I’m going all in on treating my social anxiety.

Hi everyone, I’m done waiting around. I’m finally starting my medication, Paroxetine. Right now, I’m starting at a low dose, then gradually increasing it based on how I feel over the coming weeks. I plan to keep my dosage moderate to manage side effects and withdrawal symptoms.

Once I’ve stabilized on my target dose for at least a week, I plan to start doing CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and exposure therapy at home using videos. I don’t want to spend money on a professional; it’s just overpriced. To me, the foundation is medication, CBT, and exposure.

Since I want to dedicate this entire year to doing my absolute best with self-treatment because I’m tired of feeling helpless, do you have any other tips that personally helped you? Maybe something regarding diet... literally anything that worked but isn't talked about enough. I'm open to alternative methods, anything. I’m not afraid to test what works. I know I should also cut out caffeine, which is hard, but I’m going to try. I'm looking for simple steps that can make life easier. Thank you! ❤️

For me personally, this is also about a body recomposition. It sounds toxic, but I’m starting to lift weights because I don’t want to be a skinny-fat 25-year-old woman anymore after years of this. My social anxiety also comes from feeling like people are judging my body—even though I know nobody actually is. Self-esteem and self-love matter so much more than I ever wanted to admit. 🥹

(Note: Translated from my native language using AI.)