Symptoms Of Social Anxiety

As you may already know, there are several types of anxiety and even different types of social anxiety. Essentially, social anxiety is a type of anxiety that is characterised by feelings of fear, worry, and embarrassment in social situations. 

It’s more than just being shy; it can be incredibly debilitating since the person affected may not be able to function normally or how they would want to. In fact, most people with social anxiety often avoid social situations at all costs, or they may endure them with great distress.[1]

It is also important to note that the symptoms of social anxiety and the situations that trigger them can vary from person to person. For those with generalised social anxiety disorder, most situations and events can be stressful. On the other hand, those with non-generalised social anxiety disorder fear a more specific range of situations, such as public speaking and other performance activities.[2]

Seeing that those with symptoms of social anxiety disorder tend to avoid situations where there could be interactions with other individuals, forming any kind of relationship takes more time and effort.[3] Studies have even shown that people with these types of mental health conditions have a lower probability of graduating from school,[4] getting into a marriage, maintaining a marriage,[5] and being productive at work.[6]

With this, there’s no doubt that both mild social anxiety and severe social anxiety should be taken seriously. If you feel like you have social anxiety disorder symptoms, take as much time as you need to build up some courage, and then get diagnosed to begin your mental health journey. Speak to experts in the field and find out how to get rid of anxiety.

Living with social anxiety starts with getting a diagnosis from a registered professional. Their assessment would be based on the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)[7] and a questionnaire that makes use of scale-type items.[8] 

This could include questions that ask you how you feel when thinking about parties, speaking in front of a crowd, and even doing tasks while being observed. Afterwards, the social anxiety symptoms would be analysed, and a comprehensive diagnosis could be made. 

However, the problem is that people who are looking to get help or treatment for social anxiety may find it difficult to get out of their house, make an appointment in a physical clinic, and then come back when it’s time for a consultation. Not to mention the stress and tension you could feel while sitting in the waiting room. 

We at Mosh recognise that all you really want is an online health service that can give you support in the comfort of your home. Not only do we know what helps with anxiety and the specific symptoms of social anxiety, but we’ve also made the entire assessment process as easy as it can be. 

All you have to do is answer our digital form to inform us about your medical history and previous medications or treatment you’ve taken before. Once we’ve reviewed all the data you submitted, one of our Australian doctors will get back to you through a consultation. 

Best of all, this patient-doctor communication can be brought about by private video chat, phone voice calls, or even in-depth text message threads. This way, you won’t have to go out of your way for the social anxiety disorder treatment or advice you need.

Similar to depression and other mental health conditions, there are multiple signs and symptoms of social anxiety. To get a firmer grasp, here are some of the behavioural, psychological, and social symptoms social anxiety can cause.

In terms of behaviour, most people who are battling social anxiety would have tense or rigid body postures. It would appear that they are always on edge when interacting with peers, relatives, or strangers, and they would also speak in a soft tone that’s difficult to hear.[9] 

When it comes to thoughts and feelings, those affected by social anxiety would have their mind wiped empty during uncomfortable situations. Their senses can be overwhelmed, and they can be conscious of their appearance or actions as they’d think others are judging them intently. [10]

As for the social symptoms, people with this type of anxiety would have an extremely difficult time making eye contact and would rather avoid the stressful situation altogether. What’s more, they wouldn’t want to be in the presence of individuals they don’t know or have just met.[11]

Want to find out if you have these symptoms of social anxiety? It would be best to get one of our doctors at Mosh to provide you with an outsider’s perspective and applicable medical advice. If your situation calls for it, we’ll answer questions like ‘What is the best medication for anxiety?’ and prescribe you treatment that fits your unique needs. 

Last but not least, an effective way to pinpoint social anxiety is through its physical symptoms. While these manifestations could vary from person to person, common tendencies to take note of would be trembling, sweating, blushing as well as problems breathing normally.[12] 

Now that you know more about the symptoms of social anxiety, you can navigate through our telehealth platform to see what mental health services we provide. Our doctors can give you social anxiety help with custom instructions and simple steps to follow. 

Then, once you’ve gotten how to deal with anxiety, you can keep making progress through our follow-up consultations. In contrast, if you find that your symptoms are getting more intense, we can potentially give you a treatment, but only if necessary. 

Join us at Mosh to get advice from our team of dedicated doctors and perhaps social anxiety remedies or plans delivered straight to your home in Australia.