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Question: Neurological or Sociological explanations for Avoidance/Social Anxiety disorder!?
Have any neuro-chemical potential triggers been found!? Have genes that co-vary or correlate with the said behavior been found and identified!?
What psychological / sociological techniques have been found to work against this psychological condition!? Anybody have any details on them!? Feel free to add in possible experiential triggers as well!.
Any Psychologists, Psychiatrists, or Neurologists familiar with the subject are especially welcome, but as well anyone familiar with the subject can give their input!. also, anyone who has had the displeasure of experiencing the condition is welcome to comment as well!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
newer studies suggest that there is a *high* correlation between those who have the disorder and having close relatives who have the disorder (such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, parent and/or sibling)!.!.!.!.leading the majority of researchers to believe that it indeed *can* be genetic!.!.!.
however, other things can trigger it to happen as well - those without relatives with the disorder have acquired it after such things as head trauma, PTSD, certain medications, etc!. - therefore, it can also have nothing to do with genetics!.!.!.
as for psychological techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy has been found to be very useful in some individuals!.!.!.!.sometimes, along with medication therapy!.!.!.!.
in the past, most doctors prescribed benzodiazepines (such as xanax, klonopin, and ativan) to help combat the problem!.!.!.however, due to their high abuse potential, as well as developing a tolerance to such medications, they are no longer considered to be a good option by most psychiatrists!.!.!.!.
these days, the majority of psychiatrists feel that anti-depressants are the most effective at treating the disorder - with paxil, prozac, celexa, zoloft, lexapro, and effexor being the most widely prescribed!.!.!.!.and they have been proven to be effective for some - therefore, that would seem to prove that there is indeed a neuro-chemical component to the disorder!.
however, these medications are notorious for having many side effects in which the patient cannot tolerate - including anxiety(!), jitteriness, dry mouth, constipation, headaches, stomach problems, sweating, and sexual problems - therefore, the rate at which many patients keep taking one of these drugs for this condition is rather low - and, for those who DO keep taking it, they usually find that they need to keep increasing the dose every 6 months or so, and eventually the medication stops working, even at the maximum recommended dosage!.!.!.!.
however, there's a new class of drugs that are now being prescribed for those with the disorder - actually, the drugs aren't new, but the class is for treating this disorder!.!.!.!.in low doses, *stimulants*, such as those typically given to patients with ADD/ADHD, are being found to be *very* effective in many individuals with social anxiety disorder!.!.!.!.to the point where they can *completely eliminate* the symptoms upon taking the very first dose!.!.!.!.
sounds too good to be true - and i've gotta be the most skeptical person on the planet!.!.!.!.yet, after over a decade of trying virtually every drug available (including every single one i've mentioned here and *more*) - with NONE of them having any effect on my symptoms whatsoever, after my very first dose of 10mg Adderall XR, i was *completely* symptom-free!.!.!.!.to the point where before taking it, i wasn't able to even socialize with friends or give a presentation at work; yet, 40 minutes after taking it, i was instantly able to do anything i wanted with NO problem - including performing before a crowd of 500 - with not one symptom present before, during or after!.!.!.
btw, despite any horror stories you may hear about stimulants, they aren't dangerous or addictive - if they aren't *abused*, that is!.!.!.!.it's now been over 3yrs since i began taking Adderall XR, and i still take just 10mgs once a day, and it's still just as effective!.!.!.!.believe it or not!.
feel free to email me if you have any questions/comments!.Www@QuestionHome@Com