It is very normal for teenagers to worry, especially at school. Adolescents tend to feel stuck between still feeling like a child and adult life filled with responsibility and decisions. Adolescence is certainly a challenging time for any teenager faced with school, sports, extracurricular activities, social and family life, relationships and of course, and thoughts of the future.
When a student suffers from social anxiety disorder, they are not only worried about these normal pressures. They also can experience intense feelings and fear in social situations of any kind. This can be particularly difficult in school, where social interaction is not only expected, but required. These emotions can be excessive, irrational to the onlooker, and may impede normal functioning of daily life, including their education.
While social anxiety for anyone is a serious mental health issue, a student with social anxiety is faced with the added pressure of being forced to interact with a roomful of other teens for hours at a time. In school, there is little opportunity for a teen to escape from the necessity of making eye contact, collaborating, or talking with other students and teachers.
Social anxiety disorder is often dismissed by unassuming parents and teachers. It’s often perceived that the teen is just “shy” or “introverted”. Although this can be the case, it can often be signs of a deeper issue. Untreated social anxiety can have some serious consequences such as affecting academic performance, interrupting future plans and goals, and be the cause a teen to miss out on new opportunities or experiences.
Let’s look at several behaviors that may provide clues that a student is suffering from social anxiety disorder.
Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder
- Many people, adults included, feel uncomfortable about speaking in front of a crowd, doing something for the first time, or taking a test. Commonly called “stage fright”, this is a normal phenomenon that most people can overcome. However, for a teen with social anxiety disorder, the fear can be more extreme. A teen might experience feelings of being “frozen” when speaking in front of crowds. It is important to understand what it is that is causing the student to feel so fearful of this particular social situation.
- Teenagers are social creatures by nature; chatting, texting, going to parties, sporting events, and hanging out. They often want to fit in, which for some teens, may cause other mental health issues of their own. However, for teens suffering from social anxiety disorder, any communication with another teen or adult is extremely difficult and causes intense feelings of anxiety.
- A normally high performing student suddenly avoids speaking in front of the class, participating in a group discussion or presenting information to a teacher.
- Self-confidence and worry go hand in hand with a teen suffering from social anxiety disorder. They may worry excessively about how others see them and doubt if they are good enough to be a part of the group. While it is normal for teens to be afraid of being embarrassed or ridiculed, a socially anxious teen cannot handle the rejection or even the possibility that they will not be accepted, and therefore, refuses to put themselves in that situation at all. This pervasive worry will certainly damage a teen’s self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Symptoms of social anxiety disorder often manifest themselves in physical ailments such as excessive sweating, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, aches and pains, and increased heart rate.
Everyone gets nervous! However, for someone experiencing social anxiety disorder, the reality of any social interaction will be so intense that it sometimes causes debilitating physical reactions.
- Aside from the spontaneous physical symptoms that social anxiety may bring on, students may experience the inability to sleep, causing them to be inattentive and sleepy in class. The fear of falling asleep in class creates an additional source of anxiety and stress.
For many students who are suffering from social anxiety, they are fully aware that their fears and worries are illogical and irrational, yet they do not know how to change their thoughts or address the root cause. By working with mental health professionals, they can work through their fear and continue to participate in their education and enjoy their life.
Although teens might need additional support to learn how to manage their symptoms and fears in the long-term, the following are several tips to help students manage some of the symptoms they may experience while at school.
9 Tips to Help Students with Social Anxiety Disorder
- While group work is important, to a teen with social anxiety, it can be terrifying. As teens with social anxiety might worry about what their peers are thinking of them, smaller groups of 2 or 3 may make the situation easier to manage. This allows them to focus more on the project or discussion.
- Just the word “presentation” can be enough to create intense anxiety in a socially anxious teen. Rather than forcing the student to present in front of the whole class, they may be relieved to have the option of presenting to the teacher alone, alleviating some of the stress and anxiety and allowing them to focus on the presentation itself.
- An assigned seating arrangement for a student who is overly worried about what others think, could make the classroom setting more traumatic stressful. Students who are experiencing excessive anxiety about sitting near others will be unable to focus on classwork or the lesson being taught. To alleviate some of these feelings, letting students choose their seating will feel more comfortable as they can pick a spot in the back of the room or a location that makes them feel safe.
- Because socially anxious students will typically not ask questions in fear of what others will think of them, they may miss homework assignments or other notes if they must listen only. They might feel consumed with questions swirling around their head, causing them to overlook or forget essential information. In this case, it can be helpful to write homework on the board or to provide slides or presentations to the lessons.
- Students with social anxiety disorder already dread having to participate in activities either in front of or with others. Gym class can be particularly stressful especially surrounding changing in front of other students. Providing a private space for the student to change in can make them feel less insecure. Additionally, the competitive nature of gym class can also be daunting. For some, even the thought of having to compete with others where performance is judged is too much for them to handle. For those students, group participation or competition will naturally be avoided.
- Often socially anxious students will not approach authority figures for fear of being judged, shunned or rejected. However, if they are approached, it may make the situation a bit more comfortable. Although they may still not use good eye contact or demonstrate positive body language, they may be more willing to open up about their feelings and fears if approached appropriately.
- When interacting with a student with social anxiety disorder, patience is the key to success. While some may respond positively to any efforts, others may resist or object to any accommodations, thinking that it is placing them in the spotlight or highlighting their inadequacies. Through patience and perseverance, even the most anxious students will come to understand that there is help for them in managing and overcoming their worry, fear, and stress.
- Create mock situations or role-play to help a socially anxious teen prepare for what they’ll experience from a social interaction. If given the opportunity to present or perform in front of a small audience or even an empty classroom, they may be able to overcome or at least mitigate their fear of presenting in front of a larger group.
- Although it may be difficult for a student to engage with other students, it is important to encourage them to get to know at least one other student. A friend and support system makes going to class easier and gives the student the encouragement and confidence that they need.
Many people take for granted that teenagers are automatically outgoing, talkative and social. But school can be a serious challenge for students with social anxiety disorder. When students experience debilitating fear regularly, it is bound to have other implications on their lives, perspectives, behavior and overall mental and physical health. However, they are not alone and there is help available.
If you suspect that a student is suffering from social anxiety disorder, reach out to their parents to discuss behaviors that you have witnessed, conversations that you have had and any accommodations that have been made.
A school psychologist should be involved and will recommend that the student seek the advice of the pediatrician who after an evaluation, may recommend them to mental health professionals like those at Beachside Teen Treatment Center.
Through cognitive behavioral therapy, stress management, possibly medication, and group and individual therapy, a student with social anxiety can return to school and live a “normal” teenage lifestyle including relationships, social interaction, academic success and most importantly, a healthy self-image and lifestyle.