Social Anxiety Treatment

Hi I’m Ian, and I used to be a sufferer of social anxiety, or panic attacks, or anxiety attacks. Whatever you want to call them they just aint nice.

Mine started when I had a spill on my motorcycle.  I woke up with a crowd round me and they wouldn’t allow me to get up. I thought I was fine as I felt no real pain and could wiggle my toes.

Good job they wouldn’t let me up as I’d smashed my right wrist to bits and had damaged nerves in my upper spine which left my right arm paralysed.

The technical term is a brachial plexus injury (google it) and it’s for life. Nerve damage as bad as mine doesn’t repair itself. I didn’t know (why should I?) but it happens to thousands of bikers every year.

It also sadly happens to thousands of kids who get shot in the shoulder region. Totally shreds the nerve structure.

Anyway, after a long period of slooooow recovery I started to get nervous and anxious in situations where a few people had gathered. In shops, in queues, in the hospital (where I was a regular feature) and even family gatherings.

It got so bad I’d have to run for cover and be on my own. If you’ve ever had a panic attack or any sort of social anxiety problem you’ll know just what I mean.

If you haven’t had anything like that then count yourself blessed. It’s frightening to say the least.

I’ve finally got these anxiety attacks under control and am starting to rebuild my life (yet again) to the point where I can go into the middle of a crowd and not have to run like hell.

Don’t get me wrong, in the back of my mind there’s a tiny voice telling me to run or die, but I know it’s not real and I know I can keep it tethered.

It took me a long time to find the right treatment for my social anxiety but when I found it, it didn’t take me long to take control back.

If my story sounds familiar, don’t despair, help is out there. I’ve devoted this web site to hopefully helping someone. If one person sees this and gets the help they need then that’s great by me.

Ian