subject: Social Phobia : Advice On Getting Treatment [print this page] The treatment of social phobia can be either clinical to behavioral. The first appropriate decision for you to take is to consult a qualified medical professional.
As social phobia is a complex disease, there is no quick and / or simple solution to it. So, do not expect to be given a bag of pills that will make the problem go away. Before any decision can be made on the best course of treatment, a thorough medical examination must be carried, so that an official diagnosis can be made. Sometimes a person is just shy, which is not the the same as having social phobia.
Everyone gets shy sometimes in social situations, but those with social phobia feel extremely uncomfortable in every social situation that they face. A person who has a social phobia would undertake extreme measures to avoid social exposure. It is like taking the symptoms of shyness and amplifying them.
Social phobia is more than just behavior considered to be outside of the 'norm'. Its roots are physiological, and the symptoms that result are very difficult, or even impossible, for sufferers to control. A high heart rate, uncontrollable shaking, inability to speak clearly or speak at all, collapsing, extreme shyness, depression and the manifestation of socially unacceptable behavior could all be symptoms of social phobia.
Each person must be assessed on an individual basis though. The existence of one symptom does not exclusively grant the designation of one having social phobia. It does not mean that if someone is shy one they have social phobia. It does not mean that if someone is depressed they have social phobia.
If you think that you may be suffering from social phobia, then you have nothing to lose by contacting a licensed medical professional. They will decided whether the cause of the problem is clinical or physiological. Being trained professionals, and having had much experience of treating people who have been in your situation, you can rest assured that they will know how best to treat you.
A clinical course of action typically involves the use of substances to restore chemical imbalances in the brain. A clinical treatment however does not guarantee a behavioral response. Since social phobia is both a clinical and a behavioral disorder, it must thus be treated with clinical and behavioral techniques.
Group therapy is often also used with success. It brings together a small group of social phobia sufferers so that they can each face up to their problem with people who are experiencing similar feelings to themselves. Most sufferers are initially very reluctant to talk about their problems in a group environment, but after the first couple of meetings they have made great progress.
by: Mark Walters
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