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[Idle Will Kill]

Well it's gotten to the point where I think I have a fairly good case of social anxiety. I'm usually very shy around new people I meet. Usually after I warm up to people, I start to act my normal self. Lately though, I've been finding it harder and harder to break that barrier. I've been having some problems in class as well, where I'll be worried that the teacher will call on me, or I'll get some minor sweating or heart increase if I know I'm going to be called on next (like the meet and greet thing we did in one class today). I also tend to have trouble concentrating in group settings, which I think is brought on by the anxiety. I think my mind is, if even subconsciously, always going through this anxiety, so I find it hard to think clearly. At it's root, I think that's where the shyness comes from. My mind is just blank so I don't really talk with people I don't know.

Using drugs to treat this is the LAST thing I want to do, but I'm thinking I may have reached the point where I want to try and see if I can fix this. What exactly would the cost be to my family (we have health insurance)? Am I going to become dependant on Zoloft? If I go off of it for a few days would I experience bad withdrawal symptoms? What about drinking alcohol while using Zoloft? Marijuana? (I would easily drop weed if I had to, but beer would be harder as it's a very social drug, and that's what I'm trying to treat here).

Any opinons and advice would be great. And no, I'm not just relying on GAF for this, I'm going to talk this over with my family soon as well. Just wanted to get some info first.

 

[Triumph]

I would caution against it. Zoloft can make you develop a dependency on it if used regularly. Of course, I eat half a klonopin on nights when I have to work early the next day, but I consider that recreational and not used to treat my social anxiety(which I have been diagnosed with, by the way). How the hell could I turn down scrips for valium and klonopin when my shrink was all good and ready to just hand 'em too me?

 

[Ecrofirt]

My girlfriend is on Zoloft. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to drink while on it, bt she still drinks with her friends occasionally. Crazy woman.

Anyway, go to a psychiatrist(sp) and get diagnosed. They'll get you the appropriate medicine.

 

[samus4ever]

i had the same problem, but Zoloft is not the answer. If you like to sleep, then don't take it. I simply couldn't sleep on it, and my doctor told me it would take a month to get used to it. I said to my self a month without sleep is not worth it. I got over my problems by simply saying the problems were in my head.

 

[Semjaza Azazel]

Zoloft is supposed to be non-habit forming... but who knows. I take it and I personally don't have a dependancy on it. I've not had any bad systems if I miss a couple days, but the first few weeks on it were kind of rocky. I couldn't sleep well, mostly. No problems afterwards and it wasn't like insomnia. Just took awhile longer than normal.

The cost depends on your insurance. For me, no matter what mg it is, it costs us $30 a month. I forget the standard price.

It does what it is supposed to do. It's not a magic happy pill and no matter what, kids in college are going to be stressed and anxious anyway... but for me, it kind of helped push me in the right direction.

As for the other stuff, I don't know. I don't smoke, do drugs or drink lol.

If all you have is an anxiety problem, I'd just get Buspar. Why get something like Zoloft that's used for more things than what you need it for?

 

[Blackie]

My moms addicted to zoloft. She CANNOT get off it, no matter how hard she tries.

Also, Zoloft gave me the worst headaches of my life.

 

[demon]

I know quite well, from second hand experience, that you should do whatever you can to stay away from any of these brain chemical-altering medications. They can really fuck you up.

 

[Otaking]

I was on Zoloft for a while and it did jack shit for me. Lexapro did a LITTLE for me...but not much. Paxil is what I'm on right now and I feel great. I'm out all the time and can actually work with the public without getting anxious and start sweating. But then again...it's also the medicine that made my father decide it would be funny to cheat on my mom. And when she herself tried to take it, it made her sick. So, long story short, each medicine does different things to different people. Unfortunately there is no way to know which medicine does it for you. But, if you can avoid taking these medicines, please do so. I hate the fact that I'm dependant on a medication to function like a normal human being, but I'm working towards a better situation that doesn't call for it. Good luck. I've been in your place before...

 

[Idle Will Kill]

My girlfriend is on Zoloft. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to drink while on it, bt she still drinks with her friends occasionally. Crazy woman.

Anyway, go to a psychiatrist(sp) and get diagnosed. They'll get you the appropriate medicine.

Have you ever talked to her about how it helps her? Like what she was like before she got on Zoloft compared to how she acts now?

 

[way more]

It sounds like you've thought this through. Here's something to read http://www.slate.com/id/95903 . I think you should stop the MJ.

 

[Minotauro]

I took it once for fun (probably a bad idea) and experienced nothing but the side effects. Seriously, not being able to ejaculate is no fun.

 

[EmSeta]

I've been taking it for a couple of years and it's helped me a lot. I used to have panic attacks, but they're all gone. Now how much is placebo I don't want to speculate in..

 

[Ecrofirt]

Have you ever talked to her about how it helps her? Like what she was like before she got on Zoloft compared to how she acts now?

She's Bi-polar 2 and she's got social anxiety. She's on Zoloft and some other medication, but I'm not sure which.

It helps her with feeling anxious in groups of people and stuff. She used to have a much harder time with classes than she does now, so I've noticed improvement there.

 

[Lucky Forward]

It sounds like you've thought this through. Here's something to read http://www.slate.com/id/95903 . I think you should stop the MJ.

And that's that. He writes out the prescription, for 20 milligrams a day. "If you'd like, we've got some counselors upstairs you can talk to, but it sounds like you just want the drug," he says, and hands over the slip. "It could take a couple of weeks to kick in. Be patient."

I walk around the corner to CVS. Boom: Fifteen minutes with a doctor, $15 at the pharmacy, and I've scored a month's supply of a powerful, mood-altering substance. Back home, I pop my first pill and wait.

Amazing.

 

[DJ Demon J]

I was extremely shy in high school and throughout college. I still have times when I get anxiety in social situations. But overall, I'm a vastly different, much more outgoing person than I once was. How did I change? Throwing myself into uncomfortable situations and just dealing with it and paying attention and watching how others interact. Drugs is not the answer. I can appreciate what an extremely shy, introverted person goes through with social anxiety (I've been there), but having worked my way out of that funk without the help of drugs, I can't recommend them.

Plus, how often are you smoking up? If I were you I'd cut that out, go out and get some exercise (assuming you don't already), and join a club or do an activity that I absolutely hate or with people I can't stand just for the expsoure of forcing myself to meet people and build a tolerance (and eventually comfort) with social situations. You didn't learn anything in life without lots of practice--being social is no different--for those of us who (for whatever reason) avoided social contact in our childhood/adolescent years.

 

[AssMan]

I thought Zoloft was for depression?

 

[Otaking]

I took it once for fun (probably a bad idea) and experienced nothing but the side effects. Seriously, not being able to ejaculate is no fun.

Tell me about it.....that's one downside of the Paxil I noticed. I haven't been able to do that for a month now. It's.....painful.

 

[Killthee]

And that's that. He writes out the prescription, for 20 milligrams a day. "If you'd like, we've got some counselors upstairs you can talk to, but it sounds like you just want the drug," he says, and hands over the slip. "It could take a couple of weeks to kick in. Be patient."

That reminded me of this one line at the ending of Prozac Nation:

"I'll be okay. And there's a reason. I call this a crackhouse where I come to score. Dr. Sterling is my dealer, it seems like everyones doctor is dealing this stuff now. Sometimes it feels like were all living in a Prozac Nation, The United States of Depression."