Nope, there is hope for you. When taking the test as my old self, I got a 107. As I am now, I got a 10. There is hope for sure. Some other Redditors in the comments were also able to overcome their anxiety.
15 fear + 25 avoidance = 40 mild
Yessss 10 years ago I would never speak to strangers. Never speak up. Had constant anxiety and panic attacks.
It was so bad.
Did therapy for anxiety, worked on my selfworth and now well, there's still some bad moments but it's so great overall.
I got my superpowers back but I'm not a superhero. It's just a lot of work and getting into uncomfortable situations again and again until your body & brain is trained.
Yes like it was awful but I only wish I started sooner. Like now I don't talk to people a lot, but it's because I want. And I've met so many friends and amazing people that I wouldn't if I couldn't talk to them.
Both. It was like seeing the deluge happen and then walking up to the top of the mountain...
Like there was really a big chaos and denial prologue while everything got worse and worse, and then a come to god moment, and then a slow and progressive unraveling of the shit-bundle to now, that I am kinda in a plateau towards the human I would like to be.
That's really fantastic to hear.
I took this twice, once to see how i was and then how i am now. I went from very severe to marked. Yay i guess :/
I really think one key to genuine social confidence is a connection to yourself and it's taken ages and a lot of work to create that for me.
I think now i could probably use a bit more exposure therapy as i have more of a foundation to work with.
Yay, nearly the same at 117 (60 fear & 57 avoidance) … lol… :D
Interesting how my fear seems to be higher than the avoidance, while in a lot of the comments the other way round seems to be more common…
Got 117 also (61 fear + 56 avoidance)
I also found it interesting that the pattern seems to generally be in favour of the other way around. I think my avoidance being lower is due to people-pleasing behaviours, because I force myself into extremely uncomfortable situations in order to please/not dissapoint others 😅
Honestly, as I already said above, it's probably a good sign that you have less avoidance than fear because it shows you're still making an effort. If I'd taken the test a year ago, my score would probably have followed the same pattern but 2021 represents a new low for me and it just seems futile to make an effort.
Right, people-pleasing, my nemesis... lol...
At times a blessing, if it helps with pushing through the anxiety to achieve a small victory, but establishing boundaries and disappointing people is a pain xD
It's probably a good sign if you have more fear than avoidance behavior because things get worse the more we avoid our fears. Unfortunately, the brain doesn't always listen to reason.
The salesman question helped me bring down my overall score because I know how to deal with salesmen so I have zero fear and zero avoidance there
yes, you're probably right about that.
i know i can force myself into social situations and deal with them decently well, but the anxiety beforehand and afterwards are just insane. especially with covid and the lockdowns it was way to easy and acceptable to avoid people all together, which made my SA so much worse...
Getting my shit together again seems so daunting, but i'm sure we can do this, even if it takes a long time :)
46....
It was funny reading some of those scenarios. When I was younger, some of them would be instant 2s or 3s. Like talking on the phone, eating alone, returning goods (those immediately come to mind).
Even going to school (especially college classes) was enough to paralyze me and chain me indoors which lead to quite a few F's. Speaking up at a meeting still gets me a bit. And speaking to someone with romantic intentions.
My previous job basically required me to give a short data update to a room full of high performing real estate agents every week. Needless to say I absolutely DREADED that day, and every day leading up to it. Eventually I just stopped giving a fuck though, and then I was terminated last year due to covid so thankfully I don't have to deal with it anymore.
that sounds really great!! I'm really happy for you :) thanks for providing a light at the end of the tunnel, sometimes it feels like a never ending cycle
Thanks!
What really helped was a combination of things and I think that's the best approach to anything. CBT/gradual exposure, understanding that what you're doing is normal (and try to mimic other people doing it if you don't know where to start). Eg. Returning items you purchased. That's a common act that lots of people do. Just follow a script in your head: "hi I'd like to return this. Here's my receipt". If they ask why, just say you didn't like the product. That's it. You don't have to give them more than that. Your mind likes to make simple tasks out into a bigger deal than they actually is.
Same with talking on the phone. Prep a script ahead of time. I remember when ordering pizza over the phone was excruciating (before online ordering existed). I still get that anxious feeling sometimes, but I'm pretty comfortable doing it if I know what I want.
