Social Anxiety and Shyness one in the same?

[Crashtastic]

I don't believe them to be. I'm not really that shy depending on the situation. I can openly talk to people depending on the environment and my day. Its just some situations make my stomach turn. If I was just shy I could still do things! I would able to fucking go to a different gas station rather than drive 20 minutes out of my way to some place familiar. On the other hand I can't go to other places like....an electronics store to many times because I'm afraid they'll think I'm a freak, oh but I have to go to the same company like radioshack...why I don't know. I'm limited in everyday life because I get so fucking anxious I feel like I can't breathe (like right now)....how could this just be down to shyness? I don't even know if I'm making sense because its easier to just put a jumbled portion of all the thoughts that are swarming in my mind then spend hours sorting it out.

[zaab]

I don't know. I've heard the terms used interchangeably. One guy who has been studying shyness and its effects for decades, Bernardo Carducci, describes it this way:

"Social anxiety is another aspect of shyness. This is the aprehension provoked before a social situation when you want to make a good impression but you doubt you can. "

But I've heard SA used to describe shyness, often to make it sound more like a disease that can be medicated and treated by professional people. But I'm not trying to say that there aren't cases severe enough to be considered a "disease, " things like social phobia and avoidant personality disorder are examples of the severe end of the spectrum.

About ten years ago I had a bout of panic attacks and episodes that were keeping me away from any public contact. Things like this are very serious and are potentially disease related. Crash, if I were you, I would look into treatment if you haven't already because if you are having panic attacks they could lead to worse (although its hard to think of worse things than panic attacks) things like all out social phobias.

[shypsychologyguy]

they are different.

socail anxiety can be physical arousal (everyone has this) but at an abnormal level or avoidance. you can have social anxiety disorder and not be shy.

shyness is also called communication apprehension.

they are seperate but usually do g together . ive seen books on just shyness and books on just social anxiety

there is also avoidant personality disorder which is viewed both as its own disorder by some and as an extreme end on the continuim of social anxiety disoreder by others.

there are abour five types of avoidant people and Type one is shy/socially anxious avoidants. The other classifications are not shy and could be the exact opposite.

[GreenFerret]

It's hard to say, I suppose. I've never had a panic attack, though I've had pretty bad anxiety during and leading up to social situations. Mostly the problem for me has been the anxiety in the actual situations, and the fact that I then avoid those situations--so I'd consider myself more shy than social phobic, I think.

But it's not like I can "do things" really, lol. I was scared of crossing the street up until freshman year of college; I was scared to walk anyplace in the city by myself until a few weeks ago; I'm still scared to catch a bus, even though when I think about it there's nothing to fear... except if someone tries to talk to me, lol; but that could happen anywhere.

All that having to have stores and things always the same--I do things in a similar way a lot of times, going to places I've already been to just so I don't have to deal with anything different. I guess it's just like I don't want to have to put the effort into learning something new and possibly having something go "wrong" like they won't have what I need or something, and I'd rather just go to one place I can trust than possibly have to go to two places.

When I'm out and about I usually just want to be safe alone in my nice quiet room (with my BF when possible)--which is no good because it makes me reluctant to do things that would greatly benefit me. Maybe I'm just lazy, if that's anything, lol. Being social takes actual effort. Maybe that's avoidance though? It's all so intertwined!

But yeah mainly I think what Zaab said sounds reasonable--it's when you're having those panic attacks, feeling like you can't breathe and like you're falling apart with anxiety, that'd be more social phobia; while fearing social situations because they're difficult or unpleasant, and having trouble expressing yourself etc--that's more shyness. Makes sense I think.

[Tal]

A lot of people on the Social Anxiety forums like to make a big issue of the difference between shyness and SA and I guess there is a bit of a difference.

Seems that plenty of people here are shy around members of the opposite sex or are very quiet, yet go about their day to day lives with relative ease.

For me, talking to people isn't that difficult, though I admit I can be quiet or hesistant in conversations. Talking to girls is no harder than talking to guys for me. My biggest problem is the anxiety of going somewhere different, leaving the house on my own, making phone calls, applying for jobs.

I don't suffer panic attacks, but I do get flustered, disorientated, make mistakes and usually end up trying to get away from the situation ASAP. I think its mostly a lack of confidence, but it sure does make life difficult. lol

You potentially end up in a situation where you can meet people online or in real life, make friends, but are too anxious to go places with them, or to travel to meet them. That's more than just shyness, IMO.

[wagnerr]

I think i have SA disorder more than being shy.

