Can you self diagnose social anxiety
Social Anxiety Test: 3-Minute Self-Assessment
Anxiety Disorders
Do you feel worried and panicked in social situations or by the mere thought of being in them? Take this social anxiety test to determine if you meet the diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
Medical ReviewerCaroline Buzanko, PhD
Who Is This Social Anxiety Quiz For?
This brief assessment is for people who experience anxiety in social situations. Take this quiz to determine if you meet the diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder (social phobia).
The questions listed below relate to life experiences common among people who have been diagnosed with a social anxiety disorder.
Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges in the past few months.
How Accurate Is It?
This quiz is NOT a diagnostic tool. Mental health disorders can only be diagnosed by licensed health care professionals.
Psycom believes assessments can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment. All too often people stop short of seeking help out of fear their concerns aren't legitimate or severe enough to warrant professional intervention.
How Is Social Anxiety Disorder Treated?
Social Anxiety Disorder is highly treatable often through therapy.
Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous.
The Alchemer platform offers adaptability & extensive versatility required by today’s business professionals. Please take my survey now
Social Anxiety FAQs
How can I be tested for social anxiety?
There is no medical test for social anxiety disorder. A psychiatrist or other mental health professional can make a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (otherwise known as social phobia) based on your own description of your symptoms, how they occur, and in what situations.
Your doctor will use criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to determine if your symptoms warrant a diagnosis.
Where can I get a social anxiety test?
Your health care provider is your first point of call to assess whether you might meet the criteria to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. Your doctor will do an assessment to determine if your symptoms are caused by any underlying physical health conditions. Your doctor may then refer you to a psychiatrist or a psychologist who specializes in diagnosing anxiety disorders.
How long does it take to get a social anxiety diagnosis?
In order to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, you must have been experiencing the symptoms outlined in the DSM-5 for at least 6 months or more. The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria also require ruling out other mental disorders such as panic disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, or autism spectrum disorder. It may therefore take multiple sessions with a mental health professional before they can confidently make a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder.
How will a diagnosis of social anxiety impact a child or family?
The first step to overcoming social anxiety disorder is a formal diagnosis. Once a child is diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, the family may feel relieved that a specific treatment plan can now be put into place to ease the child’s symptoms. Children with social anxiety disorder are typically treated with either behavioral therapy or a combination of behavioral therapy and medication.
Can I self-diagnose social anxiety?
Only a trained mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, can diagnose a mental health disorder like social anxiety. While you cannot self-diagnose, you can take steps to figure out if your symptoms are the result of normal shyness or if they could be something more. Tools like Psycom’s social anxiety disorder quiz are a useful first step to determine if you should seek help from a mental health professional.
Do I have social anxiety or am I just shy?
Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition in which social interactions cause irrational anxiety.
Social anxiety is more than just feeling shy. People with social anxiety have an intense fear of situations where they could be watched, judged, embarrassed, or rejected by others. The symptoms are so extreme that they interfere with the person’s daily routine and prevent them from taking part in ordinary activities.
What triggers social anxiety?
Some events, emotions, or experiences may make it more likely for the symptoms of social anxiety to begin or worsen—these are known as triggers. Some common triggers of social anxiety disorder include meeting new people, attending social events, making small talk, being watched while doing something, etc. Social anxiety triggers can differ from person to person and so working with a mental health professional to identify what your triggers are and how you can react when faced with them can be incredibly helpful.
Does social anxiety ever go away?
For most people, social anxiety disorder will not go away without treatment.
It is very important to seek help from a mental health professional if you believe you are experiencing symptoms of social anxiety disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is generally considered the most effective form of treatment for social anxiety. CBT is a form of therapy that enables you to identify negative patterns of thought and behavior and change them.
Child Mind Institute. Social Anxiety Disorder. Accessed 4/21/21. National Institute of Mental Health. Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness. Accessed 4/21/21.
Notes: This article was originally published June 16, 2021 and most recently updated January 24, 2022.
