Before I start, I would like you to know that this article is created for educational purposes only and not intended to substitute a professional diagnosis. With that being said, here are --- signs you might have social anxiety.
1) You're always self-conscious.
One aspect to social anxiety is the extreme fear of being judged. According to Kocovsci and Endler, if you have social anxiety, you'll constantly worry about the way you look or act and what others think of you.
Your greatest fear is of embarrassing yourself in front of others. A shy person on the other hand will only worry about being judged in certain situation like on public speaking or when meeting someone new.
2) Your anxiety feels out of hand
There are times when its normal to feel shy or nervous around other people. For example, when you moved to a new school of having to perform in front of an audience. But social anxiety is irrational and unwarranted. You may feel distressed about things as simple as making eye contact with someone, using public transportation or eating in front of other people. The fear is always there.
3) It interferes with your performance
Have you ever called in sick to work when your anxiety became too overwhelming? Or have you kept quiet when you were having trouble in class? Social anxiety can impact your performance in many ways.
With the constant fear of people's judgement, you may even be afraid to do well to avoid drawing attention. You don't pitch ideas at meetings, raise your hands in class, or join clubs. Because of how much anxiety it creates.
4) It affects your relationship
While its hard to make friends when you're shy, it can feel almost impossible when you have social anxiety. For a shy person, its usually about breaking the ice and going through the initial awkwardness of meeting each other.
But having social anxiety can complicate your relationships. You feel tense and uneasy around people no matter how close you are or no matter how long you've known them.
5) It doesn't go away with familiarity
It normal to feel shy at the beginning of a new relationship, but as you get to know each other, the tension will start to subside. This isn't the case if you have social anxiety. Instead, you'll always experience fear, distress and embarrassment whenever you're around other people. Doesn't matter if its your parents, your siblings, or best friend. You'll always feel uneasy and stress unless if you're alone.
Do you relate to any of these symptoms above? If you do, you are definitely not alone. Nor is there anything wrong for you to feel this way. The references that were used in this article can be found at the end of this article.
- Davila, J., & Beck, J. G. (2002). Is social anxiety associated with impairment in close relationships? A preliminary investigation. Behavior Therapy, 33(3), 427-446.
- Kocovski, N. L., & Endler, N. S. (2000). Social anxiety, self‐regulation, and fear of negative evaluation. European Journal of Personality, 14(4), 347-358.
- Psycom (2017). “Social Anxiety Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment.” Retrieved 31 March 2020 from https://www.psycom.net/social-anxiety-disorder-overview
awesome sharing
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