Adolescence is a developmental period that exists to prepare an individual for the transition from childhood to adulthood. Adolescence, which has a very dynamic and complex structure, is a period of life in which many changes occur, such as identity confusion, changes in thoughts, alienation from the body and the process of adopting a new body structure, along with hormonal imbalances.
One of the problems that arise in this period is social phobia. . Even if we observe it in childhood, this diagnosis usually occurs in adolescence. Social phobia is a type of anxiety that shows physical symptoms such as alienation from the environment, withdrawal, flushing and sweating while talking. The person has difficulty expressing himself in the unfamiliar environment he exists in, and feels serious anxiety, thinking that everyone around him is looking at him and laughing at him. Behaviors such as avoiding eye contact while talking, avoiding eating with others, avoiding talking to a stranger even on the phone, being shy, and avoiding talking to staff even while shopping are observed. Adolescents feel uncomfortable speaking in public or with strangers because they think their tone of voice is offensive or funny. For this reason, they generally prefer to remain silent and distant.
With its many negative aspects, social phobia also negatively affects the school life of the adolescent. He hesitates to go to the blackboard for fear that his voice or hand will shake, or he is afraid of answering incorrectly if the teacher gives him the floor. Thinking that everyone will make fun of him for this, he tries to make himself as invisible as he can in class. This causes him to not be able to focus on his lessons and to fail oral exams due to his anxiety, even though he has sufficient knowledge.
Adolescents with social phobia have a very difficult time making and maintaining friendships. They do not want to go to friends' meetings and meetings for fear of being laughed at. As a result, they often cannot make friends and find themselves isolated. They feel very uncomfortable when people criticize them or make jokes. He thinks that his friends don't like him anyway, that they will always make fun of him, that he is a ridiculous and unimportant person. They seriously damage their self-confidence.
There may be many reasons for social phobia seen in adolescence. Studies have shown that genetic factors play a 30% role in this. In addition, it has been observed that factors such as upbringing, parental attitude and personality structure, social environment and personality traits play a role in this. Parental attitudes during early development seriously affect the likelihood of social phobia. The fact that the parents do not trust the child, constantly criticize and punish him, focus on his negative aspects rather than his positive characteristics, get angry at him and often use violence, do not communicate adequately with him, do not establish a secure bond with him, make fun of him, are too oppressive and comparative, become sources that feed social phobia in the child. income. Apart from this, the fact that the parent does not like to get involved in society much, acts at a distance from people, and exhibits very anxious and timid behaviors serve as a role model for the child, and these personality traits may be genetically inherited. Sometimes, we can see social phobia along with a feeling of inadequacy in the children of individuals with the opposite characteristics.
So, what should be the attitudes of parents to prevent social phobia?
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Do not expose their children to social environments. They can support their self-confidence by constantly encouraging them
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They can see and support their positive aspects rather than their negative ones
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Allow them to express themselves and also They should not forget that they are individuals
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They should also be role models for their children by entering social environments
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They can help them make friends by supporting their social relationships
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They should help them feel safe
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They should not express personality traits or behaviors and memories that might make them feel ashamed in front of others
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They shouldn't constantly criticize him and put pressure on him to be better when he is
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They shouldn't compare him with others
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They should support even the small social steps he makes.
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They should be wary of pointing out the mistakes they make or reacting harshly and harshly. p>As social phobia is noticed, individuals or their parents seeking support can prevent them from experiencing difficulties in adulthood and prevent the problem from turning into different forms. With early diagnosis and treatment, the adolescent solves this problem in a healthy way and becomes a healthier individual who can cope with his problems better throughout the rest of his adolescence or adulthood. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used frequently in the treatment of social phobia. If you think that you or the people around you may have social phobia, you can consult a specialist.
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