Social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by intense fears of one or more social situations where a person feels they may be embarrassed or criticized by others. A person with social phobia generally goes out of their way to avoid any feared social situations. Those with social phobia may fear a number of social situations or only one or two specific situations, such as public speaking or eating in public.
There are a number of treatments that have been shown to be effective for people suffering from social phobia. These include psychotherapy, self-help interventions, and pharmacological treatments.
Psychotherapy Treatments
Psychotherapy treatments are traditional psychological treatments that are administered by a mental health professional individually or in a group format. The treatments found to be most effective are those based on cognitive behavioral therapy components. The cognitive part of the treatment generally focuses on changing irrational negative beliefs to be more realistic (e.g., changing “I am inept” to “I can learn this.”). The behavioral components may include exposure (i.e., systematic desensitization and flooding), relaxation techniques (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, meditation), and social skills training. While cognitive behavioral therapy is generally done in-person with a therapist, it has also been found to be effectively administered by therapists through the Internet.
Self-Help Interventions
Self-help intervention are interventions where the person brings about independent change through the use of health technologies such as written materials (e.g., books, manuals, brochures), CD-Roms, DVDs, computerized software packages, or the Internet. While generally a person does this solely on their own, some may be guided self-help interventions where a person also has some contact with a trained professional. Self-help interventions have been found to be effective for social phobia; however, these interventions have generally found to be less effective than therapist-administered treatments.
Pharmacological Treatments
A number of classes of medications have been examined in clinical trials for the treatment of social phobia. The first line of medications that are normally recommended are two types of antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, e.g., paroxetine, fluoxetine, sertraline) and the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI; i.e., venlafaxine). If these medications are not effective, a third type of antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors may be tried although these medications have more side effects than SSRIS and SNRIs. Other medications that may also be used include benzodiazepines, antiepileptic, tricyclic antidepressants, and antipsychotics. It should be noted that all these medications have side effects and a person should talk to a medical professional and carefully consider the risks and benefits of any pharmacological treatments.
Combination Treatments
Treatment guidelines for social phobia generally recommend that optimal treatment include a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Specifically, antidepressants (SSRIs or the SNRI venlafaxine) and cognitive behavioral therapy are generally considered the front line treatments for social phobia. However, individuals with social phobia should consult with a trained health professional about the right treatment for them.
For more information about social phobia and treatments for social anxiety disorder:
-Definition, symptoms, and causes of social phobia
-Glossophobia – a fear of public speaking
-Mayo Clinic article on treatment of social phobia
-Celebrities with social phobia
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