Friday, February 16, 2007

Social phobia treatment

Researches have shown, that the combination of medical treatment and behavioral therapy is the most effective way to treat social phobia.

Medical treatment. Social phobia is generally treated with antidepressants, precisely those that are known as inhibitors of monoamine oxidase. Also physical symptoms of stress and tension can be reduced with the help of beta-blockers. They are frequently prescribed in case of such symptoms as trembling during public performances. More positive and stable results can be achieved when the use of antidepressants is combined with behavioral therapy.

Behavioral therapy is one of forms of psychotherapy, which is focused on the proof reduction of symptoms. In the beginning it is necessary to determine the cause of the symptoms and find out what keeps them up. Then a certain plan of treatment is developed. The expert selects methods and techniques, which are efficient in case of these or those symptoms. Patients also do their homework, which gradually, step by step, becomes more complicated.

All in all three important points are essentially important in behavioral therapy of a social phobia. They are:
  1. Work with the thoughts that cause anxiety
  2. Development of social skills
  3. Overcoming of alienation
These three fields of therapy can be either combined, or used independently of each other. I will dwell upon it in more detail next time.

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