Social anxiety disorder?

Question

those of you that have it....
what kind of help are you getting?
medication.... what are the side effects?
therapy.... is it expensive?

Answer 1

This answer is not a cut and paste.

The longer you place yourself in solitude the worse your anxiety is when in a social setting. You need a good friend who can be a support person to be with you as your working on the social setting. This person(s) role is to talk you through any feeling you may have when confronting a social setting.

Medication is helpful. Don't feel that you are covering the problem up with the medication...you'll need it. Drugs vary and your doctor should be able to help guide you in the right direction.

Therapy here in the South cost about $150 per 1 hour visit. Good luck in finding a good one. I've always like therapist that have experienced your problems.

Good luck to you and hang in there...it will get better.

Answer 2

I don't have it, but I know people who do. Paxil and Zoloft are approved to treat social anxiety disorder. Side effects vary from person to person. If you want to learn more about side effects, you can visit the websites for Zoloft and Paxil. You can also overcome social anxiety through psychotherapy. Each session is usually around $115.

Answer 3

I have it, and I have been using Paxil for the past 8 months. It causes some dizziness, and one of my friends who is a female has complained about sexual side effects such as trouble reaching climax. All in all I think these drugs are effective, and there are many different options. Good luck.

Answer 4

Paxil helps me a great deal - there are side effects for the first couple of weeks (headache, dry mouth) and then they subside. Therapy is expensive - do you have insurance?

Answer 5

Treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder:

Psychological Treatment:
Among possible psychological treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder, the best studied are CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and CGBT (Cognitive Group Behavioral Therapy). While CBT and CGBT can often be helpful, medication treatments have been shown to produce more robust and dramatic improvement of symptoms. Patients with mild symptoms (as well as children or adolescents with Social Anxiety), may wish to pursue CBT or CGBT treatment methods as their first approach, while those with more significant or stubborn symptoms may prefer to use CBT as an adjunct to medication treatment. Good CBT therapists for SP are located primarily in larger cities. The best places to look are probably at large University Clinics or Health Centers.

Research suggests that "general" or "supportive" psychotherapy is also helpful for many patients with Social Anxiety Disorder. This is probably especially true in more moderate and severe cases where issues such as low self esteem and other psychological and/or adjustment difficulties may be more pervasive. Currently there is no evidence that CBT is more, or less, effective than other psychotherapy techniques in the treatment of Social Anxiety. There are no clear guidelines, and one is probably best off trusting their own instincts of what is best for them.

Medication Treatment:
Medication treatment is the "tried and true" method to effectively treat Social Anxiety Disorder. Research trials for the treatment of Social Anxiety are still limited primarily to "monotherapy" treatment (one drug by itself). In actual practice, it is often the case that 2 or more medications are used in combination (polypharmacy). There are likely to be many different treatments (single drug or combinations) which are helpful for a given individual. Experimentation affords one an opportunity to find out which treatments are most satisfactory for them. Despite increasing recognition of "the world's most neglected anxiety disorder" - most Dr's even now in *2006* continue to have relatively little experience (and even less skill) in treating patients with Social Anxiety. Patient self-education continues to play a key role for those wishing to ensure that they receive the appropriate medical intervention they deserve.

A Medication Treatment Algorithm for Social Anxiety:
One reasonable algorithm of trial is as follows:
(Goal is typically effectiveness and tolerability over the long term):

1) Antidepressant
a) SSRI, Effexor, moclobomide ... else try ...
b) MAOI (Nardil)

2) Benzodiazepine
a) Klonopin (alone)
b) Klonopin + Antidepressant (any above)
c) Xanax

3) May wish to augment (add) any of following: (Note: Most of these unstudied for SP)
a) Provigil (modafinil): Mild stimulant. Very low doses 25-100mg/day, divided
b) Wellbutrin SR (bupropion): Antidepressant / stimulant. Very low doses 25-100mg/day, divided
c) Ritalin SR (methylphenidate): Stimulant. Very low doses 1.25-10mg/day, divided
d) caffeine: Mild stimulant.
e) Depakene (valproate): Anticonvulsant, may be sedating
f) Neurontin (gabapentin): Anticonvulsant, may be sedating
g) Lamictal (lamotrigine): Anticonvulsant, may be activating
h) Keppra (levetiracetam): Anticonvulsant, may be sedating
i) Aricept (donepezil): Cholinesterase inhibitor. Very low doses 1.25-2.5/day. Reduce dose if taking other meds.
j) CoQ-10: May be activating especially over 300mg/day. 50-400mg/day, divided.

CERTAIN COMBINATIONS OR SINGLE DRUGS DANGEROUS: CHECK WITH DOCTOR FOR ALL TREATMENT RECOMMENDATION.