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When you’re more than a little anxious

Anxiety Disorders

One in 25 teenagers (13-17 years old) will experience an anxiety disorder in any given year.  Anxiety is not the same as depression, although the two conditions share many causes and some symptoms often occur together.

There are many types of anxiety disorders and they each have a range of signs and symptoms.  The most common anxiety disorders are Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Panic Disorder.  Over the following months, Youthbeyondblue will be letting you know about each of these anxiety disorders, available treatments and where you can seek help for yourself or your mates.

In the second edition to the Youthbeyondblue anxiety series, we will look at Social Phobia.

What is Social Phobia?

It’s normal to get a bit nervous when we feel we’re the focus of other people’s attention, like giving a speech. But for people with Social Phobia, this kind of attention and fear of being criticised, embarrassed, or humiliated can lead to intense anxiety and can affect their ability to live a normal life.

Most people experience Social Phobia in performance situations (like having to do something in front of people you don’t know or reading aloud in front of your classmates) and social situations (like having a meal with friends, or going to a party).

People with Social Phobia often try to avoid situations which could be embarrassing, and if they can’t avoid the situation, they may tremble, get sweaty, blush or stammer.

What causes Social Phobia?

  • Personality: Some people are naturally shy, which puts them at risk of developing Social Phobia.
  • Environment: Social Phobia may develop when someone has been poorly treated or publicly humiliated (e.g. bullied at school).
  • Family history: Anxiety disorders can run in the family, and people may also learn an attitude or behaviour from family members.

Getting help

You can start by chatting to a school counsellor or doctor, who can help identify the problem and find the best way to manage it. They may give you something to read or exercises to do and/or refer you to a psychologist who specialises in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

For more information about anxiety disorders, where to get help and treatments call the beyondblue info line on 1300 22 4636.

Where can I get more information?