I've been wanting to join the marines for quite a while now but keep hesitating because of my social anxiety disorder which I am taking xanax for. I am also an alcoholic (mentally not physically addicted) so I know I would have to cut back drastically or just quit. Also, assuming they would let me join, do they have their own doctors that manage your prescriptions or do you still have to see your own doctor?
You can not join ANY branch of the military taking psychiatric meds, or any prescription meds really. To enlist in any branch, you have to be off psychiatric meds for at least 1 year before yoru even considered to be given a waiver. They give breathalizer tests at MEPS as well, so you have to stop drinking too. You need to manage your anxiety disorder before you even think about it. belive me, i had problems the first time i went to meps about a year and a half ago. I had self harmed in teh past and seen counselors. and yes, they denied me adn said to get my mind set and to come back when i was ready, and they would let me in on a waiver after a psych evaluation and thats what im doing now. bout 3 more weeks till i enlist and believe me, it would have been ALOT better to wait tll i was better liek i am now
Edit
Also, dont try to Hide ANYTHING from your recruiter. if your straight up honest with your recruiter, they will do their best to get you in. They dont like being lied to, and if you lie to them and say nothings wrong, then crack infront of the doctors in the 9+ hour physical, they are going to be very mhm upset with you. to put it nicely. haha.
Be honest. dont lie. tell your recruiter. he will probably tell you Stop taking them, wait a week, then take you to meps since the medications will be out of your system. Now my Marine recruiter told me to lie, say nothing was wrong with me. I didnt think that was safe though given my state of being at the time so i was honest. i didnt wnat to put my whole platoon in danger cuz of me.
Believe me, it works out in the end.
Edit 2= Sad to say, David p is lying. you are not allowed any medication ESPECIALLY psychiatric medication in the Army.
Edit again, lol. - You cant have any medications while in basic training. After however, if you "develop" this they might give you the medications, or discharge you.
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I found i out i had SAD when i was in 1st grade (by opening a document i didnt wirte with my name on it). I definatley had it really bad backc then because i would freak out and cry if i ever had to talk to someone or someoen had to talk to me; so i never talked. I thought i got over it by now but these symptoms are starting to come back to me now and im 16. I joined a creative writing club where i have to publicly read my poems and i get really nervous, anxious, i start shaking, i feel like throwing up, i get really red and this all happens about an hour before i even have to do anything. Could this have induced or reinvigorated this disorder from me or am i just an awkward shy person? basically is SAD curable, like can it come back later in your life?
Hi, I have social phobia or should I say had social phobia.
I am from the UK but now I live in a foreign country and they’re not that advanced here so I have had to learn how to cure this myself. I have tried everything and have found a few things that actually work so here they are, and hopefully they will help you also.
1) Buy from Amazon or whereever “Cognitive behavioural therapy for dummies” the book. This has helped tremendouslysly as you are able to give yourself therapy on your own without having to go see a therapist (although im sure a therapist can help you also) It helps you to change your thought processes, so you can start attacking the fear and taking the edge off its the same technique that your therapist will use.
2) Take Seroxat tablets, your doctor will give you these, I was taking them for around 4 years they helped alot I was able to face the world again.
3) Realise that the main reason you have this phobia is because you care too much what people think of you. Think about it, if you didnt care so much what people thought then you wouldnt be worrying all of the time that they are judging you.
Mainly it comes down to low self esteem and a fear of authority figures, (by authority figure I mean: anyone you think that is better than you, or someone who it really matters to you what they think ie boss, friends parents, mother in law etc, Or you think are more likely to judge)
4) Try to come to the conlusion that it doesnt matter if someone thinks your weird, strange, or is judging you, SO WHAT???? So you see just as I mentioned, it comes down to the fact that YOU CARE TOO MUCH.
Get that book I mentioned, and start trying to ask yourself questions:
Question: If everyone was judging me and though I was weird, stupid, shy, etc then what would happen? Would it really be the end of the world? You cant control what people think, so you’ll just have to learn not to care about it, once you take away the fear, the phobia with diminish.
Its all down to extreme thinking, you think in extremes and people don’t care really what is happening with someone else, they only care about themselves.You should try and build up your self-esteem to realise that other people are not better than you. Why should you care what they think?
Sit with a pen and paper and write down all the things you can think of that is good about you, or that you are greatful for having. Keep doing it even when you feel stuck, add to it everyday, it’s a great way to improve your self-esteem to realise that actually, I am a pretty great person, and others are not better than me, so why should I give a **** what others think of me.
Another thing I realised, is that while growing up, I had very domineering, critical parents and older sister. I could never say anything right, and I was always walking on egg shells, this has contributed alot to my phobia, as this now translates to other people. Now that I am begining not to give a **** about what my family thinks about me, I am seeing my fear with regards to other people diminish also. So it seems to be connected.
If your having problems talking to people because you dont know what to say, or fear that you may say the wrong thing, realise also, that no body really gives a ****, no one is going to think back to your conversation and judge it. Your the only one who is critising yourself so much, so you believe others will also. You don’t have to be perfect, no one is perfect, and that’s the beauty, just realise that you don’t have to be perfect to be a great person!!!!
If you need further help then just email me.
