Social Anxiety Disorder in Teens
Gaining and keeping friendships is an essential part of being a teenager. They bring happiness, provide support in times of need and help you feel understood in a way adults can’t. But making friends isn’t always easy.
Social anxiety disorder makes it difficult to meet new people because you’re constantly in fear of being embarrassed or judged by others. But the good news is that Lightfully Teen is here to help you work through that anxiety and learn skills needed to make friends now that will last a lifetime.
What Is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social anxiety disorder, sometimes known as social phobia, refers to fear and avoidance of social settings. The anxiety disorder stems from an intense fear of being judged, humiliated, rejected or watched by others.
Social anxiety disorder is common among teenagers, with a lifetime prevalence rate in 9.1% of U.S. teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18. The anxiety disorder is more common in females than males, with 11.2% of females being affected as opposed to 7.0% of males.
Social anxiety disorder behavior is often brushed off as shyness, which is why it’s important to recognize the mental and physical signs that occur during social situations:
- Feeling self-conscious
- Intense worry before, during and after
- Trouble speaking
- Increased heart rate
- Blushing
- Sweating
- Shaking
Teens with social anxiety disorder will often avoid social situations altogether. They also may try to avoid other situations where they feel anxious about judgment from others, such as eating in public, talking on the phone or asking a question.
How Can Lightfully Teen Help Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social anxiety disorder can keep you from making meaningful connections, which is why it’s important to look at your mental health from every angle to determine the root of your anxiety. Our process-based therapy can help determine what your current needs are so that you can work toward what you want to achieve in the future.
Process-based therapy, or PBT, allows us to form a personalized treatment plan that helps to treat your entire well-being, not just your diagnosis. Because you’re more than just your social anxiety disorder.
PBT uses integrated interventions, such as values clarification and motivational enhancement, to show measurable results that will help you progress on your mental health journey. The interventions stem from four core processes that contribute to your social anxiety disorder:
- Difficulty with emotions
- Difficulty with thoughts
- Difficulty with behaviors
- Difficulty with relationships
Lightfully Teen Programs Can Help Treat Your Social Anxiety Disorder
It’s natural to be worried about being judged by others or about saying something embarrassing in front of a group. But Lightfully Teen is here to help manage your social anxiety disorder symptoms.
Process-based therapy can help your social anxiety disorder in our three levels of care: Residential Treatment, Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), also called our Day Treatment Program.
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We’re here when you’re ready. Send us a message using the link below or give us a call at 916.269.5371. Let us help shine a light on your path.
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