Social Anxiety?!

Social Anxiety?

HI, my friend has a problem where she cannot go out in public, I mean, she is very attractive, and when she does go out she makes friends very easily. But she has this disorder, i think it is called social anxiety disorder. Its difficult for her to go to public places anywhere! How can we help her? Any tips? THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

Okay, so maybe she's not 'clinicaly diagnosable as social anxiety' but obviously it's still greatly affecting her social interactions and therefore a hinderance that needs to be addressed!
I grew up with symptoms like this where I would have great difficulty going out, talking on the phone, meeting new people, etc. It was very difficult for me, there were many times where I would just sit at home and cry because I didn't want to go outside. People would refuse to diagnose it as social anxiety disorder because I was 'able to go out' or 'able to function in such situations' even though I did experiece panic attacks at times and felt absolutely miserable most of the time.

When in a situation like this it can be overwhelmingly difficult to seek help! Just taking the first step in scheduling an appointment with a healthcare professional can seem torturous, and if you get sent on a wild goose chase to get an appointment set up, as I did, the whole process can be enough to make you worse off then when you started!

In my opinion though, I would say the best thing for her is to see a doctor about this and see if she can be put on meds to help curb these feelings. Once the irrational fears are gone it's easier to concentrate on ways to help overcome your problems and eventually get to a point where you can control your thoughts without the aid of medicine.

I would like to say though, that your friend is very lucky to have a friend like you who is trying to do what is best for her without dismissing her problem like it's nothing, or like it's just her being stupid. She will need friends like you to support her through this. While I don't necessarily recommend doing everything for her, she will need a lot of understanding and support from you if you are going to help her through this. There will be times where it may feel like you are 'pulling more than your weight' in this friendship, but I'm pretty sure that you will find it more than rewarding in the end.
If you have anything more you want to ask me about, just contact me.
Good luck