Always Nervous

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Like the title says, I'm always nervous. I can't talk to people without turning extremely red and my eyes will start to water to the point of even having tears run down my face. It happens whenever attention is turned towards me. I don't have such a problem when I'm with my friends and talking to their friends, but when I'm by myself, I'm helpless. I'm going to be seeing my relatives in a couple of days and I get like this even when I'm around them, and I know them too well to be like this around them. I found some ways which help some people, but they wouldn't help me:>>Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) - this treatment aims to help people change the way they think, feel and behave in social situations.My mom wouldn't agree to that and we'd never be able to afford it.>>Breathing techniques - many of the symptoms of anxiety are triggered by hyperventilation (rapid, shallow breathing), which depletes the blood of carbon dioxide. Slow, deep breaths can reduce anxious feelings.I've already tried this and it only helps in situations where I'm performing (i.e. a band concert).>>Confronting fears - with the guidance of a professional, the person ranks their social fears in order of 'threat', then confronts less threatening fears first.This wouldn't really help my problem and it also involves dishing out nonexistent cash.It really sucks when you're in class and a teacher is kidding around with you and you're panicking and upset for no reason and the whole class is staring at you like the freak you are. Is there anything I could possibly do to get over this?

It sounds like panic attacks. I'm not for drugging up everyone, but an anti-anxiety (anxiolytic) medication might be helpful...or something else...not really sure. But a doctor should have a handle on it. What you're experiencing makes your life difficult, but it's not that rare, if it is a panic attack.

I've heard about these medications, but they can't be prescribed to someone under 18.

What????? Who says?

Beta blockers are another possibility, but I have no idea if they would be prescribed for that purpose, or even if it would be wise to do so (they're usually used to treat high blood pressure).

You mean cannot prescribe to someone uder 18 without a parents consent... right? Because if so I believe that is true from what I have seen here in my doctors office.Also, it sounds like you have high anxiety and would look into something to help get your anxiety under control. I have spurts where I get super high anxiety and my doctor puts me on anti-anxiety meds and it helps to level myself back out. I would seriously talk with your doctor.

I don't know if y'all are thinking about the same thing as me. It's not really a panic attack. Well, it is, but it's brought on from excessive shyness. That's the problem I have, I'm just too scared of other people. And there are medications for this certain fear (not the panic attacks) and that is the medicine that I'm talking about that you can't be prescribed until you're 18, with or without parental consent.

Hmm okay I have noooo clue what meds you are talking about hehe. Lord knows I have a headache but I cannot think of any meds that fall under this category that would be for ages 18 and over...hmm...As for your shyness that can cause anxiety and panic attacks when put into certain situations. I was VERY when why I was younger and it would put me into panic attacks when I had to talk to new people or if I had to give a speech in front of people. I still have issues now with talking in front of large amounts of peopleSeriously talk to your doctor and he'll help you out, that's what he's there for.

I'm not sure what drugs you are talking about (antidepressants? They can sometimes help), but as Ntro said, it is definitely worth it to talk to a doctor about it. It can't hurt, and it just might help, whether or not any drugs are involved.I still think it's valid to consider some relaxation techniques. Lots of people have to deal with stage fright, whether they're going to perform, give a speech, whatever. You seem to have a very active version of it.

These aren't panic attacks (which are much, much worse); it's Social Anxiety Disorder and it's quite common. Some antidepressants can help if non-drug approaches aren't enough. Antidepressants are frequently prescribed for people under 18.

I'm already on antidepressants. Buy I'll talk to my doctor next time I go if I can remember. Thanks.

I'm already on antidepressants.Maybe the dosage or type needs to be adjusted.

Question, when did these feelings begin? Anti-D's can cause adverse reactions varying from suicide(When I was 8 I was put on clonipin, I almost jumped out of a 14 story building)to weight gain and even worse depression. Do a little research on your current medication and talk to your doctor as well.

Klonopin is a benzodizepine used as an anti-seizure agent, I think. Were you prescribed that drug as an antidepressant? That doesn't sound right.Nowadays, SSRI's (Prozac, Paxil, etc/), buproprion (Wellbutrin), and the tricyclics (like Elavil) are used. It's true that there is some concern about the use of SSRI's being correlated with suicide in adolescents, but a doctor (preferably a psychiatrist) needs to determine what to use and how much, if anything.In any case, living with anxiety and/or depression is not a good solution for most people. Whether they use drugs, talk therapy, Yoga, etc., they need to do something to address their problem.

Suicides from antidepressants may happen because for very depressed people, the only thing keeping them from suicide can be the depression itself making it seem like too much trouble. When antidepressants start to work, the person can get better enough to be able to kill him/herself before he/she feels good enough not to want to.

Suicides from antidepressantsAntidepressants Seem to Cut Suicide Risk in Teenagers and Adults, Study Says (1 Jan. 2006)In reply to:Treatment with antidepressant drugs appears to reduce the risk of suicide in depressed teenagers and adults, according to a study of more than 65,000 patients published today in The American Journal of Psychiatry.The study is likely to increase the controversy over whether depressed teenagers should routinely be prescribed newer antidepressants like Paxil and Zoloft.In October 2004, the Food and Drug Administration ordered drug companies to add strong warnings to the labels of antidepressants after clinical trials suggested that some drugs increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and teenagers. The drugs seem to make a small number of patients extremely agitated, a reaction that can lead to violent or suicidal thoughts, psychiatrists say.Since the warning, prescriptions for antidepressants have been flat for adults, according to NDCHealth, which tracks pharmaceutical information, and they have fallen slightly for adolescents.Now some psychiatrists say they believe that the pendulum has swung unfairly against the drugs and that depressed people are not receiving treatment that could help them.But other doctors continue to say that the drugs should be prescribed cautiously, especially because clinical trials have found that the drugs work only modestly better than placebo pills for most patients.Antidepressants are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States, with almost 200 million prescriptions written each year.----------B< snip >B-------------

I thought wellbutrin is dopemine (sp?)...I'm on Wellbutrin XL....thats what my doc said...

Wellbutrin is a Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor. Its active ingredient is bupropion

CounsellingResource.com says:In reply to:How Does Bupropion Work?Bupropion acts as a relatively weak inhibitor of the neuronal uptake of norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline in the United Kingdom), serotonin, and dopamine, and it does not inhibit monoamine oxidase. Bupropion's action as an anti-depressant is thought to be related to its effects on the noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic systems within the brain. However, its full mechanism of action is not entirely understood.