One of the most common psychiatric illnesses is social anxiety, 1% of children and 14 of adults have this disorder. Some people think that is inherited, however is more possible that the parents have anxiety disorders and not social anxiety.

When a person reacts negatively to a situation is called Behavioral Inhibition, some children will have no problem at all but 15% will be shy and irritable when they are exposed to new experiences, people and situations. There are other kids that are fearful of everything in general, these children are more likely to have parents with anxiety disorders and they have more probability of acquiring social anxiety in their adolescence or childhood.

Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorders in children

You can begin to notice sings of social anxiety since 1 year old, they will avoid exploring new things. They are fearful of trying new experiences, meeting new people and speak to anyone outside of the family members.

There are many social situation that they are scared of like:

• Starting a conversation
• Reading in the front of the class
• Attending dances Speaking to adults
• Writing on the blackboard
• Joining new conversations

Other common situation are answering the phone, raising the hand in the classroom, playing with their friends, etc.

If you notice in your child any of the above symptoms or other unusual behaviors, he might have a problem of social anxiety and needs some special attention from their parents to encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Many kids experience shyness at some point in their life, but then is overcome and does not become an anxiety problem. So it might be a little confusing to know if the behavior of your child is temporary or not. You can consult a psychotherapist and tell him all the symptoms, signs and behaviors that you see in your child, this way he can make a proper diagnosis.

Another symptom of children with social anxiety disorder is if they avoid eye contact and want to be alone most of the time. As you child grow up it will become more clear his problem when you see that he is afraid of:

• Public speaking
• Going to social events
• Dating
• Working in groups

They also have an intense fear of being judged by others, being embarrassed and humiliated. They experience some physical symptoms like, blushing, sweating, nausea and trembling.

If you notice those symptoms in your child or adolescent, you might want to encourage him to face his fears little by little and if necessary consult a psychotherapist that can give you proper guidance.