Do I have Social Anxiety?
Many people ask themselves this question when they feel anxious in social settings. According to the DSM-5 ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders), these are four main symptoms of social anxiety. Keep in mind that you can have social anxiety without meeting criteria for the full diagnosis.
1. Marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others. The individual fears that he or she will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that will be humiliating or embarrassing.
2. Exposure to the feared social situation almost invariably provokes anxiety or panic
3. The person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable
4. Anxiety, fear, avoidance lasting 6 months or more (DSM-5)
Even though it can be difficult to acknowledge that one is struggling with social anxiety, it can also help one clarify what is going on and begin to seek help. Moreover, having a clear diagnosis or name for what we are experience seeing can help us manage it better. At times people can go many years without knowing what anxiety is or how to manage. You don’t have to experience all these symptoms to benefit from therapy.
Some examples of social situations include speaking up in meetings, fear of meeting new people or going to new places. This can affect work life and personal life. Many people will avoid new people pr places to prevent feeling anxious. This can affect her person’s performance at work or in social situations where a person may avoid socializing. Not being able to socialize can take a toll in one’s mental health. Not having friends can decreased odds not just of more social anxiety but also depression.
A person may at first have a hard time recognize that social fear is excessive if it happens more than a few times or also if others start to notice it. Moreover, for a person to have a social anxiety diagnosis these symptoms need to present for 6 months or more. As it is typical for most people to experience some lever of anxiety from time to time. However, with social anxiety it is persistent meaning on most setting most of the time over the period of 6 months or more.
