Should I go to my doctor?

I've been wondering for a long time now if I should go to my doctor in order to have him send me to a psychologist.

I'm 18 years old and Avoidant Personality Disorder seems to fit me rather well. I'm convinced I have something, at least an anxiety disorder, but perhaps this.

While I can't say I don't have any friends, I do only have around 5 or so people that I would actually consider my friend and I rarely see anyone else. Often when I see people whom I consider an acquaintance while I'm out, I tend to hide from them. I hate having to talk to them because it's well... awkward.

I do work in a boosktore as a bookseller, which causes me to interact with many people. I find that I'm able to do this on a professional level, but I still get nervous quite often. Everyone tells me I'm good at my job, but I think it's just my fear of these people hating me that pushes me to do good. I don't say no to anything really.

As far as relationships go... I've had one. It lasted rather long, about a year, but it went nowhere. It took me about 2 months of knowing this girl and knowing that she liked me for me to work up the courage to ask her to go out with me. After that, I never really did anything a good boyfriend would, I always thought I would come off as stupid, or she would hate me for it. I never kissed her, complimented her, and I rarely saw her outside of school or events as I was honestly afraid to be alone with her because I thought I'd do something really stupid and make the situation awkward. She knew this, but obviously she couldn't put up with it forever so it ended. I feel pretty horrible about it.


In any case, my main concern is going to the doctor in the first place. I'm terrified to have to talk to someone one on one about this that I don't know very well.

Is it worth it for me to do this? I mean, is it possible I have this or some sort of social problem? Obviously this isn't nearly enough about me to diagnose me, but I just wanted to give a sort of description to give you guys an idea or something.

Uhm, thanks in advance for any help.

seems like you have a lot of social anxiety... whether or not it is severe enough or ingrained enough in your personality to make you avoidant, it doesn't really matter. maybe it isn't because I believe avoidants are called avoidant because they wouldn't even try to get the job or ask the girl out in the first place. but the important thing is that it would definitely help to see a doctor about it... its really hard talking to others about it, but once you do hopefully you can turn some of it around.. good luck

I don't believe all avoidants wouldn't do anything about those situations.

It took me a long time to go ahead and do those things and there was much stress involved with doing them, I'd rather not go into much detail.

I just seem to meet most of the critera, from what I've seen.

well, being avoidant and having social anxiety maybe are the same thing anyways, it's just 2 different labels, both which cause about the same problems. I haven't looked at the criteria for a while, but I would think that most social phobics would fit AvPD criteria and vice versa. which one you get diagnosed with may have to do may differ depending on who you go to and even when you go to them... all I can say now is just try to stay in contact with the outside world until you get looked at, that way you shouldn't become more avoidant...

Yes, definitely see a doctor. It looks like you want to do something about you current condition and that's very good. Just come in, and ask for referral to a psychologist or if you feel like you're doing really bad and need medications- a psychiatrist. That's how I started my treatment. Usually their preference is counselors, because they don't charge as much as registered psychologists. That's up to you of course.

To be honest, I don't even know the first way to do this.

My doctor has this sheet his teenaged patients fill out when they go for a checkup and it's got all the classic teen problems on it. I never check that I'm depressed or anything like that, because I don't want to talk about it. Is it so weird for me to be afraid of talking to my doctor? I mean, it's his job to do these kind of things, right?

I went straight to a therapist. I dont see any reason to go to a doctor for a referral. Possibly the worst thing that you could do is get caught up in a mental health system which does not cater for individual problems. AvPD, Social Anxiety etc. are systematic labels that might lead to courses of treatment that could simply not work for you.

You sound like you have your head screwed on quite well but just sense some deeper problems with social interaction that worry you. Its easier to deal with these problems at your age rather than letting them get worse over time. My advice would be to make your own referral. Start looking for psychologists in your area that, from the information you can gather (their ad in the yellow pages, their manner on the phone, their office, their body language, even their fashion sense) make you feel comfortable and welcome.

In many ways its easier to talk to strangers about this stuff because you have the option of never seeing them again. If you find a therapist who makes you feel uncomfortable, tell them, but if you continue to feel uncomfortable, simply find someone else. You have choices.

good luck.