Medication
A mental health practitioner may recommend medication to help you cope with social anxiety because it can be a serious, long-lasting disorder.
Your doctor can assist you in choosing which medicine might be appropriate for you from a variety of options available for treating social anxiety disorder.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
For social anxiety and depression, SSRIs [4] are frequently the first line of treatment.
These drugs, which include paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft), function by raising the level of serotonin in your brain.
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
In the event that an SNRI [5] is unable to reduce social anxiety, your doctor may recommend a different class of antidepressant to lessen symptoms.
Example of these SNRI include:
- Levomilnacipran (Fetzima)
- venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
- duloxetine (Cymbalta)
These are drugs that also indicate changes in brain chemistry to aid with anxiety and mood.
Beta-blockers & Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Beta-blockers [6] are frequently recommended to treat high blood pressure, but they are also occasionally used to treat the physical signs of anxiety such tremors, perspiration, and an accelerated heart rate.
The stimulating effects of adrenaline are blocked by these drugs, which also include propranolol (Inderal) and atenolol (Tenormin). Another remedy for social anxiety, which is a subtype of performance anxiety, is beta-blockers.
Your doctor might recommend MAOIs [7] if your social anxiety is so bad that you frequently have panic attacks. These antidepressants aid in preventing panic episodes.