Advice given to a newbie in group "Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety" today.

Hi. Welcome to the group. Being shy can seem like a fate worse than death, and being depressed only makes it feel worse, but I'm not telling you anything you don't already know.  It's good that you are planning to see a doctor. Sometimes feeling bad is a symptom of being sick.  A doctor is the best person to help you get it sorted.  The headache is not a good sign, but they deal with this stuff on a daily basis. 

I have been prescribed mood stabilizers and anti-depressants on a couple of occasions.  I didn't stay on them very long.  Just talking to a sympathetic counselor helped more than anything.  I know that I'll never be all personality, charm, warmth and popularity, but I'm ok with that.  I am in a long-term relationship that doesn't have room for a lot of outside interaction, and that's all I really need.  We met on Daily Strength nearly 10 years ago, and I retired from work recently, so life is better now.

Journalling here has been helpful for me, but I still don't feel comfortable opening up to strangers, except in a very controlled way. Luckily, the privacy controls seem to work well.  Trying to find new friends can be risky business, especially when you are feeling vulnerable.   I want to send you invitations to a couple of other groups that you can opt out of at any time, but I think we have to be friends for me to do that.   Use DS as a tool to explore your feelings, and enjoy what it has to offer.  Never forget that there are a lot of terribly messed up people on DS; never take on their problems when you already have enough of your own.  Ignoring is sometimes good.