Social Anxiety in Adolescence and Children
| Social anxiety refers to the feeling of fear and apprehension, during a social situation (wherein the person is exposed to unfamiliar people) where his performance will possibly be scrutinized by others. |
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The person fears that he might react to the situation in such a way that it will humiliate or embarrass him (such as deep blushing, profuse sweating, sudden freezing, crying, trembling or even stammering). Although this condition is often brushed aside by people as nothing more than shyness, but medically, people persistently suffering with this problem are said to be suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder, which is a very common psychiatric illnesses.
Usually, the cause for social anxiety can either be genetic (in which case either one or both the parents suffer from social anxiety disorder, which is carried over to the next generation and inherited by the children) or environment induced (being subjected to abuse or neglect or being raised in emotionally unstable circumstances by nervous and confused parents) or a combination of the two.
Social anxiety in adolescents and children manifests itself in several ways:
Adolescents and children suffering from social anxiety disorder are usually shy and do not interact well with people other than their family members. They are usually not interested in exploring new things in life - instead of being excited on encountering something new, they tend to get scared. Some children might even develop mild to moderate speech disorders.
Adolescents suffering from social anxiety are usually very scared of performing in front of an audience such as reading aloud in front of a class, going to the blackboard and writing on it, participating in group discussions, initiating a conversation, performing any art form (like dancing, singing), and usually avoid attending get-togethers and parties. This disorder severely hampers their academics because they never ask for help from teachers nor do they show a willingness to participate in question-answer sessions in class.
As a result of social anxiety in adolescents and children, they seldom try to make friends and eventually grow up as lonely individuals who are extremely introverted and hide themselves in a cocoon of shyness.
Social Anxiety in Adolescence and Children
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