How does one distinguish social anxiety from shyness?

Question

I think I might have social anxiety disorder, but I don't want to go talk to a therapist and find out it's just shyness. that would be embarrassing.

Answer 1

I am not an expert, but I have been diagnosed with social phobia. Are you scared to go into stores because you can't handle interacting with the person at the register? Do you feel like it's your job to make a restaurant's waitstaff feel good/happy? Are you scared to call people on the phone? Are you scared to answer the phone? Do you avoid almost everyone you know? If you are "shy" around people you have known for a long time, then that is a good indication as well. If you feel worn out from taking care of people's emotions, then that may also be a sign of social anxiety. Do you have a fear of what people will think of you? Even strangers? Are you scared to be yourself? Do you feel like you need to put a face on when interacting with people? Like you may be having the worse day of your life, but you act like the happiest, most outgoing person when talking to the person selling you a movie ticket? If you answer yes to some of these questions, then you are probably more likely to have social anxiety then be shy. Being shy means you are slow to warm to people, but once you do then you feel at ease. Good luck!

Answer 2

Have you ever heard the saying "Painfully shy"? That's what I was ...even through college. It gradually decreased. I do agree that a lot of it is panic attacks. I have panic attacks now...and now that I have a name for it..I realize that's what was happening then. Felt like I put my finger in a wall socket. Maybe s.a.d. and shyness are both panic attacks with different names. However, I'm not shy now and still have panic attacks. Hmmmm
And being embarrassed easily..that goes with it. Don't worry about the names...go get treatment for it before you ruin your whole life with being tortured by them. Even if it's "just shyness"....that can keep you from participating in "Life" ! And don't worry about the therapist...that's what they get paid for. Just don't believe everything they tell you. You need to use your common sense too. They're not "gods"..they're just people who have the experiences of other people to draw on to help figure out the answer to other people's problems.

Answer 3

People go talk to therapists all the time who are having problems dealing with their shyness. There's no need to be embarrassed about any problem you want to face and deal with.

Therapists don't judge people, or laugh at them. They become therapists because they want to help people.

It wouldn't matter to a therapist if you had a fear of eggs, or your toes, or toilet paper. They are there to help you deal with whatever you want help dealing with.

Shyness is as much of a problem for some people as Social Anxiety Disorder, so it doesn't matter. Go get the help you desire. While you're at it, ask the therapist to help you figure out why you get embarrassed so easily.

Whichever problem you discover that you have, both of them are based on a fear of doing something. It's the fear that you need to deal with.

Answer 4

Shyness is a mild form of social anxiety that involves a sense of discomfort around strangers, which causes the person to "clam up," avoid eye contact and a strong sense of self-consciousness. Stronger social anxiety will be accompanied by palpitations, sometimes shortness of breath, tremulousness, sweating, and a strong urge to escape. Remember the discomfort you had when you had to present in front of your class in high school or when you did karaoke for the first time? With intense anxiety the person may not be able to breath or might believe they are having a heart attack. When it gets this intense, it becomes an anxiety disorder, and the person may very well require medication and / or therapy to help him cope. Stubbornness has nothing to do with this.

Answer 5

firstly, you shouldn't consider seeing a therapist to be an embarrassment in anyway - even if it turns out there is nothing wrong with you.

I recently visited a therapist for the first time, for different reasons to 'social anxiety'.. but none the less i had felt for a while that maybe i did have something similar to social anxiety. And so, as we were talking about my life, this kind of crept into the conversation. After the first session it became clear that there was no real problems apart from what she considered "judgement and trust issues", and i will be going back for several more sessions to deal with this.

My point is, if you feel you need to talk it over with someone, then do it - these people have an obscure talant for making you feel appreciated and overall much better about yourself from simply talking to them. Even if there is nothing wrong you will be glad you went.

Also, be careful about diagnosing yourself with social anxiety - its only considered to be so in very extreme cases, often it is confused with other things.. as it was in my case.

Answer 6

if the shyness is preventing you from doing anything (ie going to public events, making new friends) you wish you could do & produces anxiety if you have to do them then that could be more than just being shy. it wouldn't be embarrasing to see a therapist, it would be proactive...you might not have an anxiety disorder but maybe a therapist can help you work thru your shyness issues. you dont have to be hearing voices or suicidal to see a counselor/therapist....its completely normal & very helpful.....good luck to you!

Answer 7

social anxiety is pretty much where you go to a place and sometimes have like an anxiety attack, or you are really scared to be around a lot of people, I mean really scared. Shyness is where you are not scared to go to these places, but you are just very quiet and soft-spoken, don't like to talk to others, but will if had to.

Answer 8

I am so happy, it was only a 35 minute drive ( 70 minutes total) but absolutely no sign of anxiety or panic i shopped till I dropped - brilliant! I will now go for the next stage DUAL CARRIAGE way, probably at the weekend, with my husband accompanying me first then the solo drive, if successful the final stage of driving on motorway

Beat Anxiety And Panic Attacks Naturally?

Answer 9

You have some good answers in this group of people that responded. Here is a web site where you can do some further research. It's excellent. www.panicsurvivor.com. Good luck to you.

Answer 10

I think anxiety usually comes with panic attacks.