“Can social anxiety be cured?”
I am a 29 year old female. I want to know if social anxiety can be cured?
3 Answers
Social anxiety disorder is very treatable and, depending on the patient’s profile and treatment response, it is possible to cure it in some patients. Individual variations do occur. Nonetheless, patients do get better enough to the point that they can function normally in day-to-day life even if they are not 100% cured.
Yes, most definitely social anxiety can be cured....There are two basic approaches....psychotherapy (talking approaches) and psychopharmacology (medication.)
Talking therapies can include a very structured cognitive behavioral approach that loosely speaking is targeted specifically at the symptoms and which would include some introspection but mostly focus, journaling and thought restructuring.
Talking therapies can also include a more open ended psychoanalytic approach exploring the origins of the problem and attempting to recreate a more balanced approach to the initial conflicts or experiences that brought the signs and symptoms forward.
There are also behavioral approaches where relaxation techniques would be the focus of treatment, biofeedback which would be relaxation with technology.
Hypnosis is an unlikely but potential approach.
Of course then there is medication. The appropriate and cautious use of antianxiety agents, antidepressant agents or a combination of both is likely to be helpful more rapidly than the other approaches. Some will be uncomfortable with moving towards medication initially and some of course are uneasy about the use of benzodiazepines (e.g. xanax, valium, ativan or klonopin) which are controlled substances. In the right patient, however they are effective and safe but caution must be taken. Some of the calming SSRI's are helpful such as Zoloft or Lexapro.
Needless to say, if possible the best approach is a combination of the above.
The best professional is the one who has numerous arrows in their quiver and more importantly knows when one is a better choice than others and when to combine several options.
Best of luck you should be on your way to a resolution of the problem..
Talking therapies can include a very structured cognitive behavioral approach that loosely speaking is targeted specifically at the symptoms and which would include some introspection but mostly focus, journaling and thought restructuring.
Talking therapies can also include a more open ended psychoanalytic approach exploring the origins of the problem and attempting to recreate a more balanced approach to the initial conflicts or experiences that brought the signs and symptoms forward.
There are also behavioral approaches where relaxation techniques would be the focus of treatment, biofeedback which would be relaxation with technology.
Hypnosis is an unlikely but potential approach.
Of course then there is medication. The appropriate and cautious use of antianxiety agents, antidepressant agents or a combination of both is likely to be helpful more rapidly than the other approaches. Some will be uncomfortable with moving towards medication initially and some of course are uneasy about the use of benzodiazepines (e.g. xanax, valium, ativan or klonopin) which are controlled substances. In the right patient, however they are effective and safe but caution must be taken. Some of the calming SSRI's are helpful such as Zoloft or Lexapro.
Needless to say, if possible the best approach is a combination of the above.
The best professional is the one who has numerous arrows in their quiver and more importantly knows when one is a better choice than others and when to combine several options.
Best of luck you should be on your way to a resolution of the problem..
Social anxiety treatment must include an active behavioral therapy group, where members can work on their "anxiety" hierarchies in the group, and later, in real-life situations with other group members. Social anxiety is a fully treatable condition and can be overcome with effective therapy, work, and patience.