Social Anxiety Self-Check Quiz - Foundry -
I worry about what other people will think of me even when I know it doesn’t make any difference.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
It bothers me when people form an unfavorable impression of me.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
I am frequently afraid of other people noticing my shortcomings.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
I worry about what kind of impression I make on people.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
I am afraid that others will not approve of me.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
I am afraid that people will find fault with me.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
I am concerned about other people’s opinions of me.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
When I am talking to someone, I worry about what they may be thinking about me.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
I am usually worried about what kind of impression I make.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
If I know someone is judging me, it tends to bother me.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
Sometimes I think I am too concerned with what other people think of me.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
I often worry that I will say or do wrong things.
Not at all characteristic of me
Slightly characteristic of me
Moderately characteristic of me
Very characteristic of me
Extremely characteristic of me
I am taking this test
To learn about myself
For fun; just playing around
Professional interest
To try and understand somebody else
Prefer not to answer
Have you received mental health care from a professional in the past year?
No
Yes
Prefer not to answer
14 ways to cope with social anxiety
Even very open-minded people are sometimes afraid to speak in public or meet people.
But there are those for whom an ordinary conversation with classmates is already stressful, and the need to speak near the blackboard with a report can lead to panic. Agata Kovalevskaya tells what helped her cope with social anxiety.
Have you ever found it difficult to fit into a team? Did the fear of what teachers or classmates might think about you blurred your eyes and prevented you from concentrating on the subject? Was the exit to the blackboard accompanied by nausea, hand tremors and dizziness? For most of my high school life, I felt that way. These are symptoms of social anxiety.
What is social anxiety
In order to deal with the problem, you need to know at least approximately what it is and how it can be identified. Let's look at the example of Masha and Dasha.
Masha is an ordinary girl who studies at an ordinary school. She loves to read poetry, but she is always a little worried if she needs to speak to the public, but she does not give up her hobby.
She is embarrassed to meet people, but an hour after meeting, she begins to feel more or less comfortable in a new company, she jokes and laughs, tells stories from her life. Masha likes to wear bright clothes, loves when people pay attention to her. She gladly goes to interesting events in the company of friends and acquaintances.
Dasha is also an ordinary girl and goes to an ordinary school. She would like to study oratory, but she ran away from the club after the first lesson. When the teacher asks her in class and calls her to the blackboard, Dasha's voice trembles, and the whole class can see that her hands are shaking so that she can barely hold the chalk. Dasha has few friends because it takes her a long time to feel comfortable around a stranger. She's never been to that cool new coffee shop because she can't bring herself to talk to the clerk. She doesn't wear bright clothes because she feels uncomfortable thinking people are looking at her. She really wants to go to interesting events, like Masha, but she avoids it because of the fear of crowded places.
Masha is a teenager who does not suffer from social anxiety. Yes, she worries in some situations, but this is absolutely normal. Pronounced anxiety when interacting with people, avoidance of frightening situations, plus physiological signs (flashing of color to the face, shaking hands and feet, trembling voice and nausea) - this is no longer quite normal, but rather completely abnormal. Dasha has social phobia.
At first glance, it may seem that both Dasha and Masha have more or less the same life in terms of complexity, but this is not entirely true. Dasha spends several times more energy during the day, as she has to not only cope with life's difficulties, but also with all the fears that greatly limit her abilities. Clusters of people frighten her and take a lot of energy, so sports clubs and creative circles are out of the question; after school, she strives to be at home in the company of a pet and an interesting book as soon as possible. But sometimes it is difficult for her to rest even at home, because she replays in her head all those, as it seems to her, awkward moments that happened at school.
If after some time nothing changes in her life, then she may develop depression, panic attacks and other unpleasant things, the basis of which will be social phobia. Getting rid of social anxiety will be a little more difficult as an adult, so you need to start acting now. How can you help a person who reminds you of Dasha? Or, if it seems to you that you look like Dasha, what can you do to make your existence easier? I am a person with social anxiety and I offer you several proven methods.