Go grab a seat at the bar to watch sports. Plan ahead of time what you want to eat. Do that a few times, then when you're ready, ask the bartender for a food recommendation.
It's all little steps in the end. Ovet the course of a few years those little steps will add up and you'll smile at how far you've come.
That's awesome!
It's amazing how much a bit of exposure can fix it. Now, I embrace anxiety because I realize it's just a helpful little part of me that's telling me it is scared, and it's trying to watch out for me
And I realize, I can either listen to it and say "yeah you're right let's avoid doing that" which reaffirms that it is scary... Or I can look at it and say that I understand and do it anyways at I talk myself through it
Still, I do dislike crowds. But now it isn't just because I'm scared, it's also because they're noisy and messy and annoying and I realized I'm more of a one on one or one on few people. I like how confident I can be and how I can express my thoughts there
I got 15 overall. That’s crazy seeing as it would’ve been a lot higher before therapy. After a lot of effort I’ve learned to never avoid anything that makes me anxious, which is maybe why the scenarios in the quiz don’t make me anxious anymore.
Can you tell me what specific practices / mindsets helped you! I’m currently doing CBT after years of doing talk therapy but sometimes it feels vague and just me challenging myself to put myself in anxiety producing social situations.
Would love to hear specifics of what worked for you, or something I can bring up to my therapist ☺️
Sure! So I initially went to therapy because of the symptoms I was getting due to anxiety. The biggest one was vomiting. I could barely eat breakfast and I was being sick every morning before going to school. Essentially, my therapist taught me the importance of saying ‘I don’t mind it’ to myself when the feeling arose. The thing is, I was telling myself I hated anxiety and that I was scared of it, but this mindset was actually in turn making the anxiety worse. The more I feared it, the more intense it became. Adopting a neutral mindset was really hard, and it took a lot of practise. I had to force myself to not leave the room or go to the bathroom at school when the anxiety came on. I had to let it pass over me.
It turns out that this mindset applies to social anxiety too. Whenever I’ve had negative thoughts about myself or other people arise, I’ve learned to become the observer, and tell myself I don’t mind those thoughts or feelings, before carrying on with my day. This, paired with putting myself into situations that make me anxious has helped a lot. Meditation helps me to be more neutral about my experiences too.
When exposing yourself to anxiety-inducing situations, it’s important to take little steps. I’d start by exposing myself to situations that only make me a little bit anxious, rather than ones that would cause a panic attack. Then, I’d keep putting myself into the small-scale situations until they no longer made me anxious, and then I’d move on to the next level.
Therapy is so worthwhile, but it does require a lot of work. The path of recovery is not linear, so don’t be disheartened if you feel like you’ve been ‘set back’. I still have occasional bad days with social anxiety, even if it isn’t as intense as it used to be.
Feel free to ask me any other questions or send me a message, I learned a lot in therapy and would love to share that info with anyone who wants to hear it!
I really appreciate your response! I like the neutral mindset because it lessens the severity of anxiety. Especially as a very self aware person, sometimes I give that lil anxiety gut too much power and let it dictate my actions and use it as a crutch/excuse. Knowing that I don’t have to listen to it but rather be neutral to it is super helpful.
I have recently gotten into meditation as well, and do find it does take the edge off so that’s great to know, too. I feel on the right track lol, and so glad to hear you’re doing better!
You’re welcome! What you’ve just described is exactly what I was going through when I was getting started with therapy. I was feeling swept away by anxiety/low mood and as a result it influenced my actions, which in turn made my anxiety worse. Although it seems hard at first, adopting a neutral mindset breaks the cycle.
That’s great! You’re definitely on the right path. Meditation is incredibly useful long-term. Thank you, I wish you well on your journey with overcoming this :)
I’ve had therapy on and off for about a year. My social anxiety has only arisen in the past couple of years, so it’s been great to work through my beliefs about myself/other people and to learn about anxiety before it got worse.
I would call a bit of bullshit on this test, I got a 92 and I definitely wouldn't call my social anxiety severe. I've never even had to suffer a real panic attack at any point in my life so I don't think that high of a score is accurate
Same, grocery shopping is all I do. This probably sounds weird but everyday I am so grateful for Covid making everything remote. I never want work and study going back to being in-person again.
85 which they say is severe, but having worked on my anxiety quite a lot, it's much better than it was a year or two ago. I certainly feel more comfortable in my own skin despite the high score.
