Firstly, don’t listen to the people on the thread suggesting psychotropics aka meds are a long term cure for social anxiety disorder.
In 99 out of 100 cases, meds will not cure social anxiety because social anxiety is largely caused by a persons thoughts and beleifs. Medication changes neuronal chemistry, but so do thoughts and belief systems. If the belief systems which largely cause the perpetuation of social anxiety symptoms are not addressed, meds only become a temporary solution.
Clinical research and practical experience has demonstrated many anxiety disorders, including social anxiety, are most effectively treated using cognitive behavioural therapy specialized for the particular anxiety disorder.
Why arnt many mental health care professionals aware of this?
1) not alot of physicians and mental health care workers are intimately familiar with social anxiety disorder and associated effective therapeutic techniques because Social Anxiety is relatively newly classified as an 'official' mental disorder. Meaning appropriate treatment regimes for social anxiety have yet to become 'common knowledge' in the mental health care community, even though the clinical research is out there.
2) disappointing as this may sound, many mental health care workers and physicians regard social anxiety as a relatively benign mental health care problem having similar severity to the social unease many nonanxious people feel. Unfortunately, the name social anxiety employs a term which many nonanxious people associate with temporary social nervousness they occassionally experience. Thus, they erroneously assume social anxiety disorder is another case of the mental health care community pathologizing a relatively normal human condition. I try to explain to people who think this way, if non anxious people experience about a 4 or 5 anxiety level associated with a particular anxiety causing situation, social anxiety sufferers experience about a 25 or 30!!
3) because of the largely biological educational paradigm most physicians and psychiatrists are indoctrinated with and North Americans obsession with the 'quick fix', psychotropic medications are routinely overprescribed to social anxiety sufferers and pharmaceutical medications are usually emphasised as the singular most important aspect of the Social anxiety treatment regime. This has been proven false. But many health care workers attitudes remain unchanged simply because they may not be aware of more effective alternative treatment methods, underestimate the severity of the problem and assume an antidepressant will be sufficent to boost the patient out of their perceived 'low mood'....
4) and this is going to shock some of you. There are many doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists out there who aren’t completely dedicated to their patients recovery. Pulling back the veil, many are just ordinary people like u and me who have lost their idealism that motivated them to pursue a profession in patient health care, that are now simply chasing the dollars, the women, or the status. Some really don’t care all that much and are too busy living behind the prestige of 'doctor' or 'psychiatrist'. This also does a good job explaining why many mental health care professionals aren’t up to date on the most effective therapies for disorders they treat.
So, what can i recommend. First, abandon the idea medications will cause social anxiety to go away. They most likely will not. Yes, they can add temporary relief and medications can be an effective adjunct to more effective long term treatment strategies, but they will not cure you.
Secondly, comprehensive cognitive behavioural therapy specialized for social anxiety has been empirically demonstrated as the most effective therapeutic strategy to overcome social anxiety disorder.
The great news is people overcome social anxiety disorder everyday using CBT, and so can you! Social anxiety, although extremely paralysing and restrictive, can be successfully treated using CBT.
If your serious about wanting to overcome social anxiety, I recommend you visit this website:
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/
The Social Anxiety Institute located in Phoenix Arizona, is run by Dr Richards - a psychologist who specializes in treating social anxiety disorder whom had social anxiety himself for over 20 years before overcoming it and earning his PhD in psychology.
In response to the lack of publically available effective SA treatment regimes and knowledgeable mental healthcare professionals, Dr Richards created a 20 audio tape series and booklet which details cognitive and behavioural strategies required to overcome sa. Basically, the audio series and the book teaches u how to become ur own psychologist.
Dr Richards also runs international and national Social Anxiety behavioural therapy groups regularly from the social anxiety institute. He is a man dedicated to helping people overcome social anxiety.
My story. I’ve had social anxiety since I was 14-15. I’m 25 now. At one time my social anxiety was so debilitating I could barely talk to my own parents without feeling extremely embarrassed and anxious, let alone leave the house to buy some toothpaste or get a movie!! My social anxiety did a great job at restricting and limiting my choices in every aspect of my life, leaving me paralysed, depressed and feeling hopeless.
After buying Dr Richards 20 audio tape series and working on it for over a year (yes, its completely worth the money), I’m ALOT better. The severe depression is gone. I feel significantly less anxious and much more confident then I did 2 years ago. One of the great things, I don’t feel that ubiquitous panic anymore, fearing every social interaction will go horribly wrong.
It is a journey of self discovery. I’ve still got a ways to go, but at least now I’ve got the tools to get better.
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