Do I Have Social Anxiety or Am I Just Shy Quiz

According to Verywell Mind (1), shyness and social anxiety disorder share many characteristics, such as feeling uncomfortable in social situations. However, the main symptoms that distinguish shyness from social anxiety disorder are:

• The impairment of functioning that it causes in a person’s life
• The intensity of the fear
• The level of avoidance

People with social anxiety disorder don’t just feel nervous before giving a speech. They may worry about the speech for weeks or months beforehand, lose sleep due to anxiety, and have intense symptoms of anxiety during the feared situation such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, sweating, or shaking. 

The symptoms usually do not go away but get worse as the situation progresses. The person with social anxiety disorder usually realizes that their fears are unfounded but is still unable to control them.

Shyness, on the other hand, is an emotion that may come and go, depending on the situation and the person’s mood. Shy people may feel self-conscious or awkward in social settings, but they can still motivate themselves to perform when needed. 

They may also enjoy social interactions once they overcome their initial hesitation. Shyness does not interfere with the person’s daily functioning or cause significant distress.

According to WebMD (2), some of the common signs of social anxiety are:

• Fear of situations where you may be judged negatively
• Worry about embarrassing or humiliating yourself
• Intense fear of interacting or talking with strangers
• Avoiding any situation in which you will be the center of attention
• Getting anxiety in anticipation of an activity or event
• Spending significant time analyzing and critiquing the way you acted in a social situation
• Expecting the worst outcomes from a negative social experience

These signs may show up as emotional and behavioral symptoms, physical symptoms, or social symptoms. 

People with social anxiety disorder may experience anxiety or panic attacks when they are in a feared or stressful situation. They may also try to avoid social situations altogether, which can interfere with their daily functioning and quality of life.