What if my social anxiety disorder occurs only on rare occasions such as at a special event where I am performing?
This problem is relatively common, especially among professional performers. The treatment for performance-type social anxiety disorder differs from generalized social anxiety disorder. The first line of treatment is gradual exposure therapy. A good example of a successful program that accomplishes this exposure therapy is the Toastmasters International program (www.toastmasters.org). Some people prefer to treat their performance anxiety with medication. Beta-blockers, such as propranolol, can be taken 1 to 2 hours before the special event. They slow down a rapid heart rate and decrease both sweating and the butterfly feeling in the stomach. Beta-blockers do not directly decrease anxiety, but rather block the physical symptoms. It is important to take a test dose of a beta-blocker prior to the day of the performance to be sure that no unexpected side effects occur.
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