What are the Treatment Options for Social Phobia?

Social anxiety disorder, often known as social phobia, is common and can be a debilitating and frustrating problem. If you believe you suffer from this disorder, what are your treatment options? There are two main approaches to the treatment of social anxiety disorder. These are:

1. Cognitive Behavior Therapy Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a form of therapy that uses various behavioral techniques to help develop strategies for overcoming fear and anxiety. Rather than delving into the subconscious causes of social avoidance, this approach looks for practical behavioral solutions to the problem of social phobia. It addresses abnormal behaviors and thought patterns directly and helps you take the practical steps necessary to change them. Some of the interventions used for social anxiety phobia include developing anxiety management skills such as relaxation and breathing techniques which can be used to reduce anxiety in social situations..

You would then be gradually introduced back into the feared social situations and encouraged to use these techniques to reduce fear and anxiety. Do these techniques work? The good news is a study showed that around 3/4 of patients diagnosed with social anxiety disorder benefited from this type of therapy.

 2. Drug Therapy There are a variety of medications on the market that can be used to treat social anxiety disorder. These include various antidepressant medications and anti-anxiety drugs. In some cases where these medications have failed to work, your doctor may prescribe an antiseizure medication for treatment of social anxiety disorder.

Unfortunately, these medications do have side effects which may include sexual dysfunction, headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, and nausea, in addition to a variety of others.

 Usually a combination of both forms of therapy used in social anxiety treatment seems to give the best results. Since the medications used for treatment of this problem carry the potential for side effects, it may be best to start with cognitive therapy and add medications only if symptoms can't be controlled with therapy.

 Some other interventions that may improve symptoms include social skill training where you learn new, more adaptive skills for interacting in social situations through role playing. Actually acting out a social situation in a nonthreatening environment can do much to reduce the associated fear and help you gain the confidence you need to feel more comfortable in social situations. As you can see, there are a variety of treatments for social anxiety disorder. You and your doctor will be able to determine which treatment option is right for your particular situation.