms -- other symptoms may be associated with social anxiety as well. The feelings that accompany social anxiety include anxiety, intense fear, nervousness, automatic negative thinking cycles, racing heart, blushing, excessive sweating, dry throat and mouth, trembling, and muscle twitches. Constant, intense anxiety is the most common feature. People with social anxiety know that their anxiety is irrational and does not make logical sense. Nevertheless, thoughts and feelings of anxiety persist and show no signs of going away, without appropriate treatment.

Eliminate Social Anxiety And Shyness - http://tinyurl.com/PcPiNGoaCZ