Condition · Texas
Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment in Texas
Social anxiety disorder is marked fear of situations where you might be judged, lasting six months or more and leading to avoidance or intense distress. It is not shyness and it is not a personality flaw. Lyte Psychiatry treats it across Texas with therapy and, when needed, medication.
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD · Last reviewed July 2026 · Next review January 2027
Understanding social anxiety
The fear is specific: being evaluated. Speaking up in a meeting, eating in front of others, making a phone call, or being introduced can all trigger it, and the anticipation often lasts longer than the event itself.
Safety behaviours keep the disorder alive. Rehearsing sentences, avoiding eye contact, sitting near exits, drinking before social events, and mentally reviewing the conversation for hours afterwards all reduce anxiety in the moment and strengthen it over time.
Untreated social anxiety has a long tail. It typically starts in adolescence and quietly shapes career choices, education, and relationships for decades, which is why treatment is worth starting even when someone has 'managed' for years.
Symptoms and when to seek an evaluation
- Intense fear of being watched, judged, or embarrassed
- Anticipatory dread for days before a social event
- Blushing, sweating, shaking, or a trembling voice in social situations
- Avoiding meetings, presentations, phone calls, or eating in public
- Replaying interactions afterwards, searching for mistakes
- Career or study choices narrowed to avoid social exposure
Seek an evaluation when these symptoms have lasted for weeks, are getting worse, or are affecting your work, sleep, or relationships. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 now.
What your first visit involves
- Situation-by-situation fear and avoidance map, since severity varies by context
- Identifying safety behaviours that maintain the fear
- Distinguishing social anxiety from autistic social difficulty, which needs different support
- Screening for alcohol use as self-medication and for co-occurring depression
First appointments run longer than follow-ups so there is time to take a full history. You leave with a working diagnosis, a plan, and a follow-up date rather than a prescription and no explanation.
Therapy, psychiatry, and combined care
- Graded exposure to social situations, built collaboratively rather than imposed
- Cognitive work on prediction, self-focused attention, and post-event rumination
- SSRI medication for moderate to severe symptoms
- Situational beta-blocker use for discrete performance anxiety where clinically appropriate
- Dropping safety behaviours deliberately as part of the exposure plan
Therapy and psychiatry are delivered in-house by clinicians licensed in Texas and share one chart, so a prescriber and a therapist working with you are looking at the same notes. Many people do best with both.
What we do not treat here
- Lyte does not run group therapy programmes for social anxiety
- Autism assessment is not performed in-house and is referred out
- Alcohol dependence used to manage social situations may need a higher level of care than outpatient treatment
Care options at Lyte
Clinicians who provide this care
Insurance and cost
Lyte is in network with several Texas plans, and coverage depends on your specific plan and benefits. We verify your benefits before the first visit so you know your expected cost in advance. See which plans we accept.
Frequently asked questions
Is social anxiety just shyness?
No. Shyness is a temperament that does not usually stop people doing what matters to them. Social anxiety disorder involves marked fear lasting six months or more, with avoidance or distress significant enough to affect work, study, or relationships.
Does exposure therapy mean being thrown into the worst situation?
No. You and your therapist build a hierarchy and start well below your worst fear, repeating each step until it loses its charge. Progress is graded, planned, and yours to control.
Are beta-blockers used for social anxiety?
Sometimes, for discrete performance situations such as a presentation, where the main problem is physical, tremor and racing heart. They are not a treatment for generalised social anxiety, which responds better to therapy and SSRIs.
Can this be treated by video if talking to people is the problem?
Yes, and many people find telehealth an easier entry point. Once treatment is underway, in-person exposure practice happens in your real life between sessions, which is where the change is consolidated.
Sources
Related conditions
- Agoraphobia: avoiding public places for a different reasonAgoraphobic avoidance is about escape and help availability, not about being judged.
- Specific Phobias: fear tied to one specific object or situationBoth use exposure, but a phobia hierarchy is narrower and usually resolves faster.
- Autism Spectrum: social difficulty that has been lifelongSocial anxiety and autistic social difference can look similar and call for different support.
- Depression: low mood after years of avoidanceLong-term social withdrawal is a common route into depression.
This page is for general education and is not medical advice or a substitute for care from your own clinician. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and for a medical emergency call 911.
Book a social anxiety evaluation or therapy intake
Lyte Psychiatry sees patients by secure telehealth across Texas and in person at our Pantego clinic in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
Book an appointment