What is Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety is identified as excessive fear and stress related to being watched by others. This could be from speaking engagements in crowds to eating a meal among family members or peers. This can impact an individual’s work or school. This can be debilitating to the point where there is a major avoidance of these situations, and these individuals also have a tendency to self medicate with alcohol, or other recreational drugs. There is some evidence that social anxiety does run in families. However it is important to note that some believe there is an organic basis to social anxiety.
The author would like to digress for a second. The general public needs to be aware that healthcare professionals, as all individuals, have agendas. We will target extremists at another time. But it is important to note that there are healthcare professionals who believe many disorders have an organic basis and do not believe in the environmental influence of social anxiety, as well as other disorders. This author is here to emphatically state that it is a combination of both.
The intense fear associated with social anxiety is very overwhelming. Many of us have most likely experienced some type of social anxiety. This may take the form of avoiding the public speaking engagement, the job interview, as well as any interaction that places one in an environment of perceived scrutiny.
What is the treatment for Social Anxiety?
Treatment for social anxiety is very similar to generalized anxiety, and phobias. My treatment method is a combination therapy. It depends on, the age of the patient, intelligence level (higher intelligent quotient equals better results with self hypnosis), medication in severe cases, sensory desensitization, and self hypnosis. This is one treatment method where I may actually go into the field or society with the patient. The other diagnosis would be simple phobias where I might accompany the patient. A slow introduction to the stimulus is very important. Should an individual become anxious when speaking in front of “x” amount of people, I would first set up a scenario where it is involved with one or two as an audience. This audience should not be friends or peers to the patient. Medication, Xanax 0.25 mg. or 0.5 mg is a good starting point one hour before the presentation. Down the road of treatment when the patient has confidence, I slowly taper the medication to ground zero.
It may not be uncommon to have reoccurrences; I often try to predict this. It can work paradoxically and there may be no recidivism rate, or when it occurs the patient still has good working foundation to resolve the issues. Social anxiety is preventable, and has a good outcome. This is rewarding for the patient and therapist.
