shaun

I started yoga 6 months ago, I was very skeptical about it at first, I thought it was a woman thing. My brother used yoga to rehabillitate a back injury and he pursuaded me to join in. I'm glad I decided to do it because I feel calmer and more in-tune with my body now.

Yep, I think this is fairly common knowledge. Negative people will make you feel negative. There is a member of my family who is very stressed and quite miserable, I don't like being around her most of the time. You are the people you surround yourself with.

I live with my brother and we work different hours so I don't have an issue with finding alone time. I actually like my own company, I spend more time on my own than in the company of other people. This works for me, it allows me to enjoy the company of other people without it becoming tiresome.

I am generally averse to taking medication. When you think about it from an evolutionary perspective, we did fine without pharmacetuical drugs through 99% of our evolution and we didn't suffer from the diseases we do today, the diseases of civilisation. As for eating new food, no, I enjoy trying new foods, I think it's good to be open about trying new things - you might like it!

I've never been a 'phone person', I don't like using the phone. I'm not sure where my issue with speaking on the phone started, bad experiences with phone interviews probably didn't help. I recall the anticipation of waiting for the employer to call and then feeling a sudden rush of panic when the phone rang.

True, my friend has had a positive experience with anti-depressants. He is going through a difficult time with a court case over access rights to his son and the anti-depressants have enabled him to cope. The only problem is that he has tried coming off the drugs and he didn't cope well, I think he is now dependent on the drugs to feel normal.

As you know, dependence on drugs is not a healthy way to live your life. I believe these drugs cause more harm than good and they are often not very effective at their purported job. How to manage anxiety attacks naturally? Meditation, breathing techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy should do the trick.

Blocking your 'friends' is the right decision. They are patently not very good friends, but that doesn't mean all people are the same, you shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush. Be open to making new friendships, do not shut yourself off because you have had bad experiences in the past.

Have you considered taking natural remedies for anxiety like St John's Wart and Kava Kava? St John's Wart can reduce anxiety, as can Kava Kava. I would rather take a natural drug than the powerful pharmaceutical drugs prescribed for anxiety problems.

Being diagnosed can be an uplifting experience because you finally know what is wrong with you. However, I'm concerned about your doctor prescribing drugs to deal with the phobia. Becoming dependent on drugs to cope socially is not a long term solution. You need to undergo Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to overcome your social phobia.

You accept you have a problem and that your mistrust is irrational. The next step is to try to change your behaviour by challenging your irrational thoughts. You can't go on in a relationship with no trust, you need to decide to trust him or consider ending the relationship and working on your issues.

You were not born with social anxieity, it is a learned behaviour and thus it can be unlearned. You are not destined to suffer from SA for the rest of your life, you have the power to overcome it, many people have done it. I think the stuttering is due to being anxious and self-conscious, deal with that and you will not stutter.

It's sad that your familt think you are faking your mental health problems, it must make you feel even worse. Have you talked about it with your family? Communication is key in situations like this, you need to help them understand because it seems like they are ignorant, to be honest.

Yep, this self-perpetuating cycle is common among people with sleep problems. it's not ridiculous at all, you will naturally worry about sleep and the day ahead if you can't sleep. You need to find a balance between prioritizing your sleep and not worrying about it, it's easier said than done.

I recently read that doctors kill thousands of patients each year due to negligence and incompetence. I will consult my doctor when it is absolutely necessary, but I generally don't trust doctors and I certainly don't treat what they say as the gospel truth, like some people do.

Well done for deciding to take action and visiting your doctor. However, I think you should take drugs with caution and you should explore natural remedies like therapy, before deciding to take drugs. Drugs mask the problem, they will not solve the underlying cause of your problems.

You don't need to be with her day-in-day-out to support her and help her overcome her agrophobia. You can speak to her on the phone when you can't be with her in person, merely listening to her will help immensely. It sounds like you are a caring friend, just continue to do what you are doing, praising her achievements and listening.

Working is an excellent way to make new friends. Apart from my friends from school, I met most of my friends through the workplace. Of course, finding work can be daunting for some people but once you get a job you are much more likely to make new friends as you are meeting new people and your confidence will improve.

St John's Wart is has been proven to relieve mild depression and anxiety. I used it when I was a teenager and it definitely helped. I agree with nattynat, the sun and being outside is one of the best natural remedies. Waking up to a sunny day instantly lifts my mood.

Sleeping too long is a common symptom of depression. I know when I was depressed I would sleep for 12 hours a day, it got so bad that I was going to bed at around 5 am and waking up the next night, when most people were coming home from work. You don't need that much sleep.

I imagine the camping experience would be daunting and challenging for some OCD sufferers. I think you should go on the next trip, but you should talk about your concerns beforehand, so you can work together to make it an enjoyable trip for both of you. You can make it easier for her and she can make it easier for you if you work together.

I enjoyed reading your poem. You are a talented poet, you should try and get this published

I recently read some shocking statistics about the effects of anti-depressants. Did you know that anti-depressants actually increase the risk of s****de? Considering whether to come off the meds is totally understandable given the side effects you are experiencing, I would be off the drugs already.

Do what you need to do to overcome the 'blip'. We all go through phases like this. With experience you learn that these bad phases will soon pass and you will come out the other side, even though it doesn't feel like that at the time.

My brother used yoga to rehabillitate a back injury. I used to think yoga was for women, but he pursuaded me to try some yoga exercises and I have been doing yoga ever since. It has improved my flexibility and I'm sure it has made me feel more calm.