Treatments For Social Anxiety Disorder And How They Work

If you've suffered from social anxiety disorder for years, you know how debilitating it can be.  Your fear and anxiety keeps you from doing things most other people don't think twice about, like going to parties, speaking in front of a group, or even something as simple as speaking to the clerk at the grocery store.  You feel you are missing out on a big part of your life, but your anxiety has always held you back.  Now, for whatever reason, you're reading this and you want to do something about your social anxiety disorder.  You don't have to suffer anymore.  There are a wide variety of treatments available for social anxiety disorder, all of which can work to help you overcome this debilitating condition. 

One treatment option available to you is psychiatric medication.  Social anxiety disorder, like other mental disorders, involves some form of chemical imbalance in the brain.  When the brain's chemistry is not working right (for reasons still not fully understood), behavior, emotional reactions, and perceptions of reality are altered.  The results can range from uncontrollable cycles of mania and depression (as with bipolar disorder) to hallucinations (as with schizophrenia).  In the case of social anxiety disorder, your brain chemistry alters the way you perceive social situations.  Instead of seeing them for what they really are, your brain processes the information concerning social events in such a way that you view them as threatening; this results in the physical symptoms of anxiety you experience.  The different psychiatric medications on the market all work on the brain's chemistry in different ways to correct the faulty functioning.

There are several different types of psychiatric medications used to treat social anxiety disorder:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to relieve anxiety.
• Benzodiazepines, to relieve anxiety. They are fast-acting.
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), to relieve depression and anxiety.
• 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.

While drugs to treat social anxiety disorder can be effective in the short term, the long-term effectiveness of these drugs has not been proven.  In addition, all psychiatric medications have the possibility of physical effects including insomnia, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and problems with blood pressure.  Some, especially the benzodiazepines, can be habit forming. Then, there is the fact that some people have a physical resistance to psychiatric medication which renders any such treatment for their social anxiety disorder ineffective. 

Given all these factors, it is no wonder that some people with social anxiety disorder would rather suffer than take psychiatric medication. But such suffering is unnecessary. There are a variety of other treatments or social anxiety disorder that do not involve medication. While not as fast-acting as medication, these non-drug treatments do avoid some rather unfortunate short and long term side effects.

Therapy.

Unlike some mental disorders, social anxiety disorder can be effectively treated with some form of talk therapy. Studies have shown that the therapeutic approach known as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is most effective in treating social anxiety disorder. In CBT, the patient learns various techniques to “reprogram” their thought processes to dispute irrational thoughts and beliefs. These thoughts and beliefs are the ones that lead the individual to perceive different social situations as threatening and therefore anxiety producing. These beliefs over time become the primary way they have of reacting to situations. In CBT, a patient suffering from social anxiety disorder learns to replace the irrational thoughts and beliefs with new, rational thoughts and beliefs. The new way of thinking is learned step-by-step over time. Gradually the sufferer's perceptions of social situations changes from a negative view to a positive view. Then, over time, they begin to put into practice their new set of thoughts and beliefs in a variety of social situations; this is the behavioral aspect. The gradual exposure to feared social situations continues until the person no longer fears them. This part is often done as part of a group therapy situation in which a group of people with social anxiety disorder practice social situations of gradually increasing levels of stress. Eventually, the person either learns to better manage their social anxiety disorder or is cured of it altogether

Alternative treatments.

In addition to cognitive-behavioral therapy there are a variety of other natural treatments for social anxiety disorder that people have found effective. Progressive relaxation and coping techniques are often taught as part of a course of cognitive-behavioral therapy. There are a variety of herbal or homeopathic remedies available that offer the same benefits as conventional psychiatric medication, but without the disturbing side effects. These herbal treatments include Melissa Officinalis (Lemon Balm), Lavender, and Passiflora Incarnata; these have been shown to soothe the mind and calm the nerves. Other herbal treatments such as Hypericum perforatum and St. John's Wort have been clinically shown to be as effective as many conventional antidepressants. Over time these herbal remedies can balance a person's brain chemistry and prevent the overwhelming symptoms of anxiety from occurring in the first place.

Whatever treatment option you choose, the important thing is to seek treatment NOW. There is no reason for you to suffer anymore. For more information on a total solution to anxiety, fear and panic, clickbelow and stop living a half life and make it whole again!

How to Overcome Social Anxiety Disorder