4 Things You Want To Know About Childhood Social Anxiety Disorder
Every parent wants the best for their child. Coming to terms with the fact that your child may be suffering from a childhood social anxiety disorder can be challenging.
Anxiety disorders can make it difficult for a child to engage in social situations, try out for teams, or even perform basic tasks in a public setting.
Parents of newly diagnosed children with an anxiety disorder typically have a lot of questions. Here are answers to four of the most common questions parents have regarding their child's anxiety disorder.
1. Will a Child Grow Out of It?
A lot of parents may overlook the significance of the symptoms that point to a childhood anxiety disorder. Some parents assume that their children are just shy. Other parents may feel that exposure to more social situations will help a child overcome his or her anxieties.
The fact of the matter is that childhood social anxiety disorder is not something that a child will simply grow out of or overcome. Without professional treatment, childhood anxiety disorders typically become worse. If you don't seek ongoing treatment for your child, he or she may experience chronic anxiety and depression throughout their adult life.
2. What Causes Childhood Social Anxiety Disorder?
Once a child has been diagnosed with a social anxiety disorder, parents often find themselves wondering what caused the disorder to appear. While scientists don't know the exact cause of anxiety disorders, there appears to be a genetic link. There is evidence that children with parents who have an anxiety disorder are likely to develop these disorders themselves. Environmental factors, like exposure to ridicule or rejection at a young age, can also contribute to the development of an anxiety disorder.
Parents should never blame themselves, as there is no absolute determinate cause for childhood social anxiety disorder.
3. What Are the Treatment Options?
Getting your child treatment for his or her social anxiety disorder is critical. Without professional help, a child will be unable to learn healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with anxious feelings.
Most experts agree that a combination of behavioral therapy and medication is the best approach to treating anxiety disorders in children.
Behavioral therapy is rooted in the theory that how a person thinks and acts can influence how they feel. Behavioral therapists will use a method known as exposure and response prevention to treat a child with anxiety. This therapeutic modality essentially involves exposing a child to situations that trigger his or her anxiety in incremental steps. Eventually, the child will become accustomed to these triggers, and any feeling of anxiety will fade.
Combined with the use of an SSRI medication, behavioral therapy can help children manage their social anxiety more effectively.
4. Should Stressful Situations Be Avoided?
Because parents want to protect their children at all costs, there is a tendency for the parents of a child with social anxiety disorder to shield him or her from stressful situations. Any situation that triggers an anxious response will be avoided, preventing the child from being confronted with his or her anxiety.
It's important to remember that avoidance can actually cause the symptoms of your child's social anxiety disorder to worsen.
Your child's behavioral therapist can work to teach you how you can help your child get through stressful situations without causing any additional trauma. You can then use this knowledge to help your child learn that anxiety and stress are normal parts of everyday life, but these responses must be controlled properly so they don't interfere with quality of life.
A parent who learns that their child has a social anxiety disorder should learn as much as possible about the disorder so that the child will receive the support he or she needs.
Contact a resource like NeuroPower Solutions to learn more.
