Social Anxiety Medication

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Please see my disclosure policy. If you need help finding a mental health professional, call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit BetterHelp to chat with a licensed therapist for an affordable price.

Medication for Social Anxiety

Social anxiety medication is a topic I haven’t discussed much on this site given that my background is in psychological and talk therapy.

However, I think it’s important to at least provide a list for you of the different medications used to treat social anxiety, for educational purposes.

Please note that I have not taken social anxiety medication myself, and so I can’t speak to the effectiveness from a personal perspective.

(*Note: We all know social anxiety can be hard to manage. This book on Amazon is the best I have found to deal directly with the problem. Listen for free with your 30-day trial of Audible.)

However, I do know that there is research evidence to support its effectiveness.

Whether you choose to take social anxiety medication will depend on a lot of factors, most especially the severity of your social anxiety and the recommendation of your doctor or psychiatrist.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are generally considered the first choice for treating social anxiety because they are easy to administer and have fewer side effects than some other options.

However, there is also some risk of withdrawal effects when stopping SSRIs. As with any medication, you should follow the recommendations of your doctor.

Below is a list of the SSRIs used to treat social anxiety. Research from 2014 showed that paroxetine (Paxil) was the second most effective medication for treating social anxiety.

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are a group of antidepressants used to treat social anxiety.

This class of medications has an effect on the level of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin in your brain.

Below is a list of the different SNRIs. The same study from 2014 showed that extended-release venlafaxine (Effexor) was the third most effective medication for treating social anxiety.

Cymbalta (duloxetine)
Effexor XR (venlafaxine)
Pristiq (desvenlafaxine)

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a class of antidepressants also used for treating social anxiety.

However, these medications have some risk of serious side effects due to interactions with certain medications or dietary elements.

How to Double Your Social Confidence in 5 Minutes"

Check out this free training offered by the experts at Social Self!

How to use "Conversational Threading" to avoid awkward silence
The proven way to get past boring small talk
Instantly beat self-consciousness with the "OFC-method"
Busting the myth that you have to get a "more interesting life" to be more interesting"

Start my free training

For this reason, MAOIs are not prescribed as often for social anxiety.

However, in the 2014 study, phenelzine (Nardil) was found to be the most effective medication for social anxiety.

Marplan (isocarboxazid)
Nardil (phenelzine)
Parnate (tranylcypromine)

You’ve probably heard of beta-blockers. This type of medication is taken in a different way than the classes of medication listed above.

Instead of taking a daily dose, beta-blockers are taken before a situation in which you expect to experience social anxiety.

For example, if you were giving a speech, you might take beta-blockers to reduce your anxiety symptoms such as a racing heart, shaking hands, or other outward signs of being anxious.

Although you might still have worried thoughts, the beta-blockers would make it so that your body would not show your anxiety.

The good thing about beta-blockers is that they don’t affect your mental clarity, so you can use them even when you need to be sharp and on your mental game.

Inderal (propranolol)
Tenormin (atenolol)

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are also known as mild tranquilizers. You’ve probably heard their names in popular culture, such as Xanax or Valium.

These medications work by slowing down your central nervous system.

They work quickly and are usually easy to tolerate, but you can become addicted to them if used over a period of time.

For this reason, if you have any issues with substance abuse, benzodiazepines might not be your best best.

Below is a list of the benzodiazepines that might be used to treat social anxiety.

However, these medications are generally not considered a first line of treatment for social anxiety.

Other Anxiety Medications

There are also some other medications that you might be prescribed for social anxiety, though these tend to be less commonly used.

Hydroxyzine (Vistaril) is an antihistamine that also helps to calm you down.

Buspirone (Buspar) is an anxiety medication that works differently than all of the classes of medication listed above.

Again, any discussions about medication should be undertaken with your doctor.

However, I’d welcome any comments below about your experiences with medication for social anxiety.

Have you taken a social anxiety medication and how did it work for you? Please share your stories below!

WANT TO REMEMBER THIS? SAVE 5 TYPES OF SOCIAL ANXIETY MEDICATION TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

Here are some of my favorite social anxiety tools

Thanks for reading! I hope you found some helpful tips. Since this site is about social anxiety, I wanted to also share some tools I use that I hope you’ll find helpful. Some of these are affiliate links, so if you decide to try them, I’ll earn a commission. However, I only recommend things I have used myself and would recommend to a friend or family member.

Online Therapy: For online therapy, I have personally used and like the service offered by Betterhelp. It's easy to get started from the comfort of your home. You'll even get a discount on your first month of therapy when you use my link.

Audible Subscription: I recommend a lot of self-help books on this site, but I actually prefer an audiobook subscription over print books! My favorite subscription service is Audible because it has all the best-sellers and they stay in your digital library forever (even if you end your subscription). You can sign up for a free trial and listen to your first two books for free.

Social Anxiety Masterclass: The Social Anxiety Masterclass is my signature course where I walk you through everything I know about how to manage social anxiety. If you're not ready to enroll in the course, be sure to subscribe to my email newsletter to hear about special deals!