When it comes to social anxiety, those who do not have it will not be able to truly understand why those with it do the things that they do. This kind of thing is not as simple as being shy or just not liking social situations, it is a real disorder that isn’t exactly easy to experience.

If you are someone with social anxiety, you know how isolated it makes you feel. Everyone around you seems to pick and choose the things they believe regarding what you’re going through and the help you receive isn’t always as ideal as you might hope for it to be. For those who might not be aware, social anxiety is a disorder that leaves a person intensely afraid of being watched or judged by others. They sometimes struggle to go to school, work, or even just partake in normal things within society. 

While it affects each person differently as we are all different, it is not a fun disorder to have and can make existing in this social world quite hard. Overcoming the symptoms is not easy and those with social anxiety tend to do lots of things that might come across as odd to those who are not affected by the disorder.

Below I am going to go over some of the things people with social anxiety do that those without it might not comprehend or be able to truly understand. If you are someone with social anxiety you know how true these things are. How many of these apply to you?

9 Things People Don’t Understand You Do Because Of Your Social Anxiety:

1. You always have to work up the nerve to be in front of other people.

People who do not have social anxiety can usually just ‘wing it’ when they have to be in front of others or speak publicly but you are not capable of that. You have to talk yourself into getting up there and doing what it is you’re supposed to do. You’re nerved out every step forward in that regard and even after you still feel quite on edge.

2. You blow their own mistakes out of proportion.

Sure, some people can blow off their mistakes but you are not one of those people. Every small mistake turns into something huge and you don’t get through it well. It’s like everyone is judging you in your mind even if they’re not.

3. You avoid situations that might lead to you being judged.

You are not the kind of person to try new things, especially new things with new people. You go out of your way to make sure you aren’t embarrassing yourself. While most people love trying new games and experiencing new things you think the idea itself is terrifying.

4. You avoid social situations/going out.

Going out and being surrounded by people is not a fun idea to you. You’d much rather stay home or be with just a few friends. Social situations just aren’t your thing.

5. You obsess over the smallest details.

When you’re going out or doing something everything has to be thought out properly. You go over each detail time and time again until you drive yourself mad over it. This helps you to feel more comfortable moving forward.

6. You only want a few specific people around.

You only keep a few people close and don’t need a lot of friends. While extroverted people love being surrounded by lots of different kinds of people you are not a fan of the concept. Your small circle is all you need.

7. You always imagine yourself doing things that are embarrassing.

You’re not interested in stepping out of your comfort zone in any sense of the word. You imagine yourself being embarrassed quite frequently. Even in the smallest or least likely embarrassing situations, you’re still on edge within your mind.

8. You avoid people you know in public because you don’t know what to say if they acknowledge you.

When you spot people you know in public unless they’re close friends you tend to duck and hide. You don’t like being approached or having to make small talk. The idea in itself throws you off in more ways than most could imagine.

9. You get very worked up in uncomfortable situations.

The more uncomfortable you are the more worked up you become. Depending on the situation you might end up having panic attacks or other things of the sort. This is not easy to experience and is concerning for those closest to you as well.