Treatment for social anxiety disorder involves psychological counseling and sometimes medications (such as antidepressants) to reduce associated anxiety and depression.
A combination of medications and professional counseling is most effective for people who have generalized anxiety and fear over many social situations.4 For those who fear only one or a few social situations (such as public speaking or eating in front of others), professional counseling to overcome the fear may be all that is needed.2
Initial treatment
Initial treatment of social anxiety disorder is based on the severity of your emotional and physical symptoms and your ability to function in daily activities. People who have social anxiety disorder often have depression as well. They may also have alcohol or substance abuse problems. Your health professional may ask you certain questions to see whether you might be drinking too much or abusing drugs.
Social anxiety disorder often goes undetected for years before treatment is sought-by that time, you may have developed behaviors that accommodate the fears. These habits or behaviors must be overcome to successfully manage social anxiety disorder.
First, your health professional must determine whether you are generally anxious about all social encounters, or whether a specific situation triggers anxiety.
Treatment with a combination of medications and professional counseling is often effective for generalized social anxiety disorder (fear of most public interaction). Some people need treatment throughout their lives, while others may recover completely after a period of treatment with counseling and medications.
Types of counseling most often used to treat social anxiety disorder include:2
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps you identify anxieties and the situations that provoke the anxiety. Initially, you may feel uncomfortable while addressing the feared situations, but it is an important part of your recovery. Several types of cognitive-behavioral therapy are used to treat social anxiety disorder, including:
Exposure therapy. You will be guided by a professional counselor to imagine you are facing the feared situation until you no longer fear it, such as eating in public. Next, you may go with your counselor to a public place and eat until, eventually, you can eat by yourself in public without fear.
Social skills training. This therapy helps you develop the skills you need in social situations through rehearsing and role-playing. Your anxiety is reduced as you become more comfortable with and prepared for the feared social situations.
Cognitive restructuring. This therapy helps you learn to identify and improve fearful thinking to help you better handle social situations.
Symptom management skills. This therapy teaches you how to reduce stress by controlling your breathing and other physical responses to anxiety.
Supportive therapy. This can include:
Education about the disorder.
Family therapy, to support loved ones affected by your condition.
Group therapy or support groups, to seek support from others also diagnosed with the disorder.
Medications often used for chronic, severe, or generalized social anxiety disorder include:5, 2
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to relieve anxiety. SSRIs are often the first type of medication used to treat generalized social anxiety disorder.6
Benzodiazepines, to relieve anxiety. They are fast-acting; however, they may be habit-forming and are not generally used in those with substance abuse problems.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), to relieve depression and anxiety. MAOIs have potentially serious side effects when they are taken with certain foods (such as some cheeses and red wine).
Beta-blockers, to reduce anxiety. Beta-blockers are sometimes used to treat physical symptoms of anxiety (such as tremors or rapid heart rate).
Venlafaxine, to help relieve anxiety and depression.
Ongoing treatment
Ongoing treatment of social anxiety disorder usually includes continuing psychological counseling and regular checkups to monitor any medications you may be taking.
If professional counseling alone has not reduced your anxiety symptoms, medications may be added to your treatment.
It is possible to overcome the fears associated with social anxiety disorder. Working through fears with a specific type of therapy-cognitive-behavioral therapy that includes exposure therapy-may be the best approach for treating your anxiety. It is important to continue professional counseling even if you are taking medications to reduce anxiety.
Types of therapy that effectively treat social anxiety disorder include:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps you identify anxieties and situations that provoke the anxiety. Initially, you may feel uncomfortable while addressing the feared situations, but it is an important part of your recovery. Several types of cognitive-behavioral therapy are used to treat social anxiety disorder, including:
Exposure therapy. You will be guided by a professional counselor to imagine you are facing the feared situation until you no longer fear it, such as eating in public. Next, you may go with your counselor to a public place and eat until, eventually, you can eat by yourself in public without fear.
