Cognitive behavior therapy  appears to be more effective than other evidence -based psychological techniques , and its effects appear to be more enduring than those of pharmacotherapy .
There is some evidence , albeit limited to certain drug classes , that the combination of  medication and cognitive behavior therapy may be more effective than either strategy used alone .
This article proposes a number of recommendations for the treatment of  generalized social phobia  , based on a systematic literature review and meta- analysis .
For medications , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and dual serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are first-line choices based on their efficacy and tolerability profiles .
There are other medication classes with demonstrated efficacy in social phobia ( benzodiazepines , antipsychotics , alpha-2-delta lig and s ) , but due to limited published clinical trial data and the potential for dependence and withdrawal issues with benzodiazepines , it is unclear how best to incorporate these drugs into treatment regimens .
Pharmacotherapy of social phobia. A controlled study with moclobemide and phenelzine.
In a double-blind , parallel group trial , 78 subjects with social phobia received moclobemide ( a new reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A ) phenelzine , or placebo . After eight weeks , both active drugs-phenelzine somewhat more than moclobemide -- were clinical ly and statistically significantly more effective than placebo , as assessed by rating scales . There was some further improvement between weeks 8 and 16 , particularly in the moclobemide group ; at week 16 , 82 % of the moclobemide and 91 % of the phenelzine-treated patients were almost asymptomatic .  Moclobemide was , however , much better tolerated than phenelzine . Patients withdrawn from active drugs had relapsed by week 24 , providing additional support for the efficacy of the active drugs
Cognitive behavior therapy  appears to be more effective than other evidence -based psychological techniques , and its effects appear to be more enduring than those of pharmacotherapy .
There is some evidence , albeit limited to certain drug classes , that the combination of  medication and cognitive behavior therapy may be more effective than either strategy used alone .
This article proposes a number of recommendations for the treatment of  generalized social phobia  , based on a systematic literature review and meta- analysis .
For medications , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and dual serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are first-line choices based on their efficacy and tolerability profiles .
There are other medication classes with demonstrated efficacy in social phobia ( benzodiazepines , antipsychotics , alpha-2-delta lig and s ) , but due to limited published clinical trial data and the potential for dependence and withdrawal issues with benzodiazepines , it is unclear how best to incorporate these drugs into treatment regimens .