Severe social anxiety affecting basic interactions — looking for advice from people who’ve been through this
I’ve dealt with severe social anxiety my whole life. The main problem is physical — when someone talks to me or asks me a direct question my heart immediately races, throat tightens, voice shakes and I get completely stuck on my words. I know exactly what I want to say but my body shuts down before I can say it.
It happens in basic everyday interactions:
• Saying hi to a doorman
• Ordering from a waitress
• Answering airport staff
• Talking to border agents
• Any direct question from a stranger
The frustrating part is it’s unpredictable. Sometimes words come out fine under stress. Other times I completely freeze. My brain works — it’s purely the physical response hijacking everything.
I’ve been looking into Propranolol for situational use. Has anyone with similar symptoms tried it? Did it specifically help with voice shaking and freezing up mid sentence?
have a trip to Colombia in about 2 weeks and I want to be functional for basic interactions — airport staff, border agents, hotel, restaurants. Looking for any prescription options that have actually worked for people with this level of physical anxiety. Not looking for “just practice more” advice — looking for real experience.