social anxiety supplements
How do you cope with or treat social anxiety?
Is this something that requires medication always, or can it be treated by other means, such as cognitive therapy, herbal supplements, vitamins, etc? Do you know someone who has overcome this? Is it prone to relapses once it’s overcome, or is it gone for good once it’s treated?
In terms of medication, what are some effective and low sideaffect meds out there for this condition?
Some of you mentioned anti depressants, however, I am not the least bit depressed and don’t experience any mood swings, so it is just the social anxiety itself that I would like to know how to treat. I appreciate everyone’s feedback.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Treatment Overview
Treatment for social anxiety disorder involves psychological counseling and sometimes medications (such as antidepressants) to reduce associated anxiety and depression.
A combination of medications and professional counseling is most effective for people who have generalized anxiety and fear over many social situations.4 For those who fear only one or a few social situations (such as public speaking or eating in front of others), professional counseling to overcome the fear may be all that is needed.2
Initial treatment
Initial treatment of social anxiety disorder is based on the severity of your emotional and physical symptoms, your ability to function in daily activities, and whether you have additional conditions, such as depression or substance abuse problems.
Social anxiety disorder often goes undetected for years before treatment is sought—by that time, you may have developed behaviors that accommodate the fears. These habits or behaviors must be overcome to successfully manage social anxiety disorder.
First, your health professional must determine whether you are generally anxious about all social encounters, or whether a specific situation triggers anxiety.
Treatment with a combination of medications and professional counseling is often effective for generalized social anxiety disorder (fear of most public interaction). Some people need treatment throughout their lives, while others may recover completely after a period of treatment with counseling and medications.
Types of counseling most often used to treat social anxiety disorder include:2
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps you identify anxieties and the situations that provoke the anxiety. Initially, you may feel uncomfortable while addressing the feared situations, but it is an important part of your recovery. Several types of cognitive-behavioral therapy are used to treat social anxiety disorder, including:
Exposure therapy. You will be guided by a professional counselor to imagine you are facing the feared situation until you no longer fear it, such as eating in public. Next, you may go with your counselor to a public place and eat until, eventually, you can eat by yourself in public without fear.
Social skills training. This therapy helps you develop the skills you need in social situations through rehearsing and role-playing. Your anxiety is reduced as you become more comfortable with and prepared for the feared social situations.
Cognitive restructuring. This therapy helps you learn to identify and improve fearful thinking to help you better handle social situations.
Symptom management skills. This therapy teaches you how to reduce stress by controlling your breathing and other physical responses to anxiety.
Supportive therapy. This can include:
Education about the disorder.
Family therapy, to support loved ones affected by your condition.
Group therapy or support groups, to seek support from others also diagnosed with the disorder.
Good Health through Nutrition and Women’s Diet Supplements
Since there is a lot of misunderstanding in regards to panic attacks, I’d like to start by asking you a few simple questions. Have you ever ended up in ER because you thought you were having a heart attack, and after they check you out they told you it was an anxiety attack? Maybe you have thoughts that your breathing will stop because your chest feels tight? Have you ever taken a drive and been pressed down with the fear that you’ll get stuck in traffic on top of a bridge (or under one)? Ever thought you were going to lose control and go crazy? Do you find yourself getting on edge and feeling nervous in situations that used to have no effect on you? If you experience any of these feelings, you could be suffering from anxiety. Click here to read the rest of the article: Panic Away!