"Just go and start talking to people" is pretty stupid advice, you'll agree. It's like a child who is learning to draw, show Aivazovsky's paintings and say "Draw, come on, what's so complicated, you're fooling everything, everyone can draw." Not all. Let's start with small steps.
1. Contact a specialist
Perhaps the most banal and most effective option that will help you achieve better results. Working with a competent psychotherapist will help you work through all the anxious situations that you can get into, figure out what caused the fear, and simply learn how to build a trusting relationship with a person who will not judge you under any circumstances.
Also, a specialist can prescribe medications to help reduce your overall level of anxiety until you learn to cope on your own.
"But how can I start talking to a psychologist if I'm afraid to go to the clinic and I avoid it, did you think with your head?!" Indeed, at first glance, a stalemate, but you can always ask for help from a close friend or relative who comes with you for the first time, and if you are very, very anxious, will attend the first session. After all, you go there to get cured, so go for it, I believe in you!
However, there are situations when it is simply not possible to turn to a knowledgeable person. In this case, you can independently take small steps towards a future in which existence will at least not be unbearable.
2. In public places, try to sit in a relaxed position and calmly. After all, non-verbal communication is also communication. Try to straighten your shoulders, straighten your back, do not cross your arms over your chest.
If you are uncomfortable, then you are on the right course. The longer you are in this position, the more open you feel and the calmer you can be in the company of other people, but do not mock yourself. If you're feeling very anxious, you might want to slow down a bit and get into a comfortable position. You don't lose anything.
3. Greet people when you meet them
This is more difficult, but we're not talking to complete strangers yet. Do you see a teacher or a classmate walking towards you at school? Greet them! Even if your voice breaks when you are worried, even if you get no answer, you will know that you did everything you could to win over people a little. Before I say hello to a person, I usually look to see if he noticed me at all, and if so, I smile at him and greet him. This helps to avoid awkward moments.
4. Start by talking about the weather and even banal phrases, it definitely won’t get worse
“Oh, it’s snowing again today, it’s barely there!” I say, coming closer to my classmate, trying at the same time to speak loudly and clearly enough.
Did they answer me with a smile? Well, at least I don’t speak into the void, they hear me and show at least some reaction. Did you start a conversation with me? Excellent! Even if my further remarks are poorly thought out, and anxiety does not allow me to act according to the situation.
Well, what to do when you accidentally start a conversation and don't know what to say? Maybe just run away from the conversation? No, this is avoidance, and we must avoid avoidance (please forgive me for the tautology). If you don’t know what to answer, smile, this is also a reaction. Catch on to the last words of the interlocutor and express your attitude towards them: “Yes, it’s really a lot of snow today, is your car stuck in a snowdrift? Blimey!". Or you can ask a question. Something like: “Well, what does it feel like to sit in a car that is stuck in a snowdrift?”. But don't overdo it.
5. Make eye contact with the person
“Hmm, okay, that’s not right away, some kind of nonsense.
” Don't dismiss it right away! Yes, at first I was anxious and unpleasant, but then it turned into a familiar game in which the one who first looks away loses. Lately, I've been winning more and more often, getting as a prize the awkwardness experienced by my opponents. A very strange and pleasant feeling, just for this it is worth trying.
6. Treat people to candy!
This is perhaps the most enjoyable step that brings joy to you and others. When you share sweets with someone, you can be sure that you will not be rejected or rude to you. You can make someone's day much better with this, and your faith in humanity and yourself a little more. And if this is combined with the fourth step, then it will be a combo that will take you to a new level (please forgive me for the puns too).
Now let's move on to something more useful specifically for the school.
7. Oral homework can be rehearsed in front of a mirror
yourself confidently. For a presentation in front of the class and the teacher, you can write a small plan that will help you stay on topic and stay on track.
8. If you feel that today is not your day, say you are not ready
If the teacher is adequate, he will understand. Approach him before the lesson, explain the situation; say that you do not feel very well today, that you are not ready to answer at the blackboard.
