From this article, we have talked to you about how to treat social phobia, characterized by an intense fear of facing any type of social situation. 
Even the very people who suffer from it recognize it as an excessive and irrational fear. But what if your child suffers from a social phobia? Impotence as a mother or father can be overwhelming, that’s why from this article, we want to guide you with these tips on how to help my son with social phobia.
Steps to follow:
- Find information about social phobia. Try to understand how your child is feeling and why. Having social phobia limits a person a lot, and that is why it is essential to first understand the causes and symptoms before trying to help the person who suffers from it.
- Never pressure your child to go out or socialize. In this way, the only thing you will achieve is to make the situation worse and feel even worse.
- Never ridicule their fears or try to make them understand that they are illogical. He already knows it and still has a hard time getting over it. The last thing he needs is for you to make him feel worse.
- Listen to him. He thinks that he does not have many people with whom to share his feelings and what he thinks. Your child may spend a lot of time alone between his thoughts of guilt and feelings of inferiority. That is why it is important that he knows that you are there to listen to everything he has to say.
- Don’t continually ask him about him or what’s wrong with him. So that he knows that you are by his side, it is important that he knows that you are accessible and that when he needs and wants to open up, you will be there to really listen to him to listen to him without judging him and empathizing with him.
- It is important for your child to know that you are by his side and that you love him for who he is. This does not mean applauding that he closes himself in and wants to always be alone, far from it. But do praise the small positive steps you take to improve your situation.
- When your child shows appropriate behavior and makes an effort to overcome his phobia, it is important that he knows that you value his effort. It is not necessary to have a party, but rather a positive comment such as “I’m glad you went to the mall with your friends this afternoon.
- Inform him. Talk to your child about his disorder, so that it does not become taboo. Lack of information can lead you to believe that your problem has no solution. You can provide Internet pages or books so that he is well informed and understands that his phobia is due to a wrong answer that he has learned and that he can relearn the correct answer with the help of a professional.
- Your child may want to face the phobia on his own, if so, you should be sure that he can do it and that he is prepared for it. If not, advise him to visit a specialist for guidance on his improvement. Think that the psychologist will also be a threatening figure and will need your support, so it is convenient for him to know that you will be by his side at all costs and that you will accompany him in the first sessions.
This article is merely informative, we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
