Areas of Specialization - Children and Adolescents
Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness
| Jenny is a 13 year old girl
who recently moved to a new
city and began middle school.
Jenny's parents feel she has
had difficulty making new
friends as she has always
been shy and had a tough time
maintaining friendships. Jenny
has little self-confidence
and worries considerably about
what other people think of
her. In her old hometown she
had only one friend and was
always described as nervous
and sensitive. In her new
school, Jenny's teachers are
concerned because she never
raises her hand and has extreme
difficulty talking in front
of the class or giving an
oral report. Her parents have
noted a pattern of her complaining
of not feeling well on school
days when she is expected
to take a test or participate
in current events debates.
Although Jenny is very talkative
at home with her family, she
does not talk in front of
her parents friends when they
come over for dinner and she
refuses to order her own food
in a restaurant. Jenny has
tremendous difficulty being
assertive as she will let
other cut her on line or cheat
off her on exams at school.
Jenny's parents have always
encouraged her to join a sports
team or become involved in
after-school clubs. She has
avoided any extracurricular
activities despite her guidance
counselor informing her that
her good grades will not be
sufficient for admission into
the more competitive colleges.
Jenny prefers to spend her
free time at home watching
television or playing on the
internet. Occasionally Jenny
will remark that she feels
lonely or sad and she demands
her parents spend time with
her to keep her company and
cheer her up. |
Children and adolescents with
social anxiety disorder have a
persistent fear of being embarrassed,
humiliated or laughed at by others.
These children are commonly described
as shy and their central fear
is that other people will think
poorly of them. Thus socially
anxious children frequently avoid
situations that involve interacting
with others, including meeting
new people, joining teams or clubs,
talking in front of the class,
initiating plans, talking on the
telephone, dating, gym class,
eating in front of others, and
talking with unfamiliar adults.
Children and adolescents with
social anxiety experience intense
distress while in these situations
or they avoid the feared social
situations, and they may cry,
tantrum, freeze, or cower from
social situations with unfamiliar
adults or peers.
Cognitive
Behavioral Treatment in Children
and Adolescents - Social Anxiety
Disorder>>
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