Talk Therapy Is Best for Overcoming Social Anxiety

iStock/Thinkstock(BALTIMORE) — The best way to treat social anxiety disorder, which can literally paralyze people in social situations, is through talk therapy more so than drugs.

That’s the finding of a John Hopkins University study, which looked at a disorder affecting millions of Americans.

“Social anxiety is more than just shyness,” says study leader Evan Mayo-Wilson.

Mayo-Wilson says social anxiety goes far beyond ordinary shyness because the disorder can prevent people from establishing relationships or getting ahead at school or work.

In a meta-analysis of more than 13,000 participants from 100 clinical trials, it was discovered that cognitive behavioral therapy was more effective in getting people to deal with their social anxiety than either antidepressants or a combination of therapy and drugs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy predominantly focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Through talking, patients are able to overcome irrational fears that often lead to avoiding social situations.

Perhaps more significantly, many don’t lapse back into social anxiety after CBT is over.

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