- How To Overcome Social Anxiety Disorder

How To Overcome Social Anxiety Disorder

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The most effective approach to treating Social Anxiety Disorder seems to be a combination of behavioral, mental, and physical treatments that are tailored to each specific individual situation.

Many, many people who suffer from this disorder are able to find dramatic relief using a few simple cognitive training techniques that are readily available online though a variety of self-help programs. Most of these techniques focus on teaching the person to eliminate the fear of the fear itself, which sets up a cycle that is hard to break once triggered.

In other words, having experienced one panic attack in a social situation, the person begins to fear another panic attack, and that fear actually sets up the conditions for another panic attack to happen. Breaking the fear-panic cycle is something that can be learned at home, and for many, this method is enough to bring relief and cure the disorder.

For some people, finding relief is more difficult. People with multiple anxiety issues or underlying physical problems can often be helped with drug therapy. Antidepressant drugs used for Social Anxiety Disorder are not addictive, and in fact have little effect at all if the disorder is not present.

The person taking SSRI or MAOI medication for Social Anxiety Disorder does not feel ‘doped up’; rather, the medication allows the person with the disorder to feel normal again and function normally while pursuing cognitive therapies. Drug treatment can be very helpful in stubborn cases because it gives the person some relief and shows that the condition can indeed be removed.

Hypnotherapy and herbal supplements are two alternatives to cognitive therapy and drug treatment that have been found to be very effective as well.

Criticisms

Some critics charge that Social Anxiety Disorder became a more frequent diagnosis once SSRI and MAOI medications became available for widespread distribution and sale.

In any given population, about 10% of individuals will be naturally introverted and what most people would call ‘shy’. Critics argue that introversion and sensitivity is not pathological, but rather a normal tendency that some people are born with; and that drug companies exploit the extroverted nature of the modern workplace to create a ‘disorder’ so they can market drugs to introverts.

Social Anxiety Disorder may or may not be over-diagnosed. Time will tell. The truth of the matter is probably less a function of the drug industry and more the result of the painful nature of panic attacks.

Anxiety and panic are painful, and people will always seek treatment for pain. The good news is that Social Anxiety Disorder can be overcome with or without drugs, so long as the person suffering the condition is ready to work on it.

The rate of recovery is quite high, and many of the treatments available are mild, temporary and affordable. No one has to suffer with Social Anxiety Disorder unless they want to; and few want to. That’s a fact anyone can understand.