Symptoms of Teenage Social Anxiety Disorder

Adults are not the only ones that can suffer from social anxiety disorder, it can affect teenagers to. Social anxiety disorder can be more debilitating for a teenager, than an adult in a lot of ways. During teenage years, what people say and think of you really matters, and you are very vulnerable to any negative peer pressure and things people might say. If your teenager does suffer from social anxiety disorder, there are some things you can do to help. The first thing is that you need to familiarize yourself with the early symptoms, so you can seek more prompt treatment. The longer teenage social anxiety disorder goes untreated, the worse it can become.

Here are some early signs that could mean that your teen is suffering from social anxiety disorder. Just like adults, teenagers who have social anxiety disorder do not like to find themselves in a position where they are the center of attention, and they try to avoid it at all costs. They are uncomfortable even being singled out for praise. They try to find ways around giving oral presentations in class, and try everything they can think of not to be called on to answer a question, even when they know the correct answer.

Unlike normal teenagers, those who suffer from social anxiety disorder do not like to talk on the telephone, and will make up excuses to avoid doing so. They have no interest in being involved in extracurricular activities, or in anything that would mean they have to get up in front of a large group of people, even their peers. They don’t invite friends over for dinner or to stay the night, and they don’t ask if they can go to someone else’s house. When you go out to eat, they may linger back and wait for you to place their order for them, and will not tell the waitress what they would like.

When talking to others outside the family, they often won’t make eye contact. Or, the person they are speaking to can’t understand them because they are mumbling, or refuse to talk in a normal tone.

They may not tell you about it, but they live in fear of other people’s opinion of them, often to the point that they lose sleep, and their schoolwork suffers. They may be irritable, and are often unable to concentrate, even on tasks that they used to find interesting.

If your teen does suffer from social anxiety disorder, they may suffer any number of physical symptoms when placed in an uncomfortable situation. You may see them start to sweat profusely; they may cry, get dizzy, or have upset stomach. Due to these symptoms, and trying to avoid them, teenage social anxiety disorder may disrupt your teen’s entire life.

About one percent of the teenage population is affected by social anxiety disorder. Most adults who have it, find that it began during adolescence. Social anxiety disorder can greatly impact a person’s life, and if you have any reason to suspect that your teenager has it, consult with their pediatrician immediately to discuss possible treatment options.

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