Social anxiety in teens develops when they feel fear of being watched or judged in social or performance circumstances. Your child may be ashamed and fearful of looking silly, causing disturbances in routine activities like making friends and going to school. The problem is about more than just about feeling shy; where the person will feel relaxed after a few minutes.
Instead, the problem causes severe shyness, making the person feel stressed and on edge around others and making it hard to maintain social relationships. The suffering person is tense when worrying about social situations and thinking for hours afterward. The individual suffering from social anxiety disorder may feel weak, alone, or even humiliated, leading to a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem.
Social anxiety in teens typically begins around the age of 13, but it can start in childhood. Social anxiety disorder can last a lifetime if not treated, but it can be managed with treatment.
Signs of Social Anxiety in Teens
Thoughts:
- Very self-critical and have a bad self-image
- Constantly worrying about the worst-case scenario
- Extreme self-consciousness and worrying others will think bad about him/ her
- Being scared of talking or performing in front of others.
Feelings:
- Social anxiety in teens may result in feelings of fear, sadness, worry, anger, embarrassment, shame, irritability, and helplessness.
- You may feel some physical symptoms due to social anxiety, including shallow breathing, stomach pain or butterflies, blushing, shaking, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, irritability, tense muscles, etc.
Actions:
- You may avoid social situations or engage in new activities like dating, parties, job interviews, small talk, hanging out with a friend, making phone calls, using public washrooms, ordering food, etc.
- You may avoid going to school or participating in a classroom by refusing to take the exam, speaking to classmates, skipping class, presenting in front of students, asking questions, etc.
How to Deal With Social Anxiety Disorder:
Social anxiety in teens may lead to poor school report card scores, drug dependence, low confidence, and trouble maintaining social relationships. Therefore it is very important to learn ways of managing social anxiety in teens.
Here are a few valuable tips for helping teens with anxiety:
Improve Your Lifestyle:
The best tip to manage social anxiety in teens is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and getting quality sleep to overcome anxiety symptoms.
Address Your Physical Symptoms:
Decrease your negative physical feelings of anxiety by practicing yoga, mindfulness, deep breathing, meditation, and muscle relaxation.
Beat Your Threatening Thoughts:
Try addressing your concerns more practically by asking yourself the following questions:
- Is it possible the outcome I’m so scared of will actually occur?
- Would I care about it if it occurred in five to ten years?
- Is it likely that something positive could happen instead of negative?
Shift Your Attention:
Don’t focus on negative thoughts and feelings of anxiety; instead, try to concentrate on the task at hand. This will allow you to complete tasks.
Fact vs. Fiction:
Recognize that your inner monologue is notoriously self-critical and that worry is your body’s protective mechanism. Don’t be ashamed of your social anxiety, but keep in mind that you’re not a mind reader or fate teller!
Face Your Fears:
Begin with the least intimidating task and see if you can push yourself to complete it. Then gradually begin exposing yourself to the more difficult task. Before you know it, you’ll be more at ease in stress-provoking situations.
When to Seek Professional Assistance?
If you are struggling with social anxiety and find it difficult to manage your anxiety or worried that you have a social anxiety issue. In that case, it may be beneficial to consult a therapist and have a professional diagnosis.
The best anxiety medication for teens is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). An experienced therapist can help you to overcome your feeling of fear by assisting you in how confronting your negative thoughts, using relaxation techniques, and guiding you towards exposure so you can feel comfortable around others.
If you are looking for a professional CBT therapist for the treatment of social anxiety in teens, you can contact the specialists at Inner Acceptance Therapy. Our professionals provide the best anxiety medication for teens. Get in touch with us!
