Does anyone know anything about social anxiety disorder?? I have a horrible time trying to be in rooms full of people and sometimes it’s hard for me to even carry a conversation with one person. It really affects my work life and social life at times because I work in retail and have to attend meetings several times a week. I’ve been to shrinks and tried the meds and all… to no avial. Any suggestions?? My life is good, I just feel like I could do much better if I learned some kind of coping skills, etc… The other night I tried to speak in front of a group of people and my friend said I looked like I was going to pass out!!

There are a couple of options for Social Anxiety Disorder/Social Phobia. The majority of health professionals would advocate a two step approach, first beginging psychological treatment with a counselor or therapist and second seeing a psychiatrist and being put on usually an SSRI anti-depressant. There are on some occasions when a psychiatrist will also use an anti-anxiety med such as Ativan to counteract any panic attacks that may come from the anxiety.

Any psychiatrist worth their M.D. will admit that psychiatry is not an absolute science. One medication may not work for you but it might someone else. You have to be honest with the psychiatrist about your feelings and trust them as much as they must be willing to change tactics if something is not woking.

If you do choose therapy there are a number of types to consider such as immersion therapy, rational-emotive therapy and many others. You should do a little research and find one that makes sense for you. If you want to sit on a couch there is a therapy for you and if you want to be thrown into the deep end and learn to swim that way there is a therapy for that too.

As far as quick fixes there are none. Not to be a jerk but the majority of people who have social phobia often have low self-esteem and need some assistance in improving their self image so they feel equal to others.

Also make sure you are completely honest in your initial session, social phobia is often comorbid with other disorders, meaning there are often other issues that are complicating treatment. Good Luck

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