My girlfriend is too nervous to do anything?

Question

My girlfriend suffers from depression and is on fluoxetine and risperidone. She's always been quite shy, quite nervous and had a hard time being independent. I've known for for 7 years and she's always been like this.

I think that she might have something wrong with her, like anxiety or SAD. She doesn't like to go anywhere alone and always has to have someone with her when she goes out. She feels as if people are looking at her and talking about her when she's alone in public. She hates meeting new people, she tries to avoid it as much as she can. When she does meet new people, she gets scared that she is talking stupidly and acting stupidly. She has never been good with speaking in front of an audience, she sweats and shakes and can't talk properly when she's faced with this situation. Her fear of things like this stops her from doing this.

She was looking at doing an apprenticeship in childcare, but is much too scared. She's terrified of the thought of having an interview and going to work. When she did her work experience at school, she found it very difficult to talk to anyone and hated it. She's so scared of getting a job and having an interview that she'd just rather not do it. She puts off anything like this that she can.

What do you think is wrong with her?

Is there anything her doctor can do to help, or anyone can help her with finding a job as she has such a hard time doing it?

I think her mental illness stops her from being able to do this.

Answer 1

wow! sounds like me because i am the same way! this is called personality disorder.  i m 24 and never had a job before because im scared to meet new people and scared of what they might say or think. i would go to the dr with her and u can help explain to the dr whats going on also she can get social security disability for it too if u want to look in to that. i would go to the drs next time she goes and explain to them whats going on.  

Answer 2

Sounds exactly like me. I suffer from severe social anxiety. At one point I became an alcoholic because it was the only thing that helped me relax and to not care about anyoen or anything.   My doctor prescribed me Klonopin and it has been working great.  Tell her to go see a doctor and to get some meds.

Answer 3

Her mental illness and her behavior are all tied up together.  She needs intensive psychotherapy in addition to meds to become a  healthy independent happy individual.