(light upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Hello, Psych2Goers and welcome back.
All right, so how do you know
it's a disorder and not a trait?
Who wouldn't be a bit awkward
when walking into a room full of strangers?
Shyness is a trait.
It's the initial awkwardness
that precedes forced small talk.
The mere dislike of the spotlight,
but it's not distressing.
Social anxiety, on the other hand,
is the pervasive, intense fear
of being judged, humiliated, rejected
or embarrassed in a social setting
that leads to anxiety or avoidance.
Although shyness and social anxiety
share similar physical symptomatology,
there are traits that differentiate them.
And please remember this video
is meant to be informative
and should not be used as
a rubric for self-diagnosis.
If you have any personal questions
or concerns regarding this topic,
please consult a licensed professional.
With that said,
here are seven signs that you're not just shy.
Number one, avoiding or escaping very public settings.
When you find yourself in new surroundings,
do you open up after awhile
or stick to a familiar group of people?
Or maybe a bathroom nearby
or leaving early seems like a better sanctuary?
Although a shy person may feel uncomfortable
at the party where they don't know anyone,
someone with social anxiety
will avoid public settings altogether.
This symptom can devolve into agoraphobia.
Public situations such as
dining out at a restaurant, dating,
or returning an item to a store
can be harrowing for someone
with an anxiety disorder,
where there are opportunities
for rejection or embarrassment.
If avoidance is not possible,
those who have social anxiety
may try to escape the whole situation
by using extreme avoidance
and escapist tactics or safety behaviors.
The problem with safety behaviors
is that they provide the illusion
of surviving the event.
However, you still feel guilty
for not controlling your anxiety.
Number two, feeling very self-conscious in front of others.
Do public settings make you feel uncomfortable?
Does it feel as though people
are watching and judging you?
You might not even have everyone's attention,
yet you still have an inexplicable fear
that at some point something will happen
and everyone will start judging you.
To someone who doesn't suffer from social anxiety,
this might sound illogical,
but that's the thing.
Social anxieties sometimes don't have logic.
They can arise at the most random moment
and make you suddenly feel
as though the spotlight has fallen on you.
Some physical symptoms involve
sweating, heart palpitations, and panic attacks.
Number three, fear of physical symptoms
that may cause you embarrassment.
Can you feel a certain set of physical symptoms
kicking in as soon as you step out?
Do you constantly cool your burning cheeks
with the back of your hands?
One way social anxiety can pass a shyness
is through physical cues.
Both have physiological similarities
such as blushing, sweating, rigid posture, and trembling.
However, for someone with social anxiety,
their bodily response can make them anxious.
These physical symptoms add
to the workload of stepping out into society.
You constantly worry about
how others might judge you
for displaying these outwards symptoms.
Even having your mind go blank for a few seconds
can make you feel like
you left a poor impression.
Number four, fear that others
will notice that you look anxious.
Are you quick to avert your eyes after a quick greeting?
Are you more comfortable looking around
while interacting with others?
While shyness can be the initial driving force,
it wears off with time
to the point that you become comfortable
holding steady eye contact.
On the contrary, social anxiety does not
wear away after the first few moments of interacting.
As you feel its presence,
all the while you are reluctant
to engage in open interaction.
Since your social anxiety is
a tangible experience for you,
you fear that it's also noticeable
for those around you.
Thus, producing more anxiety.
Number five, having anxiety in anticipation
of a feared activity or event.
Is the mirror your trustee audience
months before a public event?
Before a big event,
like a presentation,
it's normal to feel a bit anxious.
If its shyness holding you back,
it can diminish over awhile.
However, if you experienced social anxiety,
you might think for months
about all the things that could go wrong.
In some cases,
these thoughts can accumulate in your mind
and lead you to avoid the event or situation.
This behavior can be particularly damaging
if it's school or work-related.
Having an honest support system
can help alleviate the worst of the jitters.
Number six, a past negative social experience.
Is there a rigid memory
of things going awry in a social setting?
When you first experience
a setback at a social event,
it tends to take root in you
in the form of dread.
However, if it was just shyness,
the next time you encounter such a setting
and come out unscathed,
some of that dread chips away.
But when you're socially anxious,
no amount of chipping away is sufficient.
You are always expecting
the worst possible consequences.
You lose interest
in even working on basic social skills.
Although the definitive cause
for social anxiety is unknown,
researchers believe that underdeveloped social skills
can lead to social anxiety.
Being teased or bullied
for being socially awkward
can lead you to fear further social interactions
and exacerbate social anxiety.
And number seven,
spending time after a social situation
analyzing your performance
and identifying flaws in your interactions.
Do you mull over conversations way into the night?
Are you constantly thinking up
how you should have responded
long after the topic is over?
Sometimes we revisit past moments
to learn from them and become better.
But obsessing over a past detail
usually ends with insecurities
creeping out from the corners of your mind
to make you feel inferior.
However, for someone with social anxiety,
obsessing over a small detail
does not feel like a choice.
Social anxiety is about seeing yourself
through the lens of someone else.
Hence, you might be prone to dwelling
and analyzing past interactions,
especially conversations.
The trigger is in the part
of the conversation
that you keep replaying.
Only when you figure out a better response
can you let it go.
Letting go is a difficult step
and it might take some time to learn.
Everyone experiences anxiety to varying degrees.
Hence, professional advice tailored
to meet individual needs is essential
to ensure positive results.
Your apprehensions are by no means
a reason for you to swear off from society.
By seeking appropriate support and help,
you can soon view the outside world
as your conquered battlefield.
Have you ever had the two mixed?
What has helped you cope with social anxiety?
Feel free to leave a comment down below
with your thoughts, experiences, or suggestions.
If you found this video helpful,
be sure to hit the like button
and share it with those out there,
pondering the two.
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Thanks for watching.