| I would like to start this article with some quotes | | | | frequent headaches and an overall uninterested |
| that I found in some forums (not verbatim, for | | | | and ambivalent nature are all indicators that the |
| confidentiality and copyright reasons). | | | | child is under some sort of stress related disorder |
| "I'm in my 'X' year of college and I don't know | | | | that could eventually turn into social anxiety |
| what I want to do with my life." | | | | disorder when he or she goes into college. As |
| "I'm barely passing the exams and I'm a social | | | | parents, guardians, educators and counselors, we |
| mess." | | | | have a social responsibility to our future |
| "I can't talk to people, I feel like the little | | | | generation to have the maturity to detect these |
| confidence I once had is now completely gone." | | | | early warning signals and take corrective action. |
| "My soul and my personality seem missing from | | | | Performing a social anxiety disorder self test on |
| my life." | | | | the child from time to time can provide valuable |
| "I need help and I want help I just don't know | | | | insight on the status of the problem and get a |
| where to get help from." | | | | chance to take action early on in life. |
| "My college has shy students. But the moderators | | | | Every teenager has immense potential to make |
| always try to steer you towards self-deception, | | | | our world a better place, when channeled in the |
| "tricking" yourself into thinking "positive". I just | | | | right direction. As adults we need to help our |
| found that laughable as a concept." | | | | children paint a roadmap that they will enjoy |
| Do these comments raise concern in your mind | | | | following throughout their childhood and college |
| about our youth? It alarmed me as I read these | | | | years, so that they can realize their dreams and |
| posts in the forums. Our youth are suffering from | | | | live fuller lives. |
| the after-effects of stress and we're not paying | | | | When left untreated social anxiety disorders could |
| enough attention to their silent cries for help. That | | | | lead to depression, frustration an even get the |
| is even more disconcerting to me and I feel that | | | | person addicted to nervous system inhibitors such |
| we need to take action as parents, guardians, | | | | as alcohol and recreational drugs, which often |
| counselors and coaches to stop the atrophy of | | | | leads the person to withdraw himself or herself |
| the future of the human race before it is too late. | | | | from public and social life. |
| Reasons for Social Anxiety Disorders in | | | | Overcoming Social Anxiety Disorders |
| Teenagers | | | | Cognitive behavior therapy is widely prescribed by |
| Social anxiety disorders are not the result of just | | | | psychotherapists all over the world and to the |
| one or two stressful days. It could be the net | | | | common person that is quite a mouthful. At the |
| effect of years of stress imposed knowingly or | | | | heart of this therapy is the core goal to instill |
| unknowingly on the minds of our youth, possibly | | | | self-confidence in the mind of the patient to such |
| since early childhood. The environment that the | | | | a level that he or she can overcome the disorder |
| person has grown up in often plays a big factor | | | | and start a new chapter in life. Instead of focusing |
| for shaping the character. Children growing up in | | | | on negative aspects of the patient's life, the |
| families having domestic turmoil or living in rough | | | | therapy focuses on the more positive aspects |
| neighborhoods or peer pressure at school often | | | | and requires the patient to draw the power of |
| grow up with inferiority complexes and lack of | | | | optimism to overcome the social anxiety disorder. |
| self-confidence. Moreover some parents who | | | | It is important to understand that nobody is |
| want to see an image of their own continue on to | | | | perfect and everyone has strengths and |
| the next generation often are guilty of literally | | | | weaknesses. SAD suffers place a greater |
| imposing a certain line of study or career on their | | | | emphasis on the weaknesses rather than |
| child, who may not have the proper acumen or | | | | strengths and the primary goal of cognitive |
| basic inclination to follow that area of specialization. | | | | behavior therapy is to make the patient believe in |
| Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorders | | | | his or her own abilities and make that so special |
| Warning signs may be almost subliminal in the | | | | that gradually starts to instill the much needed |
| toddler and early school years, but they tend to | | | | self-confidence. A surprisingly large number of |
| become increasingly evident as the child moves | | | | SAD teenagers have reported that they were |
| through the schooling system. Symptoms such as | | | | seldom congratulated or encouraged during their |
| falling grades, avoiding social gatherings, spending | | | | childhood years by their guardians who were too |
| more time at home rather than out in activities | | | | negative minded themselves to even bother |
| with kids of the same age group, preference to | | | | pepping up their child. When such patients are |
| stay behind closed doors, a generally quiet and | | | | made to realize that they are also special in their |
| unusually introvert nature, random blank stares | | | | own way and have traits that others don't, it |
| (as if drifting away), lack of concentration, | | | | works wonders for the battered mind. |
| pounding heart, excessive and random sweating, | | | | |