Coping with Social Anxiety & Depression

Personal Experience Self-Help Tips for Overcoming Anxiety

When you are dealing with an anxiety disorder with panic attacks it's hard to think that you will ever get rid of it. There's been times were I have felt completely useless.

I have three small children who are constantly let down due to their father not being there for them at their soccer games, Christmas concerts and other very important moments in their lives. I used to tell them I wasn't feeling very well that particular day and promised to catch the next one.

Of course I never did catch "the next one" or the one after that..now they don't even ask if I'll attend anymore. This is very hard to cope with. My spouse also has difficulty dealing with my social anxiety, although she is very supportive, I don't think she has a clue how uncomfortable my social anxiety symptoms are to deal with.

The last time I took her on a date was 11 years ago. I try to make up for this by genuinely being as nice of person I can be. I'll fix my her a nice cup of tea in the evenings, rub her shoulders, fix dinners and like other couples we do get upset with each other at times, but I just bite my tongue.

I think she deserves so much more then what I can currently provide for her. Anxiety has also forced me out of work. I was employed for three years thanks to a close friend who helped me get the job. Every morning I was awake at 5am, nauseous, scared, and full of panic anxiety anticipating heading off to work at 6am.

Once I arrived at work the anxiety would usaully go away within an hour or so with only two or 3 small panic attacks throughout the remainder of my day. After three years of very little sleep due to my anticipatory anxiety, I quit.

My spouse now supports our three children and I with the loans she recieves from attending college, which is around 14-20 thousand dollars a year. You may think I am a depressed person due to my social anxiety disorder, but I am not. I have a roof over my head, my family loves me, I don't have a life threatening illness and I eat three meals a day.

I don't think I have a reason to be bothered by depression. Sure, I get upset somtimes due to social phobia affecting my life but on the bright side, I do get to spend plenty of time with my family and the last thing they need is a father who has anxiety AND depression.

My advice to anyone who is trying to overcome social anxiety, social phobia, public fear or whatever is to deal with the problem you have. Don't add more to your plate. Once a week I attempt going out to the store or other public place. I hate doing it and my spouse has to almost push me into the car.

At times I can make it into the store for twenty minutes or so, other times only a minute or two before I begin to panic. But I made it there, I overcame my fears of social situations (even if only for a few minutes) and that makes me feel great and gives my hope to recovery.

Thanks to little steps like this I have managed to see my doctor and get antianxiety medication. I honestly don't think the social anxiety treatment I was prescribed does all that much since I still get panic feelings at times, just not as intense as past anxiety attacks.

Either way it's a step in the right direction to overcoming social anxiety and I would highly recommend you take the same technique as I do. It's hard but it does make a difference. I'm 25 years old and I have been coping with social phobia and public fears since I was 14. Best of luck to you and your family.