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Can You Take a Pill to Overcome Shyness?

By: Royane Real Click author's name for more of his/her articles

If you suffer from extreme shyness or social phobia, you have probably wondered what, if anything can be done to reduce the extreme anxiety you feel when you are around other people. Can anything be done to treat severe shyness or social phobia?

People who suffer from extreme shyness or social phobia experience very severe symptoms of anxiety when they are around others. Severe shyness or social phobia can be crippling, resulting in isolation and loneliness, poor self esteem, and a poor career outlook in many cases.

In the past decade, researchers have discovered that some anti-depressant medications, particularly the so-called SSRI’s (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors), can also be very helpful in the treatment of extreme shyness or social phobia. Not all psychologists agree that extreme shyness is the same as social phobia.

One of these SSRI drugs, Paxil, was the first to receive American F.D.A. approval as an effective treatment for social anxiety. In fact, ads for Paxil as a treatment for social anxiety have been marketed directly to the public, not just to doctors. Other anti-depressant drugs in the SSRI group are also believed to help in reliving social anxiety.

Does drug treatment for shyness really work? Some very socially anxious people have tried everything that regular psychotherapy has to offer, including cognitive therapy, yet they still suffer debilitating symptoms of shyness until they try SSRI drugs.

In some cases, the improvement in sociability after taking SSRI drugs can be swift and profound. This class of drugs seems to help the socially anxious person turn down the excessive volume of their inner judgmental thoughts.

If you are shy or socially anxious, should you take a pill to make you more friendly? There are pros and cons to be considered when deciding whether or not to take a drug for social anxiety. The SSRI drugs can cause nervous agitation, insomnia, weight gain, and sexual dysfunction, as well as many other less common side effects.

Not all doctors approve of the idea of using a pill to treat shyness. Shyness is a normal human trait, and some doctors and psychologists are concerned that this normal human trait has been labelled as a medical condition that now requires expensive drugs to treat it.

Because the SSRI drugs are relatively new, it is not yet known what the long-term effects of this class of drugs may be. Nevertheless, the SSRI drugs are very widely prescribed, particularly in North America, for depression and social anxiety.

In most locations it is easier to find a doctor who will prescribe SSRI medication to combat shyness than it is to find a counselor trained in the use of therapy effective in treating shyness disorders.

The difference in shyness experienced with drug therapy can be quite astounding, but it will likely last only as long as the drug is taken on a regular basis. When the drug is discontinued, the symptoms of shyness will likely reappear.

With the proper psychotherapy for shyness, the positive results are likely to be long lasting.

Many people who suffer from severe shyness or social anxiety experience the best results from a combination of drug therapy along with cognitive therapy used at the same time.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Royane Real is the author of the special report “How to Overcome Your Shyness and Your Fear of Rejection and Have the Friends and Lovers You've Always Wanted” available at www.lulu.com/real