>>2005I've never used benzos, but I get the impression they're overwhelmingly bad for you except when you really need them (i.e., to kill a panic attack or a bad trip). Not something you want to rely on.
Theanine seems to help me with this issue somewhat, but it's not a cure.
>>2012This is only marginally true, at least in my case. I used to have pretty extreme social anxiety. Forcing myself to talk to people allows me to come off as a normal person, but I still have to deal with this basic dislike of other people. And even when I'm feeling great about spending time with people, I have a lower tolerance for the amount of people and activity in a single place than most people have. You can change your personality to some extent, but some things can apparently only be changed by drugs and a change in environment.