Treatment trouble
Question
I've been diagnosed with social anxiety by my GP; it's so bad I can hardly talk to anyone. I've tried cognitive behaviour therapy but this has been no help whatsoever so my doctor prescribed Prozac and Citalopram. Both of these have helped with the depression but not the social anxiety.
I'm still finding life extremely difficult and work is almost impossible. Are there any effective medications out there to treat social anxiety? I don't think my doctor knows much about it and doesn't really understand how severe the problem actually is.
Answer
Having a social anxiety disorder can be very debilitating so it's understandable you're finding life difficult. You say you find it hard to talk to people and that you feel people notice your discomfort. Please be reassured to know that you are not alone and there are organisations and people who specialise in helping those with all kinds of social disorders.
Social-anxiety.org.uk is an online service providing information and support to people who have social disorders. The website has lots of information on different types of anxieties. They can direct you to local support groups and there are chatrooms where you can talk online with others who are in similar situations.
The National Phobics Society has information on medication and different types of treatment as well as information on computer aided therapy programmes. They also provide an email support service for people who find it hard to talk face to face or on the phone.
The medications you've been prescribed are both SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) and are more commonly known as anti-depressants, so this is probably why you find they help with treating the depression more than the anxiety.
There is a group of medications called Anxiolytics, which are anti-anxiety drugs. They are used to help treat (but not cure) the symptoms of anxiety, e.g. tension, feeling shaky, sweating, and difficulty in thinking straight. When you next visit your doctor you could discuss the benefits, and side effects, of taking these types of medication for your anxiety. You can also get more information about medication used to treat anxiety by contacting the UK Psychiatric Medication Advice Line on 020 7919 2999.
Although you've already tried Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) you didn't mention how long for. It can take a while to notice the benefits of therapy so it might be worth considering trying it again. In addition, there are other types of therapies, which can have varied effects on people. Sometimes, people find they can work better with some therapies rather than others. Taking the prescribed medication while having therapy is thought to be more effective in treating social anxiety so you might want to ask your doctor about trying them together.
You could also ask your doctor to refer you on to appropriate counselling services. If you feel uncomfortable speaking to your doctor, then there are details of local counselling services at Youth Access and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Finally, if you're comfortable with talking on the phone then you might like to consider speaking in confidence to SANELINE on 0845 767 8000. They're available to anyone experiencing a mental health issue.
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Question answered by SANE
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