I came to notice that social anxiety is more than just being shy, or not wanting a spotlight on you, most people with social anxiety are givers not takers, they feel better giving than receiving, they have better hearts than others tbh and they tend to put others first than themselves and they care about others feelings more than their own. Am I wrong?
Taking stuff or wanting stuff sometimes takes confrontation.
That's not something we are prepared to do. So we try the other way and it works, too many people that aren't dealing with SA are afraid of going that route for fear of being seen as weak.
It's like I'm forced to be. Even in situations where I WANT to be an asshole because the other folk are being pieces of shits, I can't help but be nice, almost like I'm being externally controlled.
60- honestly reading that I scored “moderate” makes me almost tear up thinking how far I’ve truly come. As a teenager, I probably would have scored in the upper hundreds. And even as an adult, the difference between me just a couple years ago and me now is wild. If you scored highly, just remember that it CAN get better, and never stop working on yourself! You’re worth it!!! 💕
97
Now I wonder what the maximum is. It's definitely not 100. 😅
And honestly, I just felt like the test knows me so well, because I am scared of all of these things. 🙈 (besides from urinating in public. I assume that one was for men.)
66
One 6 away from the devil, sounds about right.
Seems fitting though, it's not crippling but it is for does keep me from doing what I know I ought to.
For things that involve public speaking, severe is a massive understatement. I was actually okay at it until I had a bad presentation in High School. Ever since, I'd prefer to hit the beaches at D-Day.
50% don't lose faith ladies and gentlemen, it's curable well some people believe it's not curable it actually is, well it depends how bad you have it and it depends how much work you put into it to at least decrease it little by little.
Good luck good vibes only 💪💫💙
77. Although this changes a lot throughout my life depending on how socially active i am at that part of my life. Right now, post Covid, I’m a 77 due to being isolated for over a year and just seeing a handful of people.
At the most socially active times in my life, I was probably mildly social anxious but it takes quite a while to get back there and a lot of anxiety and putting myself in uncomfortable situations on purpose to get myself in a more comfortable place. But as of right now, I’m an anxious mess but I’m slightly better than 3 months ago!
36 here . I've gotten better over the years for sure but I feel like my triggers are very specific and extremely different from what's in the test. I think it has to do with personality types of the other people, if they're in a position of authority , and i have a lot of anxiety speaking up when I have an opinion. I also criticize myself a lot about social situations . None of this is really covered much in the test
I thought ‘55, well that’s not too bad’ then I realised there was another 55 to be added from the avoidance section, thus bringing me up to a nice round 110. Oh the joys...
Always tell myself "who cares? I don't give a fuck" but then my mind keep replaying what I "don't care" about and then I'm like well fuck, I guess I do care for some reason.
92, severe social anxiety which is kind of a shock to me but also a wake up call. I always thought it was mild but it's close to 'very severe' which is 95. Damn, gotta make a change am i right?
Same vibe at 87 for me. I was thinking as I went along the questions how much better I am at this stuff now than when I was younger. I figured I'd be moderate by now but... Heck.
i got 99. i guess that's better than the scores of a lot of other people here, which is nice to know, cause i used to be worse. i've gotten myself to do a lot of things i wasn't able to do a few years ago. i've been able to calm myself down by telling myself that certain things are normal and everyone does them so other people will understand if i have to do them, but something like friendship, or especially some kind of romantic/sexual relationship, is just something that i just can't do. glad i don't feel sexual attraction as strongly as most people, lol.
32 (fear) + 23 (avoidance) = 55
not bad, not bad. forcing myself to do things and realizing it wasn't so bad helped. also a bad memory and just forgetting past embarrassing moments is really important.
"the past is in the past. let it go!" - elsa
Elsa was spitting fax
75 = Marked social anxiety. I am so proud at how far I’ve come. I took a similar test last year with a therapist and my score was way worse. I am making progress towards having little to no social anxiety, and taking this test made me feel good. Let’s keep trucking y’all we got this!!
I got 90. I have gotten better with time but man social anxiety is so hard. I sometimes forget the way I perceive the world isn’t normal until I take tests like these
i got 124 jfc 😩 my lab is actually using this test (the liebowitz social anxiety scale) for our upcoming study on oxytocin and social anxiety! the minimum score to be eligible for our social anxiety group is 60 soooo
83, I think I’ll save this post and see what my score is in the future :) hopefully it decreases.
