How can social anxiety disorder affect my teen's life?

Teenagers who suffer from social anxiety disorder are often described as loners, but they don’t really want to be. They are more likely to have poor social skills and have few or no friends. About half are not involved in any type of after school activity, and about 10% are so fearful of school that they refuse to go. Because of this, they are very lonely and can feel extremely isolated. They don’t get to enjoy normal teenage activities, and this can lead to depression. At its most severe, social anxiety disorder can impede any sort of normal life, with the sufferer so afraid of social life that they drop out of school, marry their next door neighbor, and refuse to participate in activities with anyone other than family members. It can eventually lead to problems professionally as well because sufferers will do and say very little in any type of public situation.