Even people with dating anxiety can have an imaginary romance! Even though it is all in your head, you do have an idea of what makes you happy in life. Some people use daydreaming as an outlet for a life full of stress, anxiety and panic. In your mind, you can take on any persona you wish. Try writing down your daydream one day. Observe what actions you took in your daydream to get the results that you so desperately crave. Try these actions in real life. You just may get your happy ending.
Who would have thought that Oprah suffers from social anxiety? Is it really that far fetched? There are many 
individuals who suffer from anxiety. Some of these include Abraham Lincoln (president), Barbara Streisand (singer), Dick Clark (TV personality), John Madden (sports announcer) and the most famous, Michael Jackson (singer). Those are but a few who keep Oprah in good company.
You may ask, if these people suffer from social anxiety, how can they do what they do and the audience not pick up on it? After all Oprah suffers from social anxiety and does it. They have made it their determination to “go on with the show no matter what”. Then there are some who turn to illegal drugs to cope with the unpleasant symptoms of social anxiety. Unfortunately they learn all too often they have exchanged one problem for another. And with some, they have paid dearly with their lives.
Looking at Oprah, you would be hard pressed to believe she suffers from social anxiety. And if she is, you may wonder how she is coping with it. Unless you are very good friends with her, you may never find out. She does have a wide array of friends and that often helps. When negative symptoms come to the fore, Oprah is able to enlist the help of her friends to “talk down” negative emotions and help her “breathe” through an anxious moment.
There are times when observing Oprah’s show that she appears a bit breathless. An anxiety symptom? It very well could be. To be sure, when Oprah was engaging in a rigid exercise routine, her anxiety did not peak as often since exercise is a sure way to lower one’s anxiety.
If you are feeling anxious about anything or suffer from the terrible symptoms of anxiety, you are not alone. The list above names just a few who are like you; even Oprah suffers from social anxiety. You just might say you are in good company.
Coping with social anxiety disorder is an experience that affects countless number of people throughout the world. Do you feel that you simply cannot be in amongst a group of people? Does being out in public and away from home cause a high level of anxiety and stress within your being? Would you rather just be inside your home, living in an isolated world? Friend, understand that you do not have to live behind the locked doors of your house for the rest of your life. In treating your social anxiety, please realize that you do not have to go about it alone.
Is there some event in your past which may be the trigger as to why you can no longer interact with people? Individuals professionally diagnosed with social anxiety disorder usually did have a traumatic event which occurred in their lives. The person could have witnessed a horrific crime, or experienced a very negative event out in public, (the individual may have given a speech which went horribly wrong. Or he/she may have had an encounter with another person in public which proved to be very humiliating).
Without treatment, the individual may become quite consumed by this incident, dwelling on it constantly. Flashback memories of this event replay itself on an endless loop inside the person’s mind. A high level of stress and anxiety builds up inside the individual. The person’s brain and central nervous system become over-stimulated. It results in the obvious symptoms of impending anxiety attacks: pain in the chest, stomach ache, sweaty palms, high level of nervousness, and an inability to focus. Often, these attacks take place in fact. Over time and without treatment, these attacks can be lethal to a person’s body physically, and mind mentally.
As a coping mechanism the individual just decides on what he/she believed is the only solution. He/she decides to protect him/herself from ever experiencing such an embarrassing moment out in public again. He/she simply withdraws from society. Staying at home inside the safe environment of closed-in walls becomes the best choice available, instead of interacting with the rest of society. Friend, if this decision is something that you may be thinking about, then you need to understand one important idea. Your life simply does not have to carry on as it is for the next 5, 10, or 20 years like this; isolated from the rest of the world.
The first step in treatment should involve your seeking help from a professional in the field of psychiatry. Please place your trust in this professional in that he/she would only want to do what is in your best interests. Withdrawing completely from society is not an option that you would want to follow. Your doctor, after a few consultations may choose to put you on a prescription medication to help you with the symptoms of any anxiety, (or panic) attacks that you may experience. Understand that any medication will only work on those symptoms of anxiety and stress that has become a part of your being: the chest in your pain, dull ache in your stomach, and your high level of nervousness, etc. The medication will not work on the trigger, (that past event) which is the underlying reason for your disorder.
Treatment that will work as a cure for your social anxiety will involve behavior modification ideals, as well as relaxation exercises. Breathing exercises, (in which you count slowly up to 5 slowly while inhaling, followed by exhaling up to a count of 
are known cures to help ease the level of stress and tension in your body. Yoga and meditation are also great relaxation exercises as they also help in regulating your breathing patterns. These exercises also serve to focus your mind away from the trigger which causes your social anxiety disorder.