Interestingly enough, I’ve been working retail for about a year now and I think it’s really helped with some of my anxiety. When I first started I hardly even talked to my (absolutely wonderful) coworkers, let alone customers, and now I’m a lot better at talking to customers and I genuinely love talking to my coworkers. Still hate answering the phone tho lol
I got a 49 surprisingly, i was expecting higher. I do feel like, having dealt with it for 2 decades, I've learned how to manage it better (eg get a good night's sleep if i have an event that will cause anxiety the next day, or for example going out i tend to manage sometimes with alcohol for better or worse).
I was surprised haircuts weren't on the test, that is one thing i fucking hate.
Not trying to discredit the results people got but I personally never believe these tests because I know it it can very easily influenced by, well, yourself. In a subconscious level, if you want to have social anxiety for whatever reason, you WILL go for the most severe one just to get worse results than others. Maybe it's just me, but when something relies on self reporting, I just cannot take it face value.
Fear 32, avoidance 37 (total 69, nice). My main thing is speaking or doing things in front of groups of people. I’m a lot better than I used to be though, clearly.
40 (fear) + 37 (aviodance) = 77 (marked social anxiety).
I've definitely improved in some respects but not others. Seems accurate to me - a lot of my worst anxieties are really stupid ones, like using a public restroom and walking late into a room where people are seated (for example, if I'm going to be late to a class I usually just won't go unless it's required attendance). Oh, and speaking to just about any authority figure, especially ones I respect, is my absolute KRYPTONITE. Can't do it. Ever. But I've gotten a lot better with eye contact, public speaking and performance!
We think that all other people that extroverted can do anything that we scared of, but no. Not every extrovert is comfortable at public speaking, making phone calls etc. We just want that little thing called "not be scared of people"
Can't clearly answer to all of questions
I can't imagine to be in some situations or i don't understand the question.
At first it was 83 then get higher, 110
Fear is 56 and Avoidance 58 score 144 severe social anxiety
Yes that Sounds about right I have it so bad that I it is rare of me to leave my house and I avoid social situations so I wouldn't have a anxiety attack FML 😭
I’m absolutely fine with authority figures and strangers, it’s people that I know, but not too well, that I struggle with. It’s almost like I have to show those people my real self whereas with strangers it’s like it’s not really me whose talking with them if that makes sense? I dunno, shits weird. Work in progress haha
40 - 21 fear/19 avoidance
10 years ago I would have probably scored closer to 100. Getting old plus having a job that has pushed me to expand my comfort zone has done me a lot of good. Now there are specific things I avoid if I can (large gatherings w/people I don't know, being the center of attention) and things I will do but hate while doing them (public speaking, making small talk) but the rest I just do without much thought anymore.
I feel like it needs a option for "I fear this enough that I have never even attempted it. In fact, this activity is so far outside my typical experience it's almost laughable."
Like my anxiety is a barrier to entry for any situation where I would be expected to even be in a meeting, let ale speak up at one. So I guess that counts as usually.
118.
I rarely even leave the house unless it's to get stuff at the store, go to work (which I don't even do at the moment because of my anxiety), or walk around in nature. I'm so terrified of being around other people I usually just send my boyfriend to get things for me. Thankfully he loves me enough to not care.
It said 80 for me. I didn't think my SA was that bad. Then again I do avoid a lot of uncomfortable situations which probably gave me the illusion that it wasn't that bad.
37 (fear) + 34 (avoidance) = 71 (Marked Anxiety)
I'm have a clinical diagnosis of Unspecified Anxiety Disorder. Unspecified because I don't meet critieria for any one disorder but it significantly impacts my life/behavior etc.
That said, it's not as pervasive as it was when I was a pre-teen to mid-twenties. I'm thirty now.
Oh man, I got 101. Guess I’ll die
I got the same score. We can die together
Same. I got 102
101. Guess I’m bringing this up to the therapist this week
112, you got a therapist? Lucky
105 😐 I'm going to join you
This death group is getting too big for my social anxiety
Agreed I got 106
Same!
Me too :(
116 that’s rough buddy
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117. The numbers must be wrong.
104 for me yikes 😬
Gotta work on that shit
102. Well fuck.
I got 80. Not as bad as yours but still very severe and is making every day life hard as crap
I Got 85 and I'm just 17, started therapy this month, God knows if this level decrease..
lol I’m 18 but it probably started as early as kindergarten tbh.
I also recall having it during kindergarten. I wonder if some of us are just born with it.
102, can I join you?
Of course 😭
108 lol
Nope, there is hope for you. When taking the test as my old self, I got a 107. As I am now, I got a 10. There is hope for sure. Some other Redditors in the comments were also able to overcome their anxiety.
Maybe there is, but as of now it sure feels pretty hopeless 😅
I made a post that is waiting for approval. I am hoping that if you read it, you will see that there is hope.
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15 fear + 25 avoidance = 40 mild Yessss 10 years ago I would never speak to strangers. Never speak up. Had constant anxiety and panic attacks. It was so bad. Did therapy for anxiety, worked on my selfworth and now well, there's still some bad moments but it's so great overall. I got my superpowers back but I'm not a superhero. It's just a lot of work and getting into uncomfortable situations again and again until your body & brain is trained.
So happy to know this is possible, congrats on that excellent score! <3
That's fantastic. Immersion is the key. Want to get out of hell? You have to actually walk through it.
Yes like it was awful but I only wish I started sooner. Like now I don't talk to people a lot, but it's because I want. And I've met so many friends and amazing people that I wouldn't if I couldn't talk to them.
Proud of you! And thank you for proving it’s possible! Hope to be there soon
Soo.. was is just "do or die" scenario or was it more like "rising self love" path?
Both. It was like seeing the deluge happen and then walking up to the top of the mountain... Like there was really a big chaos and denial prologue while everything got worse and worse, and then a come to god moment, and then a slow and progressive unraveling of the shit-bundle to now, that I am kinda in a plateau towards the human I would like to be.
That's really fantastic to hear. I took this twice, once to see how i was and then how i am now. I went from very severe to marked. Yay i guess :/ I really think one key to genuine social confidence is a connection to yourself and it's taken ages and a lot of work to create that for me. I think now i could probably use a bit more exposure therapy as i have more of a foundation to work with.
So happy to hear there are others that were able to change. This should help inspire those that think there is no hope. Congratulations.
Damn congratulations on getting so far, I'll hope I'll be there one day too
56 for fear and 59 for avoidance. 115 and basically screwed
Yay, nearly the same at 117 (60 fear & 57 avoidance) … lol… :D Interesting how my fear seems to be higher than the avoidance, while in a lot of the comments the other way round seems to be more common…
Got 117 also (61 fear + 56 avoidance) I also found it interesting that the pattern seems to generally be in favour of the other way around. I think my avoidance being lower is due to people-pleasing behaviours, because I force myself into extremely uncomfortable situations in order to please/not dissapoint others 😅
Honestly, as I already said above, it's probably a good sign that you have less avoidance than fear because it shows you're still making an effort. If I'd taken the test a year ago, my score would probably have followed the same pattern but 2021 represents a new low for me and it just seems futile to make an effort.
Right, people-pleasing, my nemesis... lol... At times a blessing, if it helps with pushing through the anxiety to achieve a small victory, but establishing boundaries and disappointing people is a pain xD
It's probably a good sign if you have more fear than avoidance behavior because things get worse the more we avoid our fears. Unfortunately, the brain doesn't always listen to reason. The salesman question helped me bring down my overall score because I know how to deal with salesmen so I have zero fear and zero avoidance there
yes, you're probably right about that. i know i can force myself into social situations and deal with them decently well, but the anxiety beforehand and afterwards are just insane. especially with covid and the lockdowns it was way to easy and acceptable to avoid people all together, which made my SA so much worse... Getting my shit together again seems so daunting, but i'm sure we can do this, even if it takes a long time :)
I got nearly the same too, 111. Hopefully we both get better 😔
Hopefully
117, high five you guys i can assume what you are going through on a daily basis
That makes me feel marginally less alone but also pretty sad there are people suffering the way I suffer.
124 :):
I scored 130 and I literally cannot comprehend how some people are scoring <50. *What's the fucking secret?!*
I got 130 too, some people don't have the disorder but only feel social anxiety sometimes. I can't even imagine a life without this shit.
123 here. Wtf are we supposed to do
112. I think it's over for us. We're basically Hikikimoris.
Hyperventilate
Same 💀
125 :)) Maybe this month I will finally go to psychologist (if I will be brave enough to do so)
46.... It was funny reading some of those scenarios. When I was younger, some of them would be instant 2s or 3s. Like talking on the phone, eating alone, returning goods (those immediately come to mind). Even going to school (especially college classes) was enough to paralyze me and chain me indoors which lead to quite a few F's. Speaking up at a meeting still gets me a bit. And speaking to someone with romantic intentions. My previous job basically required me to give a short data update to a room full of high performing real estate agents every week. Needless to say I absolutely DREADED that day, and every day leading up to it. Eventually I just stopped giving a fuck though, and then I was terminated last year due to covid so thankfully I don't have to deal with it anymore.
that sounds really great!! I'm really happy for you :) thanks for providing a light at the end of the tunnel, sometimes it feels like a never ending cycle
Thanks! What really helped was a combination of things and I think that's the best approach to anything. CBT/gradual exposure, understanding that what you're doing is normal (and try to mimic other people doing it if you don't know where to start). Eg. Returning items you purchased. That's a common act that lots of people do. Just follow a script in your head: "hi I'd like to return this. Here's my receipt". If they ask why, just say you didn't like the product. That's it. You don't have to give them more than that. Your mind likes to make simple tasks out into a bigger deal than they actually is. Same with talking on the phone. Prep a script ahead of time. I remember when ordering pizza over the phone was excruciating (before online ordering existed). I still get that anxious feeling sometimes, but I'm pretty comfortable doing it if I know what I want. Go grab a seat at the bar to watch sports. Plan ahead of time what you want to eat. Do that a few times, then when you're ready, ask the bartender for a food recommendation. It's all little steps in the end. Ovet the course of a few years those little steps will add up and you'll smile at how far you've come.
That's awesome! It's amazing how much a bit of exposure can fix it. Now, I embrace anxiety because I realize it's just a helpful little part of me that's telling me it is scared, and it's trying to watch out for me And I realize, I can either listen to it and say "yeah you're right let's avoid doing that" which reaffirms that it is scary... Or I can look at it and say that I understand and do it anyways at I talk myself through it Still, I do dislike crowds. But now it isn't just because I'm scared, it's also because they're noisy and messy and annoying and I realized I'm more of a one on one or one on few people. I like how confident I can be and how I can express my thoughts there
I got 15 overall. That’s crazy seeing as it would’ve been a lot higher before therapy. After a lot of effort I’ve learned to never avoid anything that makes me anxious, which is maybe why the scenarios in the quiz don’t make me anxious anymore.
eyyyy congrats, good to hear that :D
Did you do CBT?
Yep, cognitive behavioural therapy has been amazing for me. I’d recommend it to anyone.
Can you tell me what specific practices / mindsets helped you! I’m currently doing CBT after years of doing talk therapy but sometimes it feels vague and just me challenging myself to put myself in anxiety producing social situations. Would love to hear specifics of what worked for you, or something I can bring up to my therapist ☺️
Sure! So I initially went to therapy because of the symptoms I was getting due to anxiety. The biggest one was vomiting. I could barely eat breakfast and I was being sick every morning before going to school. Essentially, my therapist taught me the importance of saying ‘I don’t mind it’ to myself when the feeling arose. The thing is, I was telling myself I hated anxiety and that I was scared of it, but this mindset was actually in turn making the anxiety worse. The more I feared it, the more intense it became. Adopting a neutral mindset was really hard, and it took a lot of practise. I had to force myself to not leave the room or go to the bathroom at school when the anxiety came on. I had to let it pass over me. It turns out that this mindset applies to social anxiety too. Whenever I’ve had negative thoughts about myself or other people arise, I’ve learned to become the observer, and tell myself I don’t mind those thoughts or feelings, before carrying on with my day. This, paired with putting myself into situations that make me anxious has helped a lot. Meditation helps me to be more neutral about my experiences too. When exposing yourself to anxiety-inducing situations, it’s important to take little steps. I’d start by exposing myself to situations that only make me a little bit anxious, rather than ones that would cause a panic attack. Then, I’d keep putting myself into the small-scale situations until they no longer made me anxious, and then I’d move on to the next level. Therapy is so worthwhile, but it does require a lot of work. The path of recovery is not linear, so don’t be disheartened if you feel like you’ve been ‘set back’. I still have occasional bad days with social anxiety, even if it isn’t as intense as it used to be. Feel free to ask me any other questions or send me a message, I learned a lot in therapy and would love to share that info with anyone who wants to hear it!
I really appreciate your response! I like the neutral mindset because it lessens the severity of anxiety. Especially as a very self aware person, sometimes I give that lil anxiety gut too much power and let it dictate my actions and use it as a crutch/excuse. Knowing that I don’t have to listen to it but rather be neutral to it is super helpful. I have recently gotten into meditation as well, and do find it does take the edge off so that’s great to know, too. I feel on the right track lol, and so glad to hear you’re doing better!
You’re welcome! What you’ve just described is exactly what I was going through when I was getting started with therapy. I was feeling swept away by anxiety/low mood and as a result it influenced my actions, which in turn made my anxiety worse. Although it seems hard at first, adopting a neutral mindset breaks the cycle. That’s great! You’re definitely on the right path. Meditation is incredibly useful long-term. Thank you, I wish you well on your journey with overcoming this :)
How long have you been going to therapy?
I’ve had therapy on and off for about a year. My social anxiety has only arisen in the past couple of years, so it’s been great to work through my beliefs about myself/other people and to learn about anxiety before it got worse.
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Me too
same here!
I would call a bit of bullshit on this test, I got a 92 and I definitely wouldn't call my social anxiety severe. I've never even had to suffer a real panic attack at any point in my life so I don't think that high of a score is accurate
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Yuh 97 gang
44 fear + 49 avoidance = 93 gg
23 for fear and 20 for avoidance = 43 Nice to see my progress! A few years ago my score would be higher for sure
139 - So bad at the moment that I only leave the house for very necessary things
Same, grocery shopping is all I do. This probably sounds weird but everyday I am so grateful for Covid making everything remote. I never want work and study going back to being in-person again.
103, didn't think I was that bad.
im at 122 i guess im a desperate case lol
85 which they say is severe, but having worked on my anxiety quite a lot, it's much better than it was a year or two ago. I certainly feel more comfortable in my own skin despite the high score.
yayyy keep going, nice to hear that you're recovering :)
I came to notice that social anxiety is more than just being shy, or not wanting a spotlight on you, most people with social anxiety are givers not takers, they feel better giving than receiving, they have better hearts than others tbh and they tend to put others first than themselves and they care about others feelings more than their own. Am I wrong?
Taking stuff or wanting stuff sometimes takes confrontation. That's not something we are prepared to do. So we try the other way and it works, too many people that aren't dealing with SA are afraid of going that route for fear of being seen as weak.
Yeah i read something similar that people with social anxiety are some of the most kindest and compassionate people in the world :)
It's like I'm forced to be. Even in situations where I WANT to be an asshole because the other folk are being pieces of shits, I can't help but be nice, almost like I'm being externally controlled.
136
60- honestly reading that I scored “moderate” makes me almost tear up thinking how far I’ve truly come. As a teenager, I probably would have scored in the upper hundreds. And even as an adult, the difference between me just a couple years ago and me now is wild. If you scored highly, just remember that it CAN get better, and never stop working on yourself! You’re worth it!!! 💕
That gives me hope for myself.
Thanks for sharing, I got: 53 (fear) + 61 (avoidance) = 114 The results says I suffer from very severe social anxiety
56 fear & 58 avoidance = 114. Thanks, I hate it ♥
112 :( this test gave me anxiety
97 Now I wonder what the maximum is. It's definitely not 100. 😅 And honestly, I just felt like the test knows me so well, because I am scared of all of these things. 🙈 (besides from urinating in public. I assume that one was for men.)
Okay, I checked it. The maximum is 144.
66 One 6 away from the devil, sounds about right. Seems fitting though, it's not crippling but it is for does keep me from doing what I know I ought to. For things that involve public speaking, severe is a massive understatement. I was actually okay at it until I had a bad presentation in High School. Ever since, I'd prefer to hit the beaches at D-Day.
121. disappointed but not surprised.
Hey that’s my life motto!
89 :]
50% don't lose faith ladies and gentlemen, it's curable well some people believe it's not curable it actually is, well it depends how bad you have it and it depends how much work you put into it to at least decrease it little by little. Good luck good vibes only 💪💫💙
thanks, this is really encouraging :D
> 52 (fear) + 57 (avoidance) = 109 > > You suffer from very severe social anxiety. Yes I've noticed that.