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And did it work for you?
no…however, i have social anxiety disorder, and after over a decade of trying different therapies and medications (including benzo's, such as xanax and klonopin) and antidepressants (such as prozac and paxil), i FINALLY found the type of medication that DOES work, and it doesn't stop working, so long as you take it as directed:
*stimulants*, such as Adderall, believe it or not!
just 43 minutes after my very first dose, i went from not being able to walk down my street, to being able to sing in front of a crowd of 500 - with NO problem…and, i still take the same exact low dose i started out with years ago: 10mg Adderall XR once daily (in the morning).
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And did it work for you?
no…however, i have social anxiety disorder, and after over a decade of trying different therapies and medications (including benzo's, such as xanax and klonopin) and antidepressants (such as prozac and paxil), i FINALLY found the type of medication that DOES work, and it doesn't stop working, so long as you take it as directed:
*stimulants*, such as Adderall, believe it or not!
just 43 minutes after my very first dose, i went from not being able to walk down my street, to being able to sing in front of a crowd of 500 - with NO problem…and, i still take the same exact low dose i started out with years ago: 10mg Adderall XR once daily (in the morning).
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It is the probably the MOST effective treatment there is for SAD, because you are working on both the negative thinking that causes anxiety, while at the same time GRADUALLY learning how to behave in anxiety provoking situations.
The trick is though…BABY STEPS. Don't bite off more than you can handle at first exposure, or you will want to quit.. As you obtain small success, you "climb up the ladder" toward activities that you once thought impossible to do.
You can do it! Good luck…
Widely used workbook, read this before therapy if you can:
http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Cognitive-Behavioral-Approach/dp/0158132246
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I’m looking for any information on Social Anxiety Disorder or any help from people who suffer from it, or information on varying cures. Also, if anyone knows any good websites giving additional info or group support, please let me know.
Also, if anyone has experience with being put on benzodiazepines, information on the effectiveness and personal experiences with them would be extremely useful.
There is a huge amount of information available on the Web about Social Anxiety Disorder. Check out my previous "best answer" to a similar question:
http://nz.answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20081114201103AAe3jDa
Regarding the use of benzodiazepines, I do have personal experience and opinions about them. I believe them to be:
1. VERY effective in lowering anxiety, there are also known as tranquilizers.
2. Useful as a short-term measure and as a last resort if anxiety levels reach unbearable levels, or if sleep is not possible.
3. Highly addictive, and may do more harm than good long term if you
do not address the SA directly with therapy and/or SSRI's.
In short, it is very easy and tempting to rely on tranquilizers, using them as a "crutch", and then never learning to "walk" with out them. Avoid their "regular" usage, you can, and if you must use them, be very careful…
Good luck on your healing journey. You CAN do it!
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how do i handle social anxiety disorder with panic attacks? how are you supposed to handle any social situation with this disorder?
The main way to combat social anxiety disorder, as with most, if not all, of the anxiety disorders is utilising Exposure Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) (and in combination with meds is usually a good idea at first too).
Exposure therapy basically works like this.. You think of a list of situations which make you anxious.. You rate them in terms of how anxious they make you feel from best - worst.. and then you work on them ,starting at the least anxiety provoking, you start to do those things- this may be asking a stranger for the time, right up to asking someone if they'd like to go to a movie with you..etc.. And basically you complete these tasks, you feel the anxiety and you also realise that the anxiety fades with time, until you are desensitised.
Utilise this in combination with CBT - that is looking at you rthoughts - why do you feel anxious abt social situations?
Social situation –> thought —> Response (anxiety)
So if you can alter the thought to a more functional thought, you can also alter the response, so it is no longer anxiety.
i.e. I see a good looking guy -> he will think I am stupid if i tlak to him –> anxiety and avoidance..
v.s.
I see him –> what have i got to lose talking to him, who cares what he thinks, he's not worth it if he judges so fast –> calm enough to talk to him…
That is in it's most simplistic terms.. If your Social Anxiety is really a huge issue and impacting on your life then consider seeing a Psychologist to work on it - and you'll probably utilise the techniques above.
Good luck!! 
alcohol. helps you relax a bit, loosens your tongue and inhibitions a little, makes you laugh more when you're with a bunch of people.
In moderation of course
Will shark cartilage provide relief from social anxiety disorder, panic attacks, depression?
In years past, I have seen numerous info commercials claiming shark cartilage is the cure all to everything. Before I spent my money, I investigated/researched the claims reading medical studies on the use of shark cartilage and found no medical evidence it does anything but drains your bank account. I'm sorry that is not the answer you were looking for but have a wonderful holiday season anyway!
any cures? I try deep breathing or relaxing…just doesn;t help…earlier i thought i had hyperhydrosis but that's not the case…pls help—it's driving me insane…it's so embarassing…once I "adjust" to my surrounding i stop sweating
Social Anxiety is actually a very common disorder which may occur when speaking in public or by just being in a public, in social anxiety unlike generalised anxiety disorder, anxiolytics (tranqulizers) do not help. What might be helpful in your case maybe a small dose of a blood pressure medicine (b-blocker) which does help with social Anxiety. Please see your physician for help with this treatable condition.
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