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Social Anxiety Disorder
See Also:
Social Anxiety Disorder:
Introduction & Overview
Social Anxiety
Disorder: Causes & Risk Factors
Social Anxiety
Disorder: Treatment Options
Treatment Options
Social phobia is a serious,
highly disabling disorder if left untreated. Individuals
with social phobia can benefit from different types of
treatments. There are two effective treatments available
for social phobia, medication and psychotherapy. However,
the outcome of the treatment depends on the individuals
and whether the social phobia is complicated by other
conditions such as depression or substance abuse. Some
people respond faster or better to the treatment than
others.
Medication. There
are three types of medication prescribed for individuals
with social phobia:
Antidepressants.
Antidepressants are considered to be the most
effective medication for individuals with social
phobia. The most prescribed antidepressants are
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
(which is in the process of becoming the
first-line medication for social phobia) and
monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
Anti-anxiety
medication. Benzodiazepines (also known as
anti-anxiety medication) can be prescribed to
control anxiety symptoms. Anti-anxiety medication
is less often prescribed in people with social
phobia because of its habit-forming side effects.
When prescribed, benzodiazepines are a short-term
treatment option.
Beta
blockers. Beta blockers, a heart medication
used for high blood pressure, are prescribed to
block the autonomic response (tremor, increased
heart rate) in people with social phobia.
Unfortunately,
due to the chronic condition of social phobia, the
medication withdrawn is associated with high rates of
relapse.
Psychotherapy.
Medication can be combined with psychotherapy for a
better outcome in people with social phobia. There are
two types of therapy:
Behavioral
therapy. Behavioral therapy is a form of
psychotherapy that focuses on modifying or
"unlearning" those maladaptive
behaviors that cause psychological discomfort.
Behavioral therapy uses two major approaches: (1)
various relaxation techniques to control the
anxiety, and (2) exposure techniques that
gradually expose the person to situations that
cause anxiety by forcing the person to cope with
the fear.
Cognitive-behavioral
therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is
considered the most effective psychotherapy
method to treat social phobia. This type of
therapy considers that our thoughts and not the
external situations, people or events, trigger
the behavior and feelings. This form of therapy
retrains the way a person thinks and reacts to
different stimulus. Cognitive-behavioral therapy
involves two components for a better outcome,
cognitive component and behavioral component. The
cognitive component helps people change those
dysfunctional thinking patters that trigger and
maintain the anxiety. This is achieved through a
method called cognitive restructuring. The
behavioral component focuses on changing the
person's reaction to feared situations. This is
achieved through exposure therapy, when in a safe
settings individuals with social phobia gradually
face their feared situations, initially using the
imagination and later facing real social
situations.
- Hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is used to
change peoples' behaviors, emotional content, and
attitudes. This form of therapy uses deep
relaxation and an altered state of consciousness
to help people reprogram subconscious
"programs" that can be part of the
social phobia.
See Also:
Social Anxiety Disorder:
Introduction & Overview
Social Anxiety
Disorder: Causes & Risk Factors
Social Anxiety
Disorder: Treatment Options
Article by Alina Morrow
MS Psychology
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com
Bibliography
The Ohio State University,
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EMedicine, Social Phobia, March 2006
National Institute of Mental Health, Social Phobia
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PsychCentral, Anxiety and Panic, Social Phobia, Social
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HelpGuide.org, Social Anxiety and Social Phobia:
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Unknown date
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