I certainly want to socialize whenever possible, but for many reasons, i feel as if i don't fit in. I have to be around a lot of people nearly everyday, both at work and at school, and yes, i can verify what Ferrette said above; that being social takes actual effort. It certainly does drain me by the end of the day. I get really tired just interacting with people, but it never goes beyond surface levels, like for business situations.

At times i feel like i have to socialize with people, so that they don't think i'm wierd. I've seen a few shy guys at school before, and i know how some of the girls talk about them; they are weird, creepy, etc. I know that deep down that could be me, so i try to hide my real feelings whenever possible.

I used to get extremely anxious whenever i travelled, for example. It used to freak me out when the plane would deposit me in a foreign land where they may or may not speak my language, and getting around in unfamiliar cities always used to scare me. I had to manage it though, and i'm glad i did. I would get lost at times, but other than that i could get around fine.

[gSteve]

I think im both, i feel anxious going somewhere where I haven't been before, like if its a shop I haven't been in before i may worry about going in, especially if its somewhere where you have to queue and order something like a fast food outlet, then i may walk past a few times before going in or just go somewhere else. It the same with going to new places, I dont go far from where I live and feel pretty nervous going somewhere I haven't been before. I avoid using the telephone and try and find other ways to contact people as I feel my heart beating faster when using it. I very rarelly start conversations with people and feel anxious doing so, I've never had a panic attack or anything like that and am probably better than I used to be but I think its more than just shyness.

[Paulinus]

steven said:

I think im both, i feel anxious going somewhere where I haven't been before, like if its a shop I haven't been in before i may worry about going in, especially if its somewhere where you have to queue and order something like a fast food outlet, then i may walk past a few times before going in or just go somewhere else. It the same with going to new places, I dont go far from where I live and feel pretty nervous going somewhere I haven't been before. I avoid using the telephone and try and find other ways to contact people as I feel my heart beating faster when using it. I very rarelly start conversations with people and feel anxious doing so, I've never had a panic attack or anything like that and am probably better than I used to be but I think its more than just shyness.

That pretty much describes what I'm like as well.

I don't know what constitutes a panic attack but I can get in a panicky state sometimes where i cant concentrate or think logically about situations. I have know myself to feel sick and get very shaky, particularly in my legs. I was in this state last tuesday when I found out I had a job interview at very short notice.

Social situations are very draining for me, after being in one I feel completely worn out.

[zaab]

paulthequiet said:

That pretty much describes what I'm like as well.

I don't know what constitutes a panic attack but I can get in a panicky state sometimes where i cant concentrate or think logically about situations. I have know myself to feel sick and get very shaky, particularly in my legs. I was in this state last tuesday when I found out I had a job interview at very short notice.

Social situations are very draining for me, after being in one I feel completely worn out.

Panic attacks can vary from person to person, but when I used to get them, I felt like I was suffocating and completely out of it, I was short of breath and my heart beat like crazy and I got dizzy and felt like I might pass out, but I never did. They're like a heart attack without the angina, basically. This is what makes them so dangerous. They're so bad that you want to avoid the situation that triggered them at all costs, therefore they can lead to full blown social phobias.

[zerocharisma!]

I think they are different. Shyness is when a person feels physically uncomfortable in a social situation. Social anxiety is when a person experiences fear and worry (in the form of rational and irrational thoughts) before, during, and sometimes even after a social situation. SA is more complex because it involves thinking and worrying about the feared situation, whereas shyness is merely being physically uncomfortable during a situation.

Also, shyness is in response to an actual situation: anxiety is in response to a perceived threat.

Social anxiety becomes social phobia when there is persistent avoidance of the anxiety provoking situation.

That's my personal opinion anyway.

[saynothing]

I would go along with ZeroCharisma's definitions of shyness and social anxiety. I would consider myself shy more than socially anxious. But I avoid social situations because I am shy. I have never had a panic attack and dont think I ever will, but I often feel a want to get out of certain social situations. Being social takes effort for me too but if I dont make the effort I feel lonely.

[zaab]

I think whoever was responsible for popularising the concept of Social Anxiety was trying to confuse the hell out of us.

[GreenFerret]

zaab70 said:

I think whoever was responsible for popularising the concept of Social Anxiety was trying to confuse the hell out of us.

And a good job he did! I am now pretty darn confused.

[shypsychologyguy]

I never thought of myself as having SA even after studying i class because the focus seemed to be on panic attacks rather than avoidance so for a long time i thought i was just shy.

[wagnerr]

zaab70 said:

I think whoever was responsible for popularising the concept of Social Anxiety was trying to confuse the hell out of us.

Hell, i'd be confused anyway, never mind the SA terms and phrases.