It’s common for teens to fear the judgment of their peers, and some teens are shyer than others when it comes to socializing. But how do you know when your teen is struggling with social anxiety on a level that requires an anxiety treatment program?
Social anxiety disorder is a mental health condition. If your teen is struggling with social anxiety, it has a serious impact on their mental and emotional health as well as their overall quality of life. When parents understand what social anxiety is and recognize the signs, they can connect their teens to the support they need to thrive.
Foothills at Red Oak Recovery is a teen treatment center. We work with teenage boys and their parents to identify mental and behavioral health concerns. If you think your teen is struggling with social anxiety, give us a call at 866.300.5275 to learn more about the treatment programs available at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery.
Understanding the Different Types of Anxiety
These days, it’s common to hear about anxiety as a legitimate mental health concern. Most of us know someone who struggles with anxiety or takes medication to help reduce the symptoms of anxiety.
Although anxiety has been increasingly normalized as a common mental health concern, there’s still plenty that the average person doesn’t know about the topic, including the fact that there are different clinically recognized types of anxiety.
There are five major types of anxiety disorder. They are:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
Each of these anxiety disorders is identified by a group of behaviors, reactions, thoughts, and feelings a person experiences. While an anxiety disorder diagnosis is more common among adults than teenagers, teens can experience any of the above disorders.
Teens tend to be underdiagnosed because they or their parents don’t always realize that what they’re experiencing is a legitimate mental health concern that merits professional treatment.
Social Anxiety in Teens
Social anxiety is one of the types of anxiety most common for teens to experience. It takes a clinical diagnosis to identify whether your teen meets the criteria for social anxiety disorder.
However, a teen can be severely impacted by social anxiety even if they don’t meet diagnostic criteria. An anxiety treatment program can help a teen feel supported and learn the coping skills for processing and reducing social anxiety when it occurs.
How Social Anxiety Impacts Teen Well-Being
Social anxiety is characterized by an intense fear of social situations. A teen struggling with social anxiety often experiences a debilitating fear of judgment or criticism when interacting with others, whether those others are peers, teachers, or strangers.
Teens who struggle with social anxiety often seek to avoid social situations out of fear of embarrassment or rejection. Teen social anxiety can negatively impact all areas of life, particularly in areas like:
- Family relationships
- Personal goals
- Relationship to self
A teen struggling with social anxiety is more likely to struggle in all avenues of life that involve interacting with others. Social anxiety can also take a serious toll on a teen’s self-esteem and confidence.
Foothills at Red Oak Recovery Helps Teens with Anxiety
Social anxiety in teens doesn’t typically improve on its own. If your teen’s quality of life is suffering because of social anxiety, professional support can connect them to the tools they need.
Foothills at Red Oak Recovery is a mental and behavioral health treatment center for teenage boys. Our staff has a deep understanding of the specific challenges faced by teenagers dealing with social anxiety.
Watching a teen struggle with social anxiety is hard, but healing is possible with the right support. Give us a call today at 866.300.5275 or use our online form to learn more about treating teen social anxiety at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery.