A lot of people are shy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have social anxiety. So what is the difference between the two? One of my clients once referred to social anxiety as “shyness on steroids”(haha).  But here’s how I break it down:

Shyness is a personality trait that some people have. There’s nothing wrong with it at all, and in fact, it’s a very endearing quality in many people–as long as they accept themselves as they are and don’t try to fight against their nature.

(by the way, if you are shy and have trouble accepting yourself as you are, I HIGHLY recommend The Fire Breathing Introvert Series).

But social anxiety is NOT shyness. It is NOT a reluctance to speak up or tendency to be somewhat introverted. It is an anxiety condition that is triggered by social interaction. The difference between these two concepts is vast. For example, many social anxiety sufferers experience real physical symptoms –rapid heart rate, aches and pains, trouble breathing, mental “fog,” shaking, blushing, feeling weak or faint, or even chest pain and heart attack-like symptoms.

Of course, not everyone who experiences social anxiety will have physical symptoms like these, but many do. For others, the symptoms are primarily emotional, but they still tend to be severe, painful and debilitating. In other words, social anxiety prevents you from living a normal life. Shy people can function in society, at work, etc, where social anxiety sufferers often find these same everyday situations almost impossible to deal with.

The EasyCalm Series has helped hundreds of people with social anxiety over the years, and our add-on series called “Social Strategies” is also a great help to many. Check it out here: http://www.easycalm.com/social.htm

Jon

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