If you are looking for answers about social anxiety, you may be wondering whether your symptoms are normal or severe enough to be considered a disorder. As a starting point, read over the common symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and think about whether they describe the way that you feel.
As a person with SAD, your paramount fear is of being embarrassed or humiliated in front of others. You may be afraid of one or many different types of social situations.
Some of the situations that may be triggers for you are:
- giving a speech
- having a conversation
- talking to authority figures
- going on a date or to a party
- eating or writing in front of others
- being the center of attention
The symptoms of SAD fall into three broad categories -- cognitive symptoms (what you think), physical symptoms (what you feel), and behavioral symptoms (what you do).
Thought Patterns of the Social Phobic
Imagine the familiar situation of being in a new class or work group and the group leader asks everyone to introduce themselves. For the social phobic, this can be an extremely anxiety-provoking situation. Thoughts may start churning in your head such as “Everyone else looks so much more relaxed,” “What if I say something dumb?” and “What if they notice my voice trembling?” These thoughts start to spiral out of control to the point that you have stopped listening to the group and are totally focused on your own escalating anxiety. This is the bitter irony of social anxiety. In this case, there really is nothing to fear but “fear itself.”
If you suffer from SAD, you are probably plagued with negative thoughts and doubts about your social abilities. You may have what is called a “negative bias.” You tend to discount your own positive social encounters and magnify the positive social abilities of others. If these negative thought patterns are allowed to continue without treatment, over time they may erode your self-esteem.
Physical Symptoms
The physical symptoms of SAD are real and extremely distressing for those that endure them. Some of the most common symptoms are:
- blushing
- sweating
- shaking
- muscle tension
- trembling voice
- shortness of breath
- dry mouth
- a racing heart
- disorientation
In some people, the symptoms may become so severe that they escalate into a panic attack. How does this differ from panic disorder? The cardinal difference is that people with SAD recognize the anxiety attack as just that –- the result of extreme anxiety -– whereas people with panic disorder believe that they are having a heart attack or dying. The social phobic knows the attack is provoked by anxiety but is helpless to prevent it and terrified that others will notice that they are out of control.
Behavioral Symptoms
People with SAD tend to make choices based on fear and avoidance rather than preferences, desires, or ambitions. If you have SAD, this problem may be familiar. You may have dropped a class to avoid doing a presentation or turned down a job promotion because it meant increased social and performance demands.
People with generalized SAD are particularly at risk of having poor quality of life. They may have few or no friends, no romantic relationships, drop out of school or quit their jobs, and may use alcohol to tolerate anxiety.
Although the symptoms of SAD are debilitating, the good news is that they respond well to treatment. The physical symptoms are well-suited to exposure therapy or medication treatment and the cognitive symptoms are prime candidates for psychotherapy.
