| Most anxiety disorders respond well to two types of | | | | disorder. |
| treatment: medication and psychotherapy. These | | | | The counselor usually tries to make the patient |
| treatments are prescribed alone or in combination. | | | | confront his negative feelings about social situations |
| Although not cures, both treatments are effective in | | | | and the fear about being judged by others. The |
| relieving the symptoms of anxiety disorders, thus | | | | objective is to try and change the pattern of thinking |
| enabling individuals to pursue more healthy lives. The | | | | to alter behavior. Along with this, certain techniques |
| psychotherapy method is called cognitive-behavioral | | | | are used, like slow exposure to anxiety-provoking |
| therapy (CBT) and the objective of this therapy is to | | | | situations so that the patient develops enough |
| teach people with social anxiety disorder to react | | | | confidence to deal effectively with such situations. In |
| differently to the situations that trigger their anxiety | | | | some situations, the counselor may feel the need to |
| symptoms, through counseling and talking to them. | | | | teach social skills to the patient, where hypothetical |
| Behavioral therapy usually aims to change a person's | | | | social situations may be created and the patient is |
| responses through various ways including relaxation | | | | shown how to confront that particular situation |
| techniques, such as breathing from the diaphragm, | | | | through role-play. Another effective way to |
| and through gradual exposure to what the patient | | | | overcome social anxiety is to maintain a personal |
| finds frightening. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, similar | | | | diary to record such real-life situations and the |
| to behavioral therapy, helps patients understand and | | | | patient's own personal responses. This helps greatly |
| accept their thought processes and resultant | | | | to view the situation in an impersonal and objective |
| symptoms, so that they can choose to react | | | | manner, so that the person can correct his behavior |
| differently to situations that cause their anxiety | | | | in the future. |