How do I know if I have Social Anxiety?

Sufferers often know something is wrong. They may not know that there is a recognised condition called “social anxiety disorder” but they will usually be aware that they feel overly anxious in particular social/public situations.

The scope of the anxiety may be focused on specific types of social/public situations or generalised to almost any social/public encounter. It is often the intensity of the anxiety that differentiates social anxiety from shyness or self-consciousness.

There are screening questionnaires such as those below. Please note that a positive score on the questionnaire is not conclusive and a diagnosis cannot be made from this alone. The content is not intended to, and should not be, treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.

Click here to take Social Anxiety “SPIN” test (For limited personal use only). 17 questions. Click here to take “liebowitz-social-anxiety-scale” test (For limited personal use only). 24 questions
The SPIN (Social Phobia Inventory) score range:
21-30 suggests mild social anxiety
31-40 suggests moderate social anxiety
41-50 suggests severe social anxiety
51 or above suggests very severe social anxiety
The LSAS (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale) score range:
30–49 suggests mild social anxiety
50–64 suggests moderate social anxiety
65–79 suggests marked social anxiety
80–94 suggests severe social anxiety
95 or more suggests very severe social anxiety

Please also see our pages on :
Difference between Social Anxiety and Shyness
Difference between Social Anxiety and Performance Anxiety
Aboutsocialanxiety.com – Do I have social anxiety?”
Socialanxietyinstitute.org – Find out if you suffer social anxiety