What is Social Anxiety Disorder and How Can it Be Treated?

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder in which social interactions cause overwhelming fear and irrational anxiety. Here, you will learn how social anxiety disorder can be treated.

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

What is Social Anxiety Disorder and How Can it Be Treated?

Overview

When getting ready for a major school presentation or gathering the courage to ask someone out on a date, it’s natural to feel a little anxious. We all feel anxious from time to time, but many individuals, especially teens, experience such crippling anxiety that it becomes a mental health condition known as a social anxiety disorder. While this condition can have many negative effects, there are treatment options available, including residential treatment centers for teens, that can help teens learn to manage this condition.

Here, we’re taking a closer look at this common mental health issue to better understand it and to explore various treatment options. If you or a loved one is experiencing social anxiety disorder (or any mental health problem) remember that seeking professional help is an important first step to finding your way back to the life you love.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Anxiety is a common emotion that we all feel from time to time. Whether you’re preparing for a big presentation, getting ready for a first date, or mulling over an important decision, we all feel anxious from time to time. However, having a social anxiety disorder diagnosis is much different than the casual anxiety we may feel before a new experience.

According to the Mayo Clinic, social anxiety disorder causes someone to experience severe anxiety, self-consciousness, and embarrassment from everyday interactions. As a result, a social anxiety disorder may cause someone to withdraw from social experiences and their friends and family and become isolated out of fear of these social interactions. This fear or anxiety tends to build and can have negative effects on someone’s relationships, school, job, and even their daily routines. Social anxiety can be particularly common and challenging for teens as they may not have the tools or experience to negotiate these fears.

The Mayo Clinic also notes that while social anxiety disorder can develop into a chronic mental health condition, there are treatment options available that have proven effective for countless teens and adults. Over time, individuals can learn to live with their social anxiety and develop healthy coping mechanisms and strategies to help them pursue the activities and the experiences that they love.

What are the Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder?

While each case of social anxiety is of course unique to the individual with the condition, there are common symptoms that can help to identify this common mental health issue. If you or a loved one is experiencing several of these symptoms, it may be time to reach out for professional help.

Some of the most common symptoms of social anxiety disorder include:

Withdrawal from social activities and other people.
Recurring fears, often over small or trivial issues.
Anger and irritability.
Sleep issues.
The trouble with concentration.
Poor performance in school or work.
Fear of new challenges or settings.
Self-consciousness.

Can Social Anxiety Be Treated?

If discussed and shared, teen social anxiety is a very treatable mental health condition. As such, doctors and mental health specialists have developed various treatment methods that can help individuals of any age manage their social anxiety symptoms so that social experiences are no longer a barrier. Once you’ve determined that professional treatment is the right choice for you or your teen, you should reach out to your primary care doctor. They’ll be able to either diagnose the condition or refer you to a mental health specialist who can. From there, they’ll help you develop the most effective treatment plan.

Generally, there are three main treatment methods for social anxiety disorder:

1. Talk therapy: also referred to as psychotherapy, this type of treatment is based on direct counseling with a mental health professional. Talk therapy can function as a one-on-one experience or in a group setting (family therapy is a common practice, especially for teens struggling with mental health issues. This form of therapy can help you understand your condition and develop healthy strategies for living with social anxiety.

2. Medication: certain medications may also help. Medication is used less in treating teen social anxiety due to the risk of potential side effects. However, in certain instances, anxiety or other mental health problems are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Certain anti-anxiety medications can then work to help restore balance and stabilize the individual. Often, medication will be prescribed as a treatment in addition to talk therapy or family therapy.

3. Residential treatment centers: in more severe cases of social anxiety, it may be most beneficial for an individual to enter an in-patient residential treatment center. These specialized facilities offer unmatched care and around-the-clock support for the patient as they heal, recover, and develop healthy coping mechanisms to enable them to live happy lives with their mental health issue. There are even specialized teen residential treatment centers that exclusively work with teenagers to help them connect with others and live successful lives.

Conclusion – What is Social Anxiety Disorder and How Can it Be Treated?

We all experience anxiety from time to time, but someone experiencing social anxiety disorder has a completely different challenge. Especially for teens, social anxiety can be difficult to manage, and over time, can negatively affect your social relationships, work, school, or even your simplest daily routines. While teens may find it challenging to talk about this mental health issue, it’s important as a parent to provide a safe, respectful place so that they can share their challenges. Then, as a team, you can work toward a solution.

As a common mental health problem, there are several effective treatments that can help individuals manage their social anxiety. For many teens and adults, talk therapy or medication (or a combination of the two) can prove effective at treating social anxiety. Developing healthy coping strategies can also help you live with this condition and enjoy social experiences. For more severe cases, a teen may benefit from receiving treatment from a residential teen treatment center. These specialized healthcare centers provide around-the-clock care to help your teen manage their symptoms and live a happy, fulfilling life.