Social anxiety disorder

What is social anxiety?

Social anxiety means that someone is afraid of being judged negatively in social situations. Everyone feels insecure about this sometimes, but children and young people who suffer from social anxiety disorder experience this fear very often. For example, they are afraid of doing something wrong, being laughed at, or doing something they would be ashamed of. Because of this fear, children and young people often avoid social situations. When they do go, they feel a lot of tension and anxiety. This can make everyday life very difficult, for example at school, in friendships, or later at work. Sometimes it can even lead to school absence or school refusal. Social anxiety disorder occurs in 5 to 15% of young people.