Does your face flush before you speak in a meeting, or do you decline an event because you dread people's stares? That may be ordinary shyness, or it may be social anxiety that narrows your life. Answer honestly to learn the difference.
Start the social anxiety test
How is the score calculated?
“Does not apply” = 0, “Applies a little” = 1, “Applies a lot” = 2, and “Applies completely” = 3. The scores of the ten questions are added to give a number from 0 to 30. These cutoffs are guidelines that we set for awareness purposes, not approved diagnostic thresholds:
| Level | What it means | Suggested step |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 7 | Low likelihood | No action needed, but keep practicing social situations |
| 8 – 15 | Moderate likelihood | Consult a mental health specialist if avoidance starts to increase |
| 16 – 30 | High likelihood that an assessment would help you | Assessment by a psychiatrist soon |
What to do after your result
Mild nervousness before new situations is normal, and repeated exposure to social situations reduces it over time.
Do not give in to avoidance; start with easier situations and work up gradually, and talk with a specialist if you feel the fear is growing.
Long-term avoidance entrenches fear, and cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most effective treatments for social anxiety, and the doctor may add medication when needed.
Small steps to start today
- Write a list of the situations that frighten you, and rank them from easiest to hardest.
- Start with the easiest, such as asking a shop assistant a short question, and repeat it until the tension eases.
- Notice your thoughts before and after the situation, and ask yourself: did people actually notice what I fear?
- Cut back on stimulants before gatherings, and try slow breathing to calm the physical symptoms.
- Move on to the next situation on the list when the current one becomes bearable.
These steps help in mild cases, but if the fear stops you from even starting the first step, working with a therapist makes the road shorter and safer.
About this questionnaire
The questions of this awareness questionnaire were drawn from the criteria for social anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: fear of being watched and judged, physical symptoms, avoidance, suffering, and impact on life. It has not undergone validation studies and is not used for diagnosis. Doctors rely on the clinical interview, and may use approved scales such as the SPIN to gauge severity.
In the assessment, the doctor asks you about when the fear began, the situations that trigger it, and what you do to avoid them. They rule out other causes that may resemble it, then propose a plan that suits the severity of your symptoms and your life circumstances.
Limits of the test
- An awareness questionnaire that is not validated and is not enough on its own for diagnosis.
- It does not distinguish social anxiety from related disorders such as panic disorder or avoidant personality disorder.
- Having recently been through an embarrassing situation may raise your answers temporarily.
- If your fear is limited to a single situation such as public speaking, the score may come out lower than the extent of your suffering in it.
- It is not suitable for children; their social fear is assessed differently, with the parents taking part.
Social anxiety and addiction
Many people with social anxiety discover that alcohol, sedatives, or hashish “loosen the knot” in gatherings, so they come to rely on them before every occasion. This quick fix deprives them of learning to face the fear and opens a door to dependence that is hard to close. If this keeps happening to you, read about social anxiety and addiction and how they are treated together.
Free confidential consultation
Social anxiety makes asking for help itself a hard step, which is why we make the beginning easy: a free, confidential first consultation with the Eradah team on 01122220495, where you can ask whatever you like and are not asked to say anything you do not want to.