People suffering from social phobia are finding relief thanks to an innovative therapy at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety.
Called the Comprehensive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, this study is the first of its kind, focusing not only on patients suffering from social phobia, but also on people affected by both social phobia and depression -- about 30 percent of all the social phobia cases examined.
Also regarded as "excessive shyness," social phobia is a condition that causes people to be "excessively concerned with how people think of them -- they are afraid of being negatively judged," said Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry Deborah Roth, who is one of the clinicians overseeing the study.
In 16 weekly sessions, the treatment addresses the obstacles that socially anxious people confront every day.
"I was intrigued by [the clinicians'] techniques -- being exposed to the situations I have been avoiding all along," said one patient who has completed the therapy.
According to those administering the study, socially anxious individuals spend time focusing on their own behavior as opposed to their surroundings.
"Their social interactions are disasters, but they don't learn because they don't pay attention to the surrounding environment -- they are busy monitoring themselves," said Center Director and Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry Professor Edna Foa, who is overseeing the study.
Socially anxious patients who also suffer from depression undergo a few additional sessions prior to the primary therapy -- called "behavioral activation" -- in which they work individually with clinicians to get motivated and increase hopefulness.
To overcome social phobia, the therapy involves one-on-one sessions with a clinician, where the patient works to "see what the obstacles are to stop being socially anxious," Foa said.
These sessions are coupled with group meetings -- called exposures -- that contain other participants.
"Patients set up little scenarios to see what they do in social situations that maintains their social phobia," Roth said.
The scenarios are often videotaped so patients can judge their performance as well as the small "safety behaviors" that keep them from ridding themselves of their phobia, Roth said.
"You look at yourself objectively and realize that you don't look as anxious as you feel," the patient said.
Aside from the treatment received at the center, patients are also asked to perform exercises outside the office.
"They go to places where they can feel better about themselves -- such as going to the movies or running," Foa said.
Clinicians and assistants are also available to accompany patients in some situations -- for example, speaking with salespeople -- to relieve as much stress as possible.
The clinicians "coach you with your internal dialogue prior to exposure," the patient said. "It's a supported 'sink or swim.'"
Clinicians said that a new feature of the therapy is its short time span.
"Because this is a time-limited treatment, each session is very active, very focused on social phobia," Roth said.
Both clinicians and patients said that the therapy is a successful one, yielding "fantastic results," Foa said.
Given the proportions of social anxiety in the United States, the therapy is currently awaiting government funding.
In the meantime, the study is financed by the participants' contributions. Patients are charged sliding fees ranging from $40 to $150 per session, depending on their economic situation.
After the treatment is completed, patients are constantly monitored for possible relapses.
This pilot therapy developed a year ago from a previous study conducted by the center eight years ago, where social phobia was examined solely through group interaction.
Once the data was examined, researchers found that -- while still positive -- the results were not as successful as predicted.
