Social Anxiety Test
Social Anxiety Disorder Test
Social interactions are a huge part of life. But relationships are not easy. They are full of challenges. Interacting with others can cause anxiety. Will people like me? What are they thinking? What if I mess up?
Anxiety is social situations (social phobia) is common. It arises when we fear public scrutiny. Anxiety can reach severe levels where it becomes a diagnosable condition. But assessing this issue is not straightforward.
This article provides an overview of social anxiety. Don't use the information for self-diagnosis! I'll discuss an anxiety disorder test in the article. But consider speaking to a mental health professional for further help.
Here is what we cover in this article:
Types of Anxiety
Let's list different types of anxiety before discussing symptoms of social anxiety. The main categories are:
Social anxiety: Distress that comes from the fear of negative evaluation in social situations
Generalised anxiety: Worry about several day-to-day concerns. This worry feels out of control. Concerns range from physical health to financial status.
Panic attack: A sudden, short-lived rush of intense fear or discomfort. Overwhelming physical sensations dominate these episodes (e.g., racing heart, trembling, shortness of breath).
Agoraphobia: Fear of situations where panic may occur. Help-seeking or escape might be difficult or embarrassing.
Phobias: Strong fear of specific objects, situations, or activities. There is a low risk of actual harm.
Fear of People
Social anxiety is perhaps the most common problem among those listed above (1). So it’s important to understand this issue. People who experience social phobia don't have a 'fear of people' specifically. Instead, they expect negative evaluation. This fear occurs in social 'performance' situations. Scenarios include public speaking, waiting in line, and casual conversation. Anxiety-provoking situations can be encountered anywhere; work or school, at parties or walking down the street.
You can learn more about social anxiety at work here.
People assume negative evaluation will lead to embarrassment, humiliation or social rejection. Even routine activities can become distressing. Avoiding social events often results. This response is understandable. But it usually makes problems worse.
Social anxiety symptoms
This type of anxiety ranges in severity. Thus, a key assessment task is measuring problem size. How do I know if I have social anxiety? Mental health professionals assess whether distress has gone beyond the 'normal' range (given a person's cultural and social situation) to clinical severity.
A clinically significant issue means anxiety is a diagnosable mental health condition. We call this Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD).
There are many signs of SAD as described in the diagnostic and statistical manual referred to as the DSM-5. The main symptoms include:
Anxiety triggered by situations where scrutiny and negative evaluation by others might occur.
Avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations. Or, interactions are endured with great discomfort.
Distress that is out of proportion to the actual threat in a social encounter. Anxiety can escalate to a panic attack.
Levels of anxiety and avoidance that cause distress and major problems in day-to-day life.
These four indicators, when discussed with a professional, represent the most useful form of anxiety ‘test’.
Anxiety comes with a number of physical sensations. A racing heart, breathing difficulties and muscle tension are common. People fear that others will notice these physical changes. This fear is most common for ‘visible’ symptoms like blushing, sweating, or shaking. There is even a fear of blushing called Erythrophobia.
Severe social anxiety
A diagnosis should only occur after a thorough assessment from a mental health professional.
A reliable assessment confirms:
Fear of scrutiny and negative evaluation
Avoidance or distress regarding social situations
Severe anxiety levels
Problems in daily life
Assessment should also include:
Completion of relevant anxiety tests and questionnaires
A check for other mental health issues
Information from real-world examples of anxiety
Collecting relevant background information
After an assessment, you should get:
A clear explanation of why and how anxiety developed
Treatment options
We now have good options for treating SAD. More on this later in the article.
A ‘Do I have social anxiey test’
People often ask me about anxiety tests.
Online questionnaires tend to lack scientific evaluation. I recommend you seek an assessment if experiencing symptoms. Tests should also be combined with other assessment information. You should never look at questionnaire scores in isolation.
Most psychologists used scientifically proven tests to aid the assessment of social anxiety. For example, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is a well-known measure that assesses fear and avoidance in many social situations.
In sum, be cautious with any social anxiety symptoms test. Be wary of phrases like ‘anxiety test free’.
Causes
This problem is caused and maintained by several factors. Social phobia runs in families, but non-genetic factors play an important role (2). For instance, you may have been bullied in school or had a criticising parent. Psychological factors keep this problem going. Most anxious people avoid social encounters to some extent. This prevents helpful learning experiences. Avoidance also slows the development of coping skills.
Thinking styles are especially important:
What you think matters. ‘John thinks I’m an idiot’, ‘They must think I’m boring’, ‘I come across as really awkward’. These types of thoughts are fuel for anxiety.
But HOW you think also counts. For instance, focusing entirely on anxiety symptoms at a party will increase discomfort. Going over and over perceived ‘errors’ (ruminating) for days after a social encounter will increase anxiety too.
Social Anxiety vs Shyness
Social apprehension and shyness are related but different issues:
Shyness reflects a person's natural way of being. This is the inbuilt tendency to behave and feel in specific ways. Temperament (not the same as a personality trait) is the term used to describe these tendencies.
Social anxiety is a psychological problem. It (partly) results from social experiences, not your underlying temperament.
Shyness in itself is not a problem. It becomes an issue when a person is unhappy about it. But we don't see the severity of distress and impairment evident with SAD. There may also be more avoidance in social anxiety.
