Drugs for social anxiety?

Post date: 2018-02-18 20:26:30

Are there drugs you can take for social anxiety and still be able to socialize "normally"?

I have had anxiety pretty much my entire life. I've done a lot of therapy and done the work too--exercises, CBT, DBT. I'm on Zoloft which has made a huge positive difference in my life. (I went on it for depression and found it alleviated a ton of anxiety too.)

But I still have social anxiety flares, pretty much only about gatherings of more than about 6 people. It's worse in winter. I'm fine one-on-one, in small groups and I even enjoy making small talk in elevators these days! Yet all my self-talk and prepping for big parties etc. does not make enough of a difference. I have to go to a party tonight and I am dreading it so much that the only thing keeping me from backing out is guilt toward my partner. (He would have to answer where I was and probably tell a white lie for me. He has had to do this way too many times already.)

Like many people, a drink at a party takes the edge off and makes socializing more bearable. I'm also older and more sensitive to alcohol, so if I have more than one drink (seriously ONE), I tend to get a headache the next day and feel tired. Even one drink leaves me feeling tired.

Is it possible to use something like xanax to be okay with a big group social event? I've never taken a drug like that before, so I don't know if it zonks you out or makes talking to you weird... I also live in one of the states where marijuana is legal. I have considered getting a low dose pot mint or something like that to take the edge off, then sticking to non alcoholic beverages. I have sometimes just done parties totally sober but I don't think I could do that and not appear to be kind of miserable. (I am a woman, so gendered pressures apply imo.)

What would you do if you were me? Any specific drug suggestions? How should I talk to my doctor about this if a prescription is the answer?

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