Situations That Can Bring on Social Anxiety

There are a number of different situations or activities that are considered “social.” The most common situation that tends to bring on social anxiety is public speaking (Hofmann and Barlow 2002). Other types of situations that may lead to social anxiety are eating or writing in front of other people, holding a conversation with someone, being assertive, and using a crowded public restroom. The list could go on and on. People with social anxiety may be able to do many of these things without any concern or hesitation when they are alone. When these behaviors need to be done in front of another person (or a whole group of people), however, someone with social anxiety will probably experience a lot of anxiety and fear. Sometimes, this anxiety can be so great that the person has a panic attack. Basically, social anxiety results from any type of situation or activity where there is the potential to be seen and evaluated by others.

Now, the type of situations that bring on social anxiety can differ from person to person. In fact, some mental health professionals have suggested that all social anxiety can be organized into one of three different categories: generalized, nongeneralized, and circumscribed (Heimberg et al. 1993). Some people experience anxiety only in one type of social situation, such as public speaking. Because they don’t have anxiety in other types of situations, this is considered circumscribed social anxiety, or social anxiety that is isolated to one type of situation. In nongeneralized social anxiety, a person might experience anxiety in a number of different social situations but feel comfortable in at least one type of social situation (for example, chatting informally with another person). In generalized social anxiety, a person experiences anxiety in social situations regardless of the type of social situation. The following exercise can help you identify the types of social situations that bring up anxiety for you.

Exercise 10.1 What Types of Situations Make You Anxious?

Mark all that apply.