Social skills training. This therapy helps you develop the skills you need in social situations through rehearsing and role-playing. Your anxiety is reduced as you become more comfortable with and prepared for the feared social situations.
Cognitive restructuring. This therapy helps you learn to identify and improve fearful thinking to help you better handle social situations.
Symptom management skills. This therapy teaches you how to reduce stress by controlling your breathing and other physical responses to anxiety.
Supportive therapy. This can include:
Education about the disorder.
Family therapy, to support loved ones affected by your condition.
Group therapy or support groups, to seek support from others also diagnosed with the disorder.
If your anxiety is triggered by many social situations (generalized), you may need continuous and prolonged treatment with a combination of counseling and medications. During this time, your health professional will need to monitor your medications. If one medication is ineffective, you and your health professional may decide you should try another.
Medications often used to treat debilitating fear or anxiety associated with social anxiety disorder include:3
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to relieve anxiety. SSRIs are often the first type of medication used to treat generalized social anxiety disorder.6
Benzodiazepines, to relieve anxiety. They are fast-acting; however, they may be habit-forming and are not generally used in those with substance abuse problems.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), to relieve depression and anxiety. However, there are potentially serious side effects of MAOIs and certain foods (such as some cheeses and red wine) must not be eaten while you are taking this medication.
Beta-blockers, to treat physical symptoms of anxiety (such as hand tremors or a rapid heart rate) that can sometimes occur in social anxiety disorder.
Venlafaxine, to help relieve anxiety and depression.
Treatment if the condition gets worse
With social anxiety disorder, it is possible to progress from debilitating fear of one social situation to having anxiety about all social encounters (generalized). If this occurs, additional treatment is needed that usually includes adding medications and increasing the amount of professional counseling you receive.
You may also feel more anxious when starting professional counseling. This is because you are thinking about the situations that cause you fear and anxiety. Once the situations have been identified, the fears can be addressed through counseling-especially cognitive-behavioral therapy which includes exposure therapy-gradually exposing you to your fear.
If you are taking medications to treat social anxiety disorder, you will need regular checkups to monitor the medications (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and their potential side effects. The medications may cause bothersome side effects that may make your anxiety worse at first. These side effects may get better over time. But if they do not, you may need to take a different medicine.
If social anxiety disorder is left untreated or improperly treated, it can cause debilitating distress that interferes with daily activities. Physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate, blushing, shortness of breath, and dizziness can occur and need to be assessed.
Other psychological conditions (such as depression or substance abuse) may accompany social anxiety disorder, and these conditions need additional treatment. If left untreated, the combination of social anxiety disorder and another psychological condition (such as depression) can increase the risk of attempted suicide.3
2007-09-08 13:49:47
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answer #1
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answered by Hot Coco Puff 7
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This must have really triggered something in you. Was your Father or Mother a lot like your step-grandfather? Is this bringing back some sort of disturbing memories from the past? Also, if you were brought up like me where there wasn't abuse, these sort of things can be very disturbing to the psyche I think. Maybe you were traumatized by it and are having some sort of post traumatic stress from it?? Not sure. A lot of what you speak about reminds me of clinical depression as I suffer from that myself. Sure nothing to sneeze at if you know what I mean. I sure do hope you feel better soon and hope that I have helped in some small way. Good luck to you....might take one of those self quizzes on clinical depression that you can find online. You may just need a little therapy or be on meds for a short time to feel better. Feel better!
2016-03-18 02:18:28
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answer #2
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answered by Lauren 3
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I am single mum. I have been suffering for panic attacks for some 15 years now, though it was not until recently I understood what they were. They were progressively getting stronger and more frequent, stopping me from some days even leaving my house. I read this book and it all made perfect sense.
I am not saying I was not terrified of putting theory to action, I was more scared of that than the next attack! But I decided to view it as a game, one I had control of and could therefore not lose!
2016-05-17 20:03:42
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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People have real issues and real change they want make, your issue is real and this is method you require a real solution. You need to feel like you actually have a way to begin making the changes in your life. This is where this guide Manifestation Miracle that you can find here https://tr.im/79iTI excels because, if your life isn't the life that you desire, isn't really ideal YOU Can Possibly Do something making it your method.