9. Do you have a very quiet voice? Start singing!
Honestly, I'm not kidding now. Answer my question: how often have you been told in a contemptuous tone with notes of reproach that your voice is “too quiet”, that “you can’t be heard” and “stop mumbling”? Too often? Then start singing, that should help. It seems very difficult, I know, but if you make a choice in favor of one-on-one classes with a teacher, then you will be comfortable after a couple of classes. After a short course of classes, I could feel changes in my voice: it became less likely to break loose, became louder. I have never heard more calls “speak-louder-but-it-is-not-heard”, which I am very glad about.
But what if right now you feel anxious? To do this, there are wonderful grounding exercises that have been tested on many people, including me.
10. Watch your breathing
Try to calm down a bit. Inhale, counting to four to yourself, hold your breath for seven seconds, and then exhale for seven seconds. Repeat several times.
11. Distract your brain
Count all the iron objects in the room. Find five things in the room that you can smell, imagine the smell. Describe or say out loud what you see outside the window. Count the things you can touch, touch them, and focus on the sensations of touch. The main goal is to return to reality if it seems to you that you are falling out of it.
12. Have some tea or just water
13. In class, ask permission to leave
Walk around the corridors while doing the breathing exercise.
14. Create a rhythm
Tap your fingers on the table, hum a tune, shake your leg, rock from side to side. And you can combine it all if you want.
Social anxiety is an unpleasant thing, often just getting in the way of life.
But it can also be overcome. It was psychotherapy and medications that helped me, but before that, for 17 years, I had to deal with this on my own. Everything still has to.
If you are a parent and suspect that your child has a fear of communication and public speaking, please do not let things take their course, because later small problems can develop into big ones that will be more difficult to get rid of. Better to play it safe and find psychological help now if he asks for it.
If you suspect that you have social phobia, then I want to tell you: you are not alone. You are not alone, you do not do everything wrong and awkwardly, people do not condemn you for all your words and actions, they do not discuss your shortcomings behind your back. There are people who love you and appreciate you for who you are. You are not your disease and not your fears. I believe in you and that you can handle it. After all, it's never too late to fix things and help yourself.
Illustration: iStockphoto (openeyed11)
Annotated Index of National Psychological Journal Articles
How Our Word Responds
National Psychological Journal 2022.
No. 3. p.126-130
Tsukerman G.A.
moreDownload PDF
497
Life with love as the meaning of being in the existential paradigm of relationships
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. c.119-125
Utrobina V.G.
moreDownload PDF
508
Ecopsychological interactions of young children with other subjects of the social environment
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. p.108-118
Lidskaya E.V. Panov V.I.
more detailsDownload PDF
467
Application of the methodology "Diagnostics of the mental development of children from birth to three years" in clinical psychology and psychiatry
National Psychological Journal 2022.
No. 3. p.97-107
Trushkina S.V. Skoblo G.V.
moreDownload PDF
490
The Russian Museum of Childhood: On the Development of a Scientific Concept
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. p.89-96
Sobkin V. S. Kalashnikova E. A. Lykova T. A.
moreDownload PDF
366
From Responsiveness to Self-Organization: A Comparison of Approaches to the Child in Waldorf and Directive Pedagogy
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. p.77-88
Abdulaeva E.A.
moreDownload PDF
280
E.O. Smirnova on the moral education of children
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. c.69-76
Burlakova I.A.
moreDownload PDF
290
Modern childhood and preschool education are on the protection of the rights of the child: to the 75th anniversary of E.
O. Smirnova
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. p.60-68
Karabanova O.A.
moreDownload PDF
296
E.O. Smirnova in the practice of education
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. c.52-59
Galiguzova L.N. Meshcheryakova S.Yu.
moreDownload PDF
274
Funny and scary in children's narratives: a cognitive aspect
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. p.44-51
Shiyan O.A.
moreDownload PDF
375
Approach E.O. Smirnova to the assessment of toys for children
National Psychological Journal 2022. No. 3. c.35-43
Ryabkova I.A. Sheina E.G.
moreDownload PDF
347
The Artist in the Child
National Psychological Journal 2022.
