Q: How Can I Help My Son Overcome Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety is common in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were teased or ostracized by their peers due to impulsivity or other ADD symptoms. Here, learn how patients can use CBT to increase social confidence and skills, and how parents can encourage kids to face their anxiety.
FREE WEBINAR REPLAY WITH RYAN WEXELBLATT
Listen to “The Social Lives of Boys with ADHD”
Q: “How can I encourage my teen son, who is risk-averse and has ADHD, to try new experiences? He always resists any efforts I make to get him out there, usually absolutely refusing to participate in any way.”
A: “Roughly 25% to 30% of individuals with ADHD also present with anxiety… Some of these develop social anxiety around 15 or 16 years old. When they were younger, maybe they were teased a lot or not treated well by their peers because of their social learning challenges and impulsivity. So when they develop better self regulation around 16, they develop social anxiety because they are scared of engaging with other kids again because they will be shamed or embarrassed. The good news is, social anxiety is really treatable…”
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW FOR THE FULL ANSWER
Ryan Wexelblatt, LCSW is the facilitator of the ADHD Dude Facebook Group and YouTube channel. Ryan specializes in working with males (ages 5-22) who present with ADHD, anxiety with ADHD, and learning differences; he is the one professional in the United States who specializes in teaching social cognitive skills to boys from a male perspective.
