Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is a common issue many teens face. It involves intense anxiety and self-consciousness in social situations. Teens with social anxiety may worry about being judged negatively by others and avoid social interactions. While some nervousness in social situations is normal, social anxiety becomes a problem when it severely impacts daily life. Fortunately, there are ways for teens to manage social anxiety.
Understanding Social Anxiety
Social anxiety stems from a fear of embarrassment, humiliation or rejection. For socially anxious teens, common triggers can include interacting with authority figures, speaking in class or around peers, eating in public, using public restrooms, attending parties or other social events, and more. Physically, social anxiety may cause blushing, sweating, trembling, nausea and panic attacks. Socially anxious teens may avoid eye contact, appear shy or disinterested, or have trouble speaking.
The most common mental effects are excessive worry about social situations before and after they occur. Teens with social anxiety tend to worry for hours or even days before an event about looking awkward, saying something embarrassing, or being judged. Afterwards they may ruminate on anything they perceive went wrong. This constant state of worry impacts their ability to focus on school, activities and relationships.
Seeking Professional Help
If you are fostering in Derby and social anxiety is severely impacting a foster teen’s ability to function at school or home, professional help may be beneficial. A GP can assess if a teen’s symptoms align with a social anxiety disorder diagnosis. They can also rule out other factors that may contribute to social struggles, like depression or autism spectrum disorders.
Therapy is the most common treatment for social anxiety. A therapist can help teens examine their fears objectively, develop coping strategies and practise social skills in a safe environment. For moderate to severe social anxiety, medication may be prescribed in conjunction with therapy. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to reduce anxiety symptoms.
Building Self-Confidence
One of the most important steps in managing social anxiety is helping teens build their overall self-confidence. Praise character strengths and talents that have nothing to do with appearance or social status. Emphasise a growth mindset – that abilities can improve with effort. Provide opportunities for accomplishment and step outside comfort zones in safe environments. With more confidence in themselves, socially anxious teens may worry less about judgement.
Practicing Social Skills
Teens can also manage social anxiety by developing and rehearsing social skills. Role playing scenarios that cause anxiety with family members can help. Parents can give gentle feedback on tone of voice, body language, eye contact and conversation topics and skills. Teens may wish to practise starting, joining and exiting conversations, offering compliments, introducing themselves and more. The more teens rehearse social skills, the more natural they will become.
Trying Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy is also used to treat social anxiety. This involves facing anxious social situations repeatedly until their power is decreased. Starting small is key. For example, a teen afraid of ordering at restaurants could first practise ordering with a parent. The next exposure step might be ordering with a peer. Then they could try ordering alone with a waiter at a low-stakes restaurant. Facing fears gradually and intentionally can build confidence. However, teens should never be forced into situations they aren’t ready for.
Managing social anxiety takes time, patience and compassion. But with professional support, building confidence, rehearsing social skills and trying exposure therapy, socially anxious teens can overcome obstacles and thrive. The teen years are formative – helping teens manage social anxiety sets them up for social success in the future.
