Different Kinds Of Social Anxiety Drugs

Social anxiety has often been referred to as excessive worry or fear about facing other people in a social setting. This fear or anxiety is often fueled by an irrational perception of being scrutinized and adjudged negatively by others. Although social anxiety is often considered as shyness, it most accurately summed up as a social phobia. The anxiety caused by social phobia can be so crippling that people who suffer from it avoid situations that will put them under the scrutiny of other people like interviews, presentations, or simple parties. As such, people who suffer from social anxiety often have limited personal relationships and live their lives as a recluse.

Fortunately, there is still hope for those who suffer from social anxiety. Social anxiety drugs can be used to stave off anxiety temporarily especially on critical situations. Since these are often available with prescription, people can get them for treatment rather than waste money on ineffective cures like alcohol and drugs. Below are some of the best drugs for social anxiety prescribed by doctors:

Benzodiazepines This type of social anxiety drug is often used to relieve severe and disabling anxiety temporarily. Benzodiazepine works by directly supplementing the responses made by gamma amino-butyric acid in the brain that act as inhibitors. Benzodiazepine calms and relieves the anxiety and tension by releasing chemicals that inhibit the release of panic signals in the brain. Although this type of anxiety drug is widely prescribed, care must be taken in administering them since long-term intake may result to dependency and abuse.

SSRIs This stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These inhibitors are the precursors of the Benzodiazepines and generally work the same way. Social anxiety drugs with SSRIs increase the level of serotonin in the brain to relax and calm the person. Side effects may include nausea, headaches, and marked changes in sexual behavior. SSRIs have also been linked to suicides involving the use of social anxiety drugs so supervision is definitely a must for people taking SSRIs.

MAOIs MAOIs are the first approved medications for social anxiety. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs work the same way as SSRIs or Benzodiazepines. Although generally considered as more effective than the two, the use of MAOIs has been slowly phased out due to the inconvenience caused by diet restrictions that are necessary for medication. Care must be taken in administering the right dosage since an overdose has high toxicity.

However, despite the proliferation of social anxiety drugs, it is still advised that people with social anxiety should try other means to relieve their anxiety. Simple personal development, training, and forging positive relationship with other people by means of education, joining support groups, and meeting new friends can help people with social anxiety overcome their fears.

Anxiety Drugs