I have SAD and I recently went to see my doc about it-he has prescribed zoloft as a daily med and Klonopin for when I feel really anxious about going into a certain situation. I have only been on it for 2 weeks and so far have not noticed a change, but I am hoping for the best. Good Luck~

I need a medication that has been well tested and confirmed to have none or very little side effect

You ask too much. Begin with psychotherapy and ask a doctor for a tranquilizer

A psychologist, rather than a psychiatrist, is able to help you. (Cheaper, too.) They'll discuss what situations make you anxious and teach you coping strategies. You may be offered medication options, with the cooperation of your doctor, but their use would be short-term, to help you learn how to manage anxiety-causing situations. Once you've learned, you no longer need the meds.

There are Social Anxiety workbooks and such. Consider buying one and doing the exercises in it. Most seem easy to people who don't have SAD, but are hard for you, but you can do them, starting easy and working up to the most difficult.

I started taking it about a week ago, my doc upped my dose to 20 mg today. Seemed to have helped the anxiety a pretty good deal, tonight. Looking forward to even better results.

That's great. Celexa didn't work for me. Lexapro is the only thing I have found that really helps me. Its just a newer version of Celexa.

What is the best treatment for anxiety and panic disorder?
I am taking a beta blocker 25mg and the Dr gave me Xanax too. But everyone keeps telling me how wrong Xanax is and so addictive. But I keep having the panic attacks. Is anyone else taking an SSRI or something else for the anxiety and panic attack treatment? What are alternatives other than Xanax?
Anyone taking it combined with a beta blocker?

I have the same disorder. I take Valium which is much longer acting than Xanax. I had a terrible time trying to get off of Xanax. It is very short acting and very addictive. Also, you should get into cognitive therapy. I took an anxiety management program and it helped me a lot. When i feel a panic attack coming on i now have some mental tools to fight it off and most of the time i am able to do that. Good luck!!

He can help a lot, the fact of being there with his friend that helps a lot, see people with social ANxiety nedd to feel secure, need to see friendly faces,so my advise would be to take that person with this anxiety and introduce him to knew people only one a a time not so many people together, plus he must see a couselour he knows better how to talk and explain cause he has the experience! Good Luck!

I believe I have a serious case of social anxiety disorder although I have never been professionally tested (due to the fact that I'm scared to see a doctor about it — go figure).

I have been with my fiance for a year and I almost break down into massive panic attacks everytime I am in the company of his parents. I have become unglued at dinner with them, spilling water all over the table due to my shaking hands. I avoid most of their family parties and claim either sickness or another event to attend. My fiance even says my nervousness is very noticeable and that I sometimes look like a complete mess. He tells me all the time to calm down and act myself, but I can't. I don't know why this happens to me but it does.

This happens with other things as well. I am petrified to continue my education and go off to college. I attempted it but I was nervous everyday in class and uneasy. I am a day care teacher and speaking with my boss and the children's parents is a STRUGGLE! Help me!
I met my fiance at a high school party when I was under the influence of alcohol. I would have never had the nerve to approach him sober.

Also, job interviews….most nerve wrecking events in my life. I spend days worrying about them.

Medications often used for chronic, severe, or generalized social anxiety disorder include:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to relieve anxiety. SSRIs are often the first type of medication used to treat generalized social anxiety disorder.
Benzodiazepines, to relieve anxiety. They are fast-acting; however, they may be habit-forming and are not generally used in those with substance abuse problems.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), to relieve depression and anxiety. MAOIs have potentially serious side effects when they are taken with certain foods (such as some cheeses and red wine).
Beta-blockers, to reduce anxiety. Beta-blockers are sometimes used to treat physical symptoms of anxiety (such as tremors or rapid heart rate).
Venlafaxine, to help relieve anxiety and depression.
Ongoing treatment of social anxiety disorder usually includes continuing psychological counseling and regular checkups to monitor any medications you may be taking.

If professional counseling alone has not reduced your anxiety symptoms, medications may be added to your treatment.

It is possible to overcome the fears associated with social anxiety disorder. Working through fears with a specific type of therapy-cognitive-behavioral therapy that includes exposure therapy-may be the best approach for treating your anxiety. It is important to continue professional counseling even if you are taking medications to reduce anxiety.

Types of therapy that effectively treat social anxiety disorder include:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which helps you identify anxieties and situations that provoke the anxiety. Initially, you may feel uncomfortable while addressing the feared situations, but it is an important part of your recovery. Several types of cognitive-behavioral therapy are used to treat social anxiety disorder, including:
Exposure therapy. You will be guided by a professional counselor to imagine you are facing the feared situation until you no longer fear it, such as eating in public. Next, you may go with your counselor to a public place and eat until, eventually, you can eat by yourself in public without fear.
Social skills training. This therapy helps you develop the skills you need in social situations through rehearsing and role-playing. Your anxiety is reduced as you become more comfortable with and prepared for the feared social situations.
Cognitive restructuring. This therapy helps you learn to identify and improve fearful thinking to help you better handle social situations.
Symptom management skills. This therapy teaches you how to reduce stress by controlling your breathing and other physical responses to anxiety.
Supportive therapy. This can include:
Education about the disorder.
Family therapy, to support loved ones affected by your condition.
Group therapy or support groups, to seek support from others also diagnosed with the disorder.
If your anxiety is triggered by many social situations (generalized), you may need continuous and prolonged treatment with a combination of counseling and medications. During this time, your health professional will need to monitor your medications. If one medication is ineffective, you and your health professional may decide you should try another.

With social anxiety disorder, it is possible to progress from debilitating fear of one social situation to having anxiety about all social encounters (generalized). If this occurs, additional treatment is needed that usually includes adding medications and increasing the amount of professional counseling you receive.

You may also feel more anxious when starting professional counseling. This is because you are thinking about the situations that cause you fear and anxiety. Once the situations have been identified, the fears can be addressed through counseling-especially cognitive-behavioral therapy which includes exposure therapy-gradually exposing you to your fear.

If you are taking medications to treat social anxiety disorder, you will need regular checkups to monitor the medications (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and their potential side effects. The medications may cause bothersome side effects that may make your anxiety worse at first. These side effects may get better over time. But if they do not, you may need to take a different medicine.

If social anxiety disorder is left untreated or improperly treated, it can cause debilitating distress that interferes with daily activities. Physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate, blushing, shortness of breath, and dizziness can occur and need to be assessed.

Other psychological conditions (such as depression or substance abuse) may accompany social anxiety disorder, and these conditions need additional treatment. If left untreated, the combination of social anxiety disorder and another psychological condition (such as depression) can increase the risk of attempted suicide.

Will I feel like a normal person?
How well will it work?
Will I be a happier person?
Will all my worrying and insecurities die down?
Will I have any personality changes?
If ur someone with GAD who has been treated for it, it would be such a relief if you could answer some my questions or just explain what it feels like to be treated for it.

Nate: Treatment for GAD generally MIGHT, depending on your situation, involve some medication (mild), counseling to help you understand what it is causing your reactions, and suggestions for somethings you can do for yourself (like learning relaxation techniques). Having someone assist you is important, to help you understand your worries and insecurities, to LISTEN to you. From personal experience, you will be happier, you may change in some small ways (but change is what you want/need, right?) and the calm you will feel is incredible! When your relieved of the worry and insecurity, you WILL feel some much better, it's a NATURAL high!! I'm not sure what a "normal" person is, it will work as well as you will let it and the effort you put into it, your worries and insecurities will die down, and I think you may enjoy some of the changes you will experience (being happier, not worrying all the time, feeling more secure, etc.) see what I mean? Take care