In this guide you aren't taught anything magical about Manifestation. Instead you're taught the methods you have to believe in order to change the environment around you. When you change your environment, you have the ability to alter your conditions. Changing your conditions suggests changing your situations. When you alter your circumstance you change your ideas and this is turn will lead to different behavior on your part. This various behavior is going to help you to bring about all sorts of change that will draw specific things to you like never in the past.
2016-05-18 19:35:50
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answer #4
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answered by lyle 2
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depression means many thinks but it is how you feel
u re ally do need to get professional help don't take advice on here we ain't got a clue how you feel
I'm mean depressed to some people is I'm depressed Cos cant go out on Saturday night to others it a reall problem getting up in the m orrning SO U REALLY NEED TO GET HELP
2007-09-11 06:07:47
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answer #5
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answered by veronica 3
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There are multiple kinds of disorders that deal with anxiety. Although most can manifest in similar ways, these disorders generally occur due to different events in your life. Natural home remedies for anxiety https://tr.im/Bjtvh
Generalized anxiety disorder includes persistent and unnecessary worries about everyday, common events or activities, which can disrupt concentration and lead to other issues, such as depression.
2016-02-11 10:25:02
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answer #6
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answered by Deeann 3
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I second a lot of what davey babes said.I've had clinical depression for over 20 years.They say that 30 minutes exercise in daylight can improve how you feel as your body absorbs vitamins from the sun.I keep up swimming and walking my dog as much as I can.I avoid people who hack me off.And I try not to think too much about having had cancer.I try and focus more on what a good day I've had, and what I'll be doing the next day that I can look forward to.I've asked an elderly friend to tea today.She's on her own, and her dog has just died.The company will cheer her up and I'll feel better knowing I have done something nice for someone.
2007-09-08 20:49:47
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answer #7
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answered by CMH 6
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If you are still feeling bad despite medical intervention you may need your medication upping or altering to a different anti-depressant there are a lot of them out there and not all are affective to everyone. You would be best discussing this with a professional if as you say it is severe.
2007-09-08 10:41:12
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answer #8
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answered by Anonymous
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#1 Social Reprogramming Method - http://SocialAnxiety.uzaev.com/?BghO
2016-06-20 23:49:36
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answer #9
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answered by Santiago 3
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Knowing that you have it helps a lot, because you can keep yourself aware of the fact that you're feeling depressed partially because you have a disorder.
Also, if there's anything you can do to avoid a stressful situation, do it. It's worth it, because you'll be helping yourself out a lot.
Confide in someone close to you, and talk to them when you're feeling down. Hugs make people feel better, so find someone to hug! Just try keeping yourself as happy as possible.
I've been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and bi-polarity. And for me, being with my boyfriend helps more than anything. So, if you have someone close to you, it really makes you feel a lot better. ^_^
2007-09-08 10:28:53
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answer #10
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answered by Xanthyan 3
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Meditate 15 mins a day, trains the brain to change brainwave patterns and let go of worry thoughts. Increases focus too.
Diet - eat bananas, yoghurt, eggs, milk, fish oils are good, anything that increases the feel good chemical Seratonin, this will help u recover faster. Drink lotsa water, limit booze.
Exercise - 30 min walk a day, don't do too much cos anxiety is a form of chronic fatigue.
Stop worrying and evaluating your condition or at least try and cut down on worry.
Try a spiritual healer google NFSH it's like a charity, u just give a few quid and they have 50 healing centres across the UK. (it's worth a shot)
I'm doing all the above and improving after 4 months
I call it combination therapy, Meditation - Medication (Citalopram x 40mg daily) and Miracles he he good luck....
ps. Last ingrediant.......Time, sleep, patience. Get a new hobby to keep the mind off "you" for a while, i started drums and it totally absorbs me.
2007-09-08 12:36:36
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answer #11
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answered by just-dave 5
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