How to help your child overcome social anxiety without stressing out, even if you’re feeling anxious yourself.

One day, I was at a restaurant with my wife, and as we were finishing up our meal, our server handed us a survey form. Realizing neither of us had a pen, my wife told me to ask the server if we could borrow one to fill out the form. Instead of doing this, I walked to the parking lot, retrieved a pen from our car, and walked back to our table. It would’ve been easier to just borrow a pen, but I opted for the route that involved less social interaction. I did this automatically, without even thinking. Avoiding social interaction had already become a learned habit by the time I realized what I was doing.

I would’ve probably continued avoiding things that made me feel uncomfortable and never faced my dread of being in social situations. However, when I saw all my struggles mirrored in my daughter, I knew that if I don’t deal with myself first, I’d never be able to help her navigate life as a socially anxious human being. Suddenly, the harsh light of reality didn’t seem so daunting anymore.

According to a 2022 Anxiety and Depression Association of America survey, out of the 40 million adults in the US that suffer from a form of anxiety, only 36.9 percent of them seek treatment.

In this book, you will discover:

• How to help your child cope with anxiety when you have anxiety yourself.
• How to recognize social anxiety in children.
• Differences of social anxiety in children, teens, and adults.
• Pitfalls of perfectionism.
• Foods that affect anxiety.
• Rewiring for self-confidence.
• Making social interactions less stressful.

The process of overcoming social anxiety might seem like a terrifying or energy-depleting one, but once we learn the coping skills we need to become more functional in any social interaction, getting out there, building meaningful relationships, and enjoying life to the fullest will make it all worth it.