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 of situations that make us all a little nervous. 

We can typically overcome social anxiety in these settings if it’s mild, temporary, and doesn’t cause us to avoid situations due to feeling this way. 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 social anxiety treatment. 

Below are a few signs that may help you to determine if what you’re experiencing is above and beyond this ordinary level of nervousness, in which case treatment can be helpful as you work to overcome social anxiety!

1. You actually long to have more of a social life or do certain things but doubt your ability to make it happen because of your social anxiety. If you prefer to spend most of your time alone simply because you enjoy your own company, then social anxiety treatment isn’t necessary.

2. 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 because you’re afraid of the interview process. In this case, working to overcome social anxiety could have positive and significant effects on your life, long-term.

3. You’re currently single because of your social anxiety – either because you’re worried about embarrassing yourself on a date or you’re convinced you’d get rejected if you asked someone out. Social anxiety treatment can target specific social skills like asking someone out a date. 

4. You tend to turn down social invites or feel relieved when social plans get canceled because you’ve been dreading going ever since the plans were made. 

5. You dread being the center of attention or doing any type of task whether others would be observing you. Social anxiety treatment can help you overcome social anxiety in situations such as speaking up at a work meeting, telling a story in a group of people, or eating with others. 

6. You dread making small talk and want to flee any situations where there could be an uncomfortable silence.

7. You keep people at arm’s length, worrying they’d reject you if they really knew you. In social anxiety treatment, we can help you overcome social anxiety and build confidence in skills such as expressing your opinion, making requests, or speaking up for yourself. 

8. Others often comment about how shy, unapproachable, or quiet you are or how you think too much about what other people think of you. A key element of social anxiety treatment is discovering how you can handle others’ opinions of you.

9. You get caught up worrying about signs you’re nervous such as sweating or blushing, and fear that others might notice. CBT therapy can help you overcome social anxiety with techniques that help to reduce physical symptoms by decreasing your body’s threat response. 

10. You get so nervous it affects your speech and you feel unable to speak or it causes you to stutter or talk over yourself.