There are many social situations in which it is perfectly normal to feel nervous and even for that nervousness to get a bit distracting. Meeting new groups of people, speaking up in a meeting, going out on a first date, or meeting your partner’s family for the first time are all classic examples. We are social beings by nature, so naturally we hope people will like us and that we’ll make a good impression. This is just part of being human and doesn’t typically warrant any type of therapy. Below are a few signs that may help you to determine if what you’re experiencing is above and beyond this level, in which case treatment can be helpful!

1. If your nervousness around people keeps you from doing things you would like to do or you actually long to have a good social life but doubt your ability to make it happen because of your social anxiety

2. If your current job is based around your social anxiety – either you stay in the same job so you don’t have to deal with meeting new people or you’ve avoided looking for jobs because you’re afraid of interacting with potential employers and going through interviews

3. If your current single status is based around your social anxiety – either you’re worried you’d make a fool of yourself if you went out on a date or you dread the embarrassment of what would happen if you asked someone out… so you never ask

4. If you tend to turn down social invites knowing you would only feel anxious if you went or you tend to feel relieved when social plans get cancelled because you’ve been dreading going ever since the plans were made

5. If you dread being the center of attention or doing any type of task whether others would be observing you, for fear that you would embarrass yourself

6. If you dread making small talk such as with cashiers, classmates, neighbors, or on planes and rely on your phone or other methods to intentionally keep others from speaking with you

7. If you keep everyone at arms length because you worry others wouldn’t like you if they really got to know you or struggle with expressing your opinion, making requests, or speaking up for yourself for fear of what others might think

8. If others often comment about how shy, unapproachable, or quiet you are or how you think too much about what other people think of you

9. If you get caught up worrying about others noticing signs that you’re nervous such as sweating or blushing

10. If you get so nervous it affects your speech

We can help.

If you or someone you love is struggling with social anxiety, please reach out. We offer social anxiety treatment with CBT Therapists in Orlando and online throughout the state of Florida. Call today or send us your info and we’ll reach out for a free consultation to see if one of our therapists would be a good fit.