Reader’s Question

My question is fairly simple, and I hope that you can answer it. What I want to know is if there really is an effective treatment for social phobia. If I went to a psychologist or other professional, how how long would it take for me to tackle the problem? Also, can you give me some tips on how to begin reducing my social phobia symptoms?

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

Social Anxiety Disorder (sometimes referred to as social phobia) can be reliably and effectively treated. Sometimes, medication can be helpful in reducing anxiety symptoms, enabling a person to break the vicious cycle between symptoms, the emotional response the symptoms evoke, and intensified symptoms brought on by one’s emotional and behavioral response. But studies have also shown that non-medical therapies are quite effective and produce the added benefits of helping sufferers achieve a higher level of coping skill.

As far as how long it might take, that depends on several factors. Traditional psychotherapeutic approaches take a good deal of time and have not proven very effective. However, Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) has demonstrated superiority over other methods and is generally done in a straightforward and time-limited manner. Generally, CBT for social anxiety involves learning how to bring the physical manifestations of anxiety under control through various techniques that induce relaxation and calm; changing negative and provocative thoughts that fuel anxiety to thoughts that foster a sense of calm and confidence; and gradually increasing your exposure to situations you once feared, as opposed to avoiding them and reinforcing your social anxiety.

CBT can be done within the context of a few sessions with a trained professional or in a group setting. Sometimes support groups are used to help inoculate individuals against future anxious episodes and to guide them through occasional but reversible “relapses.”

With respect to what you can do before getting professional treatment, the principles of CBT can be used without formal training. You can start reducing the crippling effects of social anxiety today by employing meditation or relaxation as a means of quieting anxiety symptoms; examining your thoughts during anxious moments, and changing your negative thoughts to positive ones; and resisting the urge to avoid unpleasant situations. Give yourself a good internal pat on the back for doing these things. There’s nothing better than a little reinforcement to encourage a person to persist on a difficult task.