 Hey, Psych2Goers, and welcome back to another Psych2Go video. Do you find it hard to socialize with other people? Do you feel overwhelmed at the thought of going to a social event? It can be very easy to confuse social anxiety and shyness since they share many of the same characteristics. While shyness is a personality trait, social anxiety is a mental illness. Before we begin, we'd like to mention that this video is created for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute a professional diagnosis. With that being said, here are 8 signs you might have social anxiety. 1. You're always self-conscious One aspect of social anxiety is the extreme fear of being judged. According to Kokovsky and Enler, if you have social anxiety, you'll constantly worry about the way you look or act and what others think of you. Your greatest fear is of embarrassing yourself in front of others. A shy person, on the other hand, will only worry about being judged in certain situations, like in public speaking or when meeting someone new. 2. Your anxiety feels out of hand There are times when it's normal to feel shy or nervous around other people, for example when you move to a new school or have to perform in front of an audience. But social anxiety is irrational and unwarranted. You may feel distressed about things as simple as making eye contact with someone, using public transportation or eating in front of other people. The fear is always there. 3. It interferes with your performance Have you ever called in sick to work when your anxiety became too overwhelming? Or have you kept quiet when you were having trouble in class? Social anxiety can impact your performance in many ways. With the constant fear of people's judgment, you may even be afraid to do well to avoid drawing attention. You don't pitch ideas at meetings, raise your hand in class, or join clubs because of how much anxiety it creates. 4. It affects your relationships While it's hard to make friends when you're shy, it can feel almost impossible when you have social anxiety. For a shy person, it's usually about breaking the ice and going through the initial awkwardness of meeting each other. But having social anxiety can complicate your relationships. You feel tense and uneasy around people no matter how close you are or how long you've known them. 5. It doesn't go away with familiarity It's normal to feel shy at the beginning of a new relationship, but as you get to know each other, the tension will start to subside. This isn't the case if you have social anxiety. Instead, you always experience fear, distress, and embarrassment whenever you're around other people. It doesn't matter if it's your parents, siblings, or best friend. You always feel uneasy and stressed, unless you're alone. 6. You overanalyze everything Have you ever said things to yourself like, I took too long to reply and now she doesn't like me? Or he didn't say hello this morning because he's upset with me. Social anxiety can make you obsessed over your social interactions. You may spend a lot of time and energy analyzing other people's facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice to see if they really mean what they're saying or not. 7. You avoid social situations Are you often absent or very late to social gatherings? It's a serious matter if your social anxiety leads you to avoid social situations altogether. You decline invitations, refuse to speak in front of people, and you would rather sit in the corner to avoid being noticed than mingle with anyone else. It doesn't matter if it's a normal day at work or school, your own birthday party, or even your wedding day. And date. You have physical symptoms. Do you feel nausea, dizziness, or chest palpitations when you're in social situations? Just like most anxiety disorders, social anxiety is often accompanied by physical symptoms. Some common ones are sweaty palms, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and trembling. While these are also the same signs of someone having a panic attack, you'll be able to tell the difference if you only show these symptoms when anticipating or being out in a social setting. Do you relate to any of these symptoms above? Let us know in the comments below. If you do, you're definitely not alone, nor are you bad for feeling this way. The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. If you find this video helpful, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with those who might benefit from it as well. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you in the next video.