Many societies value outgoing people. This makes shyness an undesirable quality for some. But, there's nothing wrong with shyness. Going against your natural way of being will just cause more discomfort. Here is an article discussing introversion and extroversion
Anxiety is different. It stops people from living their life the way they wish.
Some people don’t fear social interaction, but suppress negative inner states to promote a positive self-image.
Feeling Lonely
Loneliness occurs when there is a gap between desired and actual social contact.
We know that anxiety leads to avoidance of others through the fear of negative evaluation. Therefore, loneliness can be a consequence of social discomfort. On the other hand, loneliness can also be a risk for social anxiety (3).
Meeting new people is a common anxiety trigger. This creates a dilemma when wanting to reduce loneliness. One solution is to start with a manageable activity. You then progress to more challenging tasks over time. For example, you may go from joining a group on social media to eventually meeting a member in person.
Is Social Anxiety a Disability?
Disability is defined as:
“…any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions)” (4)
You could call SAD a disability according to this definition. For some people, terminology and ‘labels’ are significant. For other people, these terms do not matter. Terminology can matter in many countries because diagnosis can lead to access to resources (e.g., psychological treatment).
Social Anxiety or Autism? This is another common question in relation to diagnosis and labels.
Both SAD and Autism share social interaction issues. However, the nature of these issues are very different between the two conditions:
SAD often involves avoidance of social interaction. This is due to the fear of negative evaluation.
While people with Autism may also avoid social interaction, this is due to many factors, not just anxiety (e.g., preference for solitary activities, social interaction challenges, sensory issues).
Alcohol and Drug Use
Some socially anxious people consume harmful levels of alcohol and drugs. This is an unhelpful anxiety management method. For example, drunk people tend to do things they regret! Remember this equation:
Fear of negative evaluation + getting drunk = more anxiety.
Substance use needs to be treated. It seems to help in the short term. But it usually leads to bigger problems.
How to Overcome Social Anxiety
People seek assessment because they want to understand and reduce anxiety. Treatment is the next stage.
I have seen many people make great progress in treatment for social anxiety. Medication and attending a support group are two options. You should always seek medical advice for this. But I will focus on psychological treatment.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a popular and well-respected intervention for anxiety. This approach identifies and addresses thoughts, behaviours and physical symptoms that drive social anxiety.
Specifically, CBT involves:
Identifying and challenging anxious thoughts
Addressing unhelpful behaviours (e.g., avoidance, lack of eye contact)
Learning to manage the unpleasant physical symptoms. See an example breathing technique on the skills videos page.
Social skills training is sometimes part of a CBT intervention
Assessment helps us see how and why anxiety occurs. This understanding shapes treatment.
Thoughts
Socially anxious thoughts occur as patterns.
For example, you might tend to predict the future. This is known as 'fortune-telling’. But humans can't predict the future. Treatment helps spot mind-reading and develop helpful responses. In this way, we change the content of our thoughts.
We also target negative thoughts and thinking styles. This is the ‘how’ of thinking, as mentioned earlier in this article. For example, we teach people to move their focus outside the body. One approach is to use the notice, name, and normalise strategy.
Behaviour
Safety behaviours are unhelpful things done to reduce anxiety.
Avoidance is perhaps the most common safety response in social anxiety. This tactic prevents you from testing anxious predictions (e.g., I will embarrass myself). In CBT, we look to stop safety behaviours.
Physical symptoms
We tackle physical signs of anxiety with various techniques. I often use a specific breathing approach. But, there are many other options here.
Other Treatment Options
There are also some good self-help books.
One example is this book written by Gillian Butler.
Some people need extra help, particularly if their anxiety is long-standing. But books like this can be a useful starting point.
To Sum Up.....
Here are the key take-home messages:
Social anxiety is common
The fear of negative scrutiny drives this anxiety
Extreme anxiety may be diagnosed as Social Anxiety Disorder
A mental health professional should make this diagnosis
We have good treatment options, including CBT
You can reduce social anxiety. Seek some help today and improve your quality of life.
Here is an article on making friends at university.
Social anxiety quotes
You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do Eleanor Roosevelt
A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for John A. Shedd
The shy and the extroverted have this in common - that they both fancy they are the center of attention Robert Breault
Social anxiety meme
Memes can help us express anxiety when the words don’t appear in our heads easily. Here are some anxiety-related memes you might relate to.
We are Coaching & Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. We can also help with social anxiety. Read more about our work, watch practical skills videos or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.
References
(1) Bandelow, B., & Michaelis, S. (2015). Epidemiology of anxiety disorders in the 21st century. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 17(3), 327–335.
(2) Scaini, S., Belotti, R., & Ogliari, A. (2014). Genetic and environmental contributions to social anxiety across different ages: A meta-analytic approach to twin data. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28(7), 650-656.
(3) Lim MH, Rodebaugh TL, Zyphur MJ, Gleeson JF. Loneliness over time: The crucial role of social anxiety. J Abnorm Psychol. 2016 Jul;125(5):620-30.
(4) https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability.html
Infographic:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg159/documents/social-anxiety-disorder-final-scope2
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/social-anxiety-disorder