Behavior modification techniques would involve the principle of your being able to eventually trust other people, again. Your psychiatrist may recommend that you contact a trusted friend, or two. Get in conversations with a trusted individual who seeks to have your best interests in mind. Talk to the individual over the phone. Invite him/her to your home for lunch. Engage in conversation with the individual, talking to him or her about a subject to which you are comfortable. Eventually, take the steps to go over to this person’s home to reciprocate the invitation. Take it one step at a time. But, above all try to trust in a small group of close friends who would act as your support system. If you can understand that those in your support system are not there to harm you in any way, then you have begun down the road towards recovering from your disorder.
If you are experiencing social anxiety disorder, you need to fully understand one important philosophy. Your disorder is not something which you have to cope with for the rest of your life. You do not have to withdraw from society forever. By seeking help, realize that you do not have to go about it alone. I am also recommending a reputable site that has helped countless number of individuals who were in the same boat as you; falsely believing that there was no hope. This site can be found by visiting: http://curepanicattacks57.info.
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Dating with social anxiety is, for many, including myself, a trial even before the date starts, or even before I try to 
approach a person to ask if they would like to spend some time with me. I also have to worry about where I might go to find potential date partners. Hopefully, it is a place in which I can observe those around me to pick out the most interesting ones, while at the same time, not having an atmosphere that makes me nervous. After a great deal of experimenting, I did find some such places, and am eager to share the benefit of my experience with others who are dating with social anxiety. These tips are also good if you are dating someone with generalized anxiety disorder.
• I tried enlisting the help of those around me. Friends and relatives know my tastes and quirks. Since they care for me, it is in their interest to bring forward somebody who would treat me well. Asking for help might sound weak or hokey, but it really is a good, practical option.
• Also, I tried joining clubs, societies, and organizations in my area. It worked very well, since I was able to find people who shared my interests. Joining particularly unusual clubs often worked very well. Since that particular hobby was relatively uncommon, an automatic sense of ease and camaraderie developed between all the club members. Why are these types of activities such a good aid to dating? Since social interaction takes place within the context of work, I was less at risk on a personal level. Furthermore, since anxiety disorder dating compromised my people skills, I was able to compensate by impressing potential partners with my work-related skills and dedication instead.
• I went academic. If you are currently enrolled at school or university, take advantage of this fact. I was not, so I took up craft classes or special seminar courses. The benefits are similar to those for joining societies and clubs. Classes that teach you how to do something with your hands help a great deal, since the physical motions can actually be rather soothing.
• I hung around my favorite second-hand bookstores and specialty shops a great deal. Firstly, it was fun for me, since I love browsing for hidden treasures. Interaction in such places is often rather relaxed and friendly. I was also able to approach people by asking about their merchandise, which proved less risky and intimidating than indicating a personal interest in them right away.
With tips like these, you can cut down on some of the initial hurdles that beset people who attempt dating with social anxiety.
People who have social anxiety disorder feel very stressed in social situations. If you have social anxiety disorder, it might be very tempting to push for pharmaceuticals right away. Medications for social anxiety disorder and depression tend to show effects faster than therapy does, so if you suddenly have an interesting date coming up, you might want to take something to cover your dating emergency, so that you will be better able to have fun during your date, and perhaps even convince your partner to see you again. However, are drugs really the best way to go?
Brain Dampening
To start with, it must be recognized that much of the “calming” effect of such drugs comes from the fact that they turn down the voltage in your brain. Unfortunately, they can accomplish this task a little too well, hampering your ability to focus and make choices—much like being drunk. Yes, the medicines that treat your social anxiety disorder might make you feel more relaxed around people. However, you might end up feeling relaxed in the wrong way, and end up making decisions that alienate established or potential friends, or put your own safety at risk (particularly if the social situation involves you being surrounded by strangers in an unfamiliar place). This is probably not the kind of excitement you were looking for on your date.
Chemical Reactions
Secondly, you need to watch out for the ways these medicines can react with other substances. For example, many of the drugs that treat social anxiety disorder have a depressant or benzodiazepine element, which means that they can seriously hurt or even kill you if combined with alcohol. Of course, since many social situations encourage alcohol consumption, this is an important consideration. After all, many people go to bars and clubs for dates, or to a restaurant that serves alcohol. You might find that you cannot use the medicine before or during a date, anyway, for fear of what it might do in conjunction with alcohol. Refusing to take alcohol might cause awkwardness. Other substances to watch out for include painkillers and sleeping pills.
If you have social anxiety disorder, do consider other forms of treatment besides just medication.