Social anxiety disorder symptoms include cognitive, physical, and behavioral difficulties. If you suffer with social anxiety, you may wonder whether your symptoms are severe enough for you to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Only a trained mental health professional can provide a diagnosis, however reading about the symptoms of the disorder will help you learn whether what you are feeling is typical of those with SAD.
Situational Triggers
People with SAD fear being embarrassed or humiliated in front of others. You may be afraid of one or many different types of social situations.
Below are some situations that trigger anxiety in those with SAD.
Regardless of which specific situations trigger your social anxiety, the symptoms that you experience will fall into one of three broad categories: cognitive symptoms (what you think), physical symptoms (what you feel), and behavioral symptoms (what you do).
Cognitive Symptoms
The cognitive symptoms of SAD are the dysfunctional thought patterns that accompany the disorder. People with SAD are plagued with negative thoughts and self-doubt when it comes to social situations. If these negative thought patterns are allowed to continue without treatment, they may erode your self-esteem over time. Below are some common issues that you may experience.
Your thoughts start to rapidly spiral out of control to the point that you don't hear anything anyone else has said. When it comes your turn, you say as little as possible and hope that no one noticed your anxiety. Negative thoughts often occur so automatically that you are not even aware of them.