From the article: Treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder
A variety of therapies exist for social anxiety disorder (SAD), including cognitive-behavioral therapy. In addition, many people experiment with self-help strategies such as relaxation. What are some of the treatments that you have tried for social anxiety disorder, other than medication, and how effective were they for you? Share Your Experiences
to be functional or not
- I am 36 and I have been battling with severe anxiety all of my life. I have tried many forms of therapy and continue to use forms of cbt therapy as they do help. I am in a 12 step program, I exercise daily, eat healthy and make myself be as social as I can. I tend to have panic attacks and freeze up in social situations. In an effort to overcome I blurt out and people take it as angry or irritable behavior. I have even accepted that I live a sub par life in relation to my potential. However, I have found that when I am not on appropriate medication, I slowly almost imperceptibly become dysfunctional to the point of losing my job. The anxiety wears on me so much and so steadily, no matter the outside influences that I grind down into a depression. Others usually make the observation and describe it as lack of enthusiasm. People who have depression have actually pulled me aside to discuss it. It comes down to this with me....do I want to be functional or not? The medication works.
- —Guest john
the forceful edge
- I've battled social anxiety since my graduation of high school. At first its easy to just push through it and try my best to ignore it, but after a couple years of that you get tired. Tired of the forcing and just dealing with your problem. As these last couple years have rolled on I have seen my patterns of being social slowly decline. I used steroids as my escape, and it worked but unfortunately in the long run it made my symptoms 1000 times worse. I have used anti- anxiety (temporary) drugs. I have used antidepressants (horrible side effects). Nothing really seems to work as a cure for this mysterious imbalance. I still go out and I still have problems with attacks or situations that cause me intense anxiety just by hearing the activity. But everyday is a new day and I will take the forceful edge of this stupid imbalance no matter what.
- —Guest joel
Treatment
- SAD is growing on a daily basis in my life and it seems there is no end to it. I urgently need the best medication without side effects that can help treat this.
- —Guest Remi Marcus
avoidance
- Yep, that's my cure all. Avoid any situation that causes me stress and especially ones that give me wonderful "anticipatory anxiety". Other than that, I find it helps me ground myself out of panic if I pinch myself with my fingernails or poke myself with my keys. None of these are good solutions but they are all I have.
- —Guest cyndy
uprooting
- I spent three years in therapy to address Binge Eating Disorder which I developed in high school. This summer, three years after my initial therapy sessions ended I went back to counseling to tie up loose ends only to uncover that social anxiety was at the root of my eating disorder and depression (that had lasted 10 years). I hadn't even considered anxiety as an issue, and it has been difficult and painful to unearth, but looking back it all makes sense. My treatment is all about exposure and realizing that the dread I feel is not reflective of reality but is rather a mistaken and perpetuated response, which is why it's called a disorder. My goal is to put myself in uncomfortable situations and stay there long enough for the dread to reduce on its own. Also helpful have been solution logs where I draw a line down the middle of a paper and write my anxieties on one side and possible solutions on the other. That way I'm changing both my behavior and my beliefs.
- —salomeslo
Discovering Life
- I began developing Generalized SAD at the age of 14. I had no idea what my problem was until about 15 years later. I discovered alcohol took those debilitating thoughts & feelings away. Well somewhere in there I became an alcoholic. I believe all of it was started by PTSD in my case. Grew up abused in many ways. I had all the symptoms on the list for SAD. Now this is just my experience & I by no means respond here to push the answers I have found down anybody's throat. My problem with alcoholism led me in the direction to real and lasting relief. I first went to a 12 step recovery group at the age of 29. I spent the next 11 years in a battle of my will over a spiritual solution. In the process I made slow but marked improvement in all areas of my life. I have now been sober since 09/05/06. I have been willing to look back to go forward. Not dwell on the past, but deal with it and be rid of it. It is still an ongoing process and I believe it is supposed to be a day by day. I do take a medication as well.
- —Guest Lori
How I cope
- It's hard for me to make eye contact with people, but wearing sun glasses is like a protective layer that allows me to interact with people. I teach at a major university, and I have a shot of liquor before class, which helps me make it through. I don't have a fear of public speaking, but it's the more intimate interactions I might encounter that I dread. Other than that, I avoid social situations. I don't go to Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners. I just tell people I don't like sitting around making small talk. I haven't had a girl friend in years. I avoid my male friends as well because I feel they think I'm weird for going so long without a girlfriend. I tried CBT a couple of times, but that didn't seem to help. Thankfully I'm an only child so I'm used to, and even like being alone.
- —Guest Tony
other than meds
- Controlling your breathing or breathing more slowly does seem to help along with cbt and inderal. When the anxiety starts coming up a few deep slow breathes do help. I found that some of my fears are unconscious and that I avoid so early I dont always notice I'm doing it. I will quickly turn down a request for lunch with someone for example citing too busy today or some other excuse. It seems so natural to avoid, I've done it most of my life. Just let the phone ring and the answering maching will record it is another example. A lot of this happens out of my conscious thoughts it seems.
- —bcbcbc55
Treatment
- I havent heard of any specific successful medicinal treatment. The way that I have been handling it is by avoidance of social situations as much as I can. I just got tired of putting myself thru it and coming away feeling so bad. I used to try to drink liquor but that was not the answer. I am seriously thinking lately of finding a place that offers cognitive-behavioral therapy because I am tired of secluding myself.
- —Guest Linda
