Social anxiety in children is more common than you might think. It affects thousands of children but is often overlooked by parents. This happens because most of them confuse social anxiety disorder with ordinary shyness.
So, how do you tell social anxiety apart from shyness?
You have to observe how your child interacts with other people. Specially when there are many people in one place, because that’s when the disorder becomes more evident.
There are physical signs that can give you a hint like: sweating, shaking, nervousness, avoidance to direct eye contact, blushing, nausea, cold hands among others. You can start checking to see if your child has one of these,
On the other hand you can also observe for behavioural signs and symptoms like your child avoiding to speak to people, avoiding being the center of attention, and excessive worry about what other people think. In social anxiety all of these symptoms happen at a constant basis every time the child is exposed to a social situation.
Common shyness, on the other hand, can be short lived until your child is comfortable.
What to Do If your Children Have Social Anxiety Disorder?
First, take your kid to a psychotherapist to better determine the disorder. He or she will give you a proper diagnosis; perhaps it’s just insecurity and nothing more.
Every child has some form of social anxiety, especially during teenage years, but as they grow up, they learn to cope with stressful situations in their lives. If on the other hand your kid is diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, the therapist can help you out finding the proper treatment for your child.