Social Anxiety Test

Category: Social Anxiety Online Therapy | Last updated: October 11th, 2018 | Reviewed and approved by:
Dr. Steven Gans, MD

Signs and symptoms of social anxiety

Social anxiety (social phobia) means that a person gets anxious when he or she is at the center of other people's attention. There is an intense fear of being watched and judged, due to the perceived risk of humiliation and embarrassment. Social anxiety often starts during school or at puberty when certain social demands increase, but already in the sandbox some children are more timid than normal towards strangers.

Social anxiety is not the same as just being shy, nervous before a speech or having stage fright. People suffering from social anxiety experience these types of feelings more often and in extreme ways, in most cases, the feeling is intense and unbearable. Just thinking about social situations may be so frightening and filled with anxiety, that you often will go to any lengths to avoid them.

Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of social anxiety:

Emotional symptoms of social anxiety

Fear of embarrassment and making a fool out of yourself
Constant worrying about a social event coming up (even months ahead)
Extreme fear of being judged or watched (especially by unknown people)
Fear that others will notice that you are nervous
Filtering messages in a constantly negative way
Only imagining about negative consequences
Having a negative perception of yourself
Being extremely self-conscious

Physical symptoms of social anxiety

Tightness in the chest
Pounding of the heart
Shaky voice
Trembling or shaking
Rapid breathing
Muscle tension
Sweating or hot flashes
Dizziness or feeling faint
Twitching
Blushing
Dry mouth
Upset stomach and nausea

Social anxiety can affect your whole life, avoiding social situations to an extent that limits your activities and disrupts your life. It can hinder you from finding a job, since that often involves meeting new people, working in groups and talking to people over the phone. Even studying might be frightening, since it often involves working in groups and holding presentations. The anxiety can also mean difficulty in getting to know new people and starting relationships. Many people with social phobia, therefore, live alone or with a dominant partner.

Further reading: Overcome your social anxiety with online therapy.

If you suffer from any of the symptoms described above, we recommend that you take this test. Evaluate the statements and select the option that you feel best reflects the way you have felt for the past two weeks. The test is, of course, anonymous and free (see our privacy policy).

This social anxiety test is not to be seen as a final diagnosis. If you are uncertain about your result, we suggest that you get professional help as soon as possible.

True
Partly true
Not true
1. I constantly feel I am being watched and judged by other people.
2. I am constantly afraid that I will make a mistake in front of other people.
3. I have an intense fear that I will do or say something that will embarrass me in front of other people.
4. I absolutely dread being teased or criticized.
5. I fear meeting new people and being in situations where I need to interact with people I don’t know.
6. I always bring a friend to social events where I do not know people well.
7. My fear of embarrassment keeps me from speaking to people.
8. My fear of embarrassment or humiliation keeps me from doing things that I really want to do.
9. I stay quiet or hide in the background to avoid other people’s attention.
10. Before or during a certain social situation, I have experienced physical symptoms such as nausea, trembling, blushing or sweating.
11. I have had a panic attack before or during a feared social situation, as a result of my anxiety about the situation.
12. I try to avoid all types of social situations that cause me anxiety.
13. My anxiety about certain social situations has kept me from having friendships or other relationships.
14. My anxiety about certain social situations has interfered with my work or school.
15. My anxiety about certain social situations has interfered with my normal day-to-day routines.
16. I worry about upcoming frightening social events days, weeks and even months ahead.
17. I sometimes drink or take medicine before a social event, to calm my nerves.
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