Shyness & Social Anxiety

People who suffer from shyness or social anxiety often believe that other people will think badly of them or that people will be judging them. They think that they are being closely observed by other people and they would like to give a good impression. At the same time they may fear that they are not as good as other people and can’t “come up to the mark”.

They suffer symptoms of anxiety such as tension, rapid heart beat and light-headedness when they are in social situations. They may blush or stammer or be unable to speak. Certain situations may seem to be more difficult than others.

People may feel quite at ease speaking to people they know but feel very anxious with strangers. Eating or speaking in front of others can be very difficult, as can crowded places such as canteens, pubs, shops or queues.

Signs of Social Anxiety

Some people will begin to avoid difficult situations, often leading to great inconvenience, loss of social life or even career prospects. Other people will find ways of avoiding making a fool of themselves by carrying out “safety behaviours”. This can include not looking people in the eye so as not to draw attention to themselves, sitting down, holding on to something, staying close to someone they know, talking slowly and deliberately, keeping busy, moving quickly from conversation to conversation.

Shyness and Social Anxiety (PDF, 324KB)

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