It's good for me if I have to go outside to a crowded place, as it will stop a trigger from sending me into a full on flashback most of the time. I think my social phobia is intertwined with my PTSD now, so it won't help me socialize, just stop me from feeling the urge to flip over a table and flee a crowded restaurant, etc.
It used to be handed out for performance anxiety(the stage fright kind), so it will stop your body from reacting to your mental anxiety in a physical manner, which might somewhat slow down a ruminating mind. It won't directly lower your social inhibitions like benzos do for most people and make you feel social and bubbly.
It's actually in my mind a good choice for actively re-training yourself how to react and engage in social settings, in conjunction with CBT, as you won't have your body and mind to retrain at once. Just don't rely on them everyday as the rebound from daily usage will make your physical symptoms ramp up quite severely depending on the dosage.
@LittleJem I ended up buying some etifoxine, thanks for the tip! Still let me know how it works out for you though!
Etifoxine is a good start; it feels like a weak benzo, without any of the memory loss or coordination deficits. In European trials I believe it was preferred to lorazepam(Ativan), so it might give you just the boost of social confidence you need, without any 'clean drunken' feelings.
