There are various different applications that can be applied when treating a patient who is suffering from social phobia. The treatment protocol will depend on the severity of the patient’s condition. For those people that have a mild form of social phobia a beta blocker can be used as this will ease some of the physical symptoms such as tremors and heart palpitations as well as performance anxiety when they are facing a social event. This form of medication is not addictive and will not cause drowsiness.
Medications such as Diazepam which is a tranquilizer works well and eases the patient’s symptoms however such medication is addictive and the patient may become dependent as well as drowsy when using Diazepam and medications of this nature should only be a short term solution. Some people that suffer from social phobia respond far better to cognitive therapy as well as antidepressants. Not all patients are the same and one may respond to therapy alone and another to medications only it all depends on the circumstances.
Many that have social phobia resort to alcohol which for a short while eases their symptoms or so they believe. This is not the case as alcohol is a stimulant as due to their condition they will most likely become dependent and in addiction end up with an alcohol problem as well. In addition to alcohol they could find themselves in trouble if they combine their prescribed medications with alcohol which could lead to a coma or even death in some instances.
The patient also needs to consider changing their lifestyle although this is not sufficient as they need to seek alternative therapy. A lifestyle change is a good start and here are some tips which will reduce anxiety level considerably:
• Limit your caffeine intake such as coffee, energy drinks and soft drinks as well as chocolate as these substances increase anxiety
• If you smoke tobacco try and quit as nicotine is a powerful stimulant and increases anxiety
• Adequate sleep is very important as sleep deprivation causes higher anxiety levels
If one is on medications you should continue taking them in addition to therapy because of you stop taking your medications your symptoms will return. Cognitive therapy deals with the root cause and medications deal with the symptoms so in conjunction work relatively well.
Cognitive therapy involves changing the way you think about social situations as well as helps you control the physical symptoms through relaxation therapy and deep breathing techniques. In addition therapy helps one to deal with the triggers that fuel ones anxiety by replacing them with more balanced views. The patient learns how to desensitize themselves from social phobia and instead of avoiding the situations they are shown how to take control of the situation.
Other cognitive techniques such as role playing are included as well as social skills training which is often included in group therapy. Groups therapy comprises of videotaping and observing, acting, mock interviews as well as many other constructive exercises which help the patient to gain control over the real world.
The length of social phobia treatment will differ from patient to patient as some respond quickly and other are inclined to relapse. It will also depend on the severity and degree of trauma which initially triggered social phobia in the patient. Generally the treatment protocols are short term as many of the techniques can be carried out at home and practiced on a daily basis.
Social phobia causes a patient to become over anxious and when they become over anxious they tend to hyperventilate which triggers physical symptoms such as dizziness, suffocation, muscle tension and an increased heart rate and one of the skills taught is learning to control breathing and bring the anxiety attack under control. The minute the patient grasps the concepts of their condition they will be able to control an attack immediately just by applying a simple breathing technique as this calms their anxiety within seconds.
In addition to breathing exercises the regular practice of deep relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation will also help them to take control over their physical symptoms of anxiety.