I suffer from the perfectionism as well. The perfectionism feeds the fear. I need to recover in baby steps and realize that there will be slips periodically but that is no reason not to get back up and continue recovering. Losin's a place to start over again. As the songwriter wrote.

It;s good you go out with a couple of co-workers. That's progress The only way to get out of your shell... is to just do it! I have to push myself sometimes to socialize. Right now I'm sturggling with adrenal exhaustion.I find I am getting too much into staying home and turning down fun invitations from friends.

In group gatherings I'm usually nervous and looking around, as a forms of safety. Even when I'm in church there is a protective shield I place around me. So i understand where your coming from. It's just an issue we have to work on to free ourself from anxieties. I have had past bad experiences that have colored my world and made me have trust issues in others and my surroundings. wishing you the best,... Mary

im that serve that i stay in my bed shaking while pilled up and they dont work

I am learning that our thinking is half the battle with this condition. If I believe I am going to have a panic attack and catastrophize about it, chances are, I will have one. If I do have one, my thoughts would begin racing and my body reacts and I am left with the aftermath which would lower my self-esteem, create avoidance behaviors and the cycle of this begins. I have been working with mindfulness meditation in which I look at what I am thinking and how my body is being affected by my thinking and learning to concentrate on my breathing and lower my anxiety. It takes practice to do this but I have begun noticing positive results. I also accept that I have this condition and there are times that I just have to get thru those moments and view them as a moment and not define my condition as being who I am. I let go of the self-judgment because that hindered me so much. If I extend compassion towards other people, I deserve to do that for myself too. Being isolated isn't good for me because I can become my own worst enemy -- comparing myself to others, feeling hopeless and all of the other feelings that can arise with this condition. Gratefully, those feelings do arise and cease and acknowledging that for me, has helped so much. I now appreciate and acknowledge the times when I do not feel anxious or panicky. I also recognize that there are good, kind people out there as well as people who aren't and take care of myself. It has taken me a long time to come to level of acceptance...

I also suffer from agoraphobia and social anxiety.. I have been suffering with this for more then half my life. I avoid going out to places that would cause me to have a panic attack. I struggle everyday to live a normal life like everyone around me. everytime I have to go somewhere I get very anxious and my stomach gets upset to the point of having to use the bathroom like ten times before we leave and being on enough meds to gets through it.. plus my husband has to be the one driving because he will take me home if I am having a panic attack. my husband is my security blanket you can say but sometimes that doesn't even subside my anxiety. before we have to go somewhere he has to tell me in a day in advance, how far it is and who is going to be there. if we hit traffic my mind starts racing my heart feels like it is pounding out of chest and my stomach gets upset to the point that I have to use the bathroom plus the feeling like i am die if i don't get out of there.