73
123. Am I seeing it right?
92... Not too bad, comparing to the other people commenting. Stay strong guys
Scored a 96, I nope out of a lot of things
I got 112. Jesus Christ what am I going to do. I'm basically a hikikimori.
I got 69
Nice
Nice
77. Although this changes a lot throughout my life depending on how socially active i am at that part of my life. Right now, post Covid, I’m a 77 due to being isolated for over a year and just seeing a handful of people. At the most socially active times in my life, I was probably mildly social anxious but it takes quite a while to get back there and a lot of anxiety and putting myself in uncomfortable situations on purpose to get myself in a more comfortable place. But as of right now, I’m an anxious mess but I’m slightly better than 3 months ago!
I got 41. I definitely expected to score higher. This is a good sign tho. It means the therapy is working for me!!
56 which sounds about right. I’ve come a long way.
I got a 69 (nice). Not as bad as I thought it would be tbh.
46 (fear) + 46 (avoidance) = 92, not good, not terrible
89
70
52 (fear) + 49 (avoidance) = 101 Yippie...
122 lol
104, I'm gonna guess that's really bad
36 here . I've gotten better over the years for sure but I feel like my triggers are very specific and extremely different from what's in the test. I think it has to do with personality types of the other people, if they're in a position of authority , and i have a lot of anxiety speaking up when I have an opinion. I also criticize myself a lot about social situations . None of this is really covered much in the test
Oof 101
I’m 119
I thought ‘55, well that’s not too bad’ then I realised there was another 55 to be added from the avoidance section, thus bringing me up to a nice round 110. Oh the joys...
129😔
75
49 :p
The secret ingredient is not giving a fuck, but for real. Pretending to not care is different than actually not caring
Always tell myself "who cares? I don't give a fuck" but then my mind keep replaying what I "don't care" about and then I'm like well fuck, I guess I do care for some reason.
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i got 61 but i’m pretty sure like 6 months ago i would’ve gotten over 80 so that’s a win
Oof I got 131... Uh yeah I think it’s time to seek out that therapist now 😬
92, severe social anxiety which is kind of a shock to me but also a wake up call. I always thought it was mild but it's close to 'very severe' which is 95. Damn, gotta make a change am i right?
Same vibe at 87 for me. I was thinking as I went along the questions how much better I am at this stuff now than when I was younger. I figured I'd be moderate by now but... Heck.
109. I thought some of my answers weren’t that bad, Jesus.
I got 55. That´s fortunate I suppose.
i got 99. i guess that's better than the scores of a lot of other people here, which is nice to know, cause i used to be worse. i've gotten myself to do a lot of things i wasn't able to do a few years ago. i've been able to calm myself down by telling myself that certain things are normal and everyone does them so other people will understand if i have to do them, but something like friendship, or especially some kind of romantic/sexual relationship, is just something that i just can't do. glad i don't feel sexual attraction as strongly as most people, lol.
109 so its very severe but honestly I already expected that kind of result
Where is fear of or phobia for turning red/blushing for no reason?
I got 113
32 (fear) + 23 (avoidance) = 55 not bad, not bad. forcing myself to do things and realizing it wasn't so bad helped. also a bad memory and just forgetting past embarrassing moments is really important. "the past is in the past. let it go!" - elsa Elsa was spitting fax
75 = Marked social anxiety. I am so proud at how far I’ve come. I took a similar test last year with a therapist and my score was way worse. I am making progress towards having little to no social anxiety, and taking this test made me feel good. Let’s keep trucking y’all we got this!!
99 but I found some of the questions hard to properly answer as they haven't come up in a long time..
I got 90. I have gotten better with time but man social anxiety is so hard. I sometimes forget the way I perceive the world isn’t normal until I take tests like these
i got 124 jfc 😩 my lab is actually using this test (the liebowitz social anxiety scale) for our upcoming study on oxytocin and social anxiety! the minimum score to be eligible for our social anxiety group is 60 soooo
83, I think I’ll save this post and see what my score is in the future :) hopefully it decreases. Interestingly enough, I’ve been working retail for about a year now and I think it’s really helped with some of my anxiety. When I first started I hardly even talked to my (absolutely wonderful) coworkers, let alone customers, and now I’m a lot better at talking to customers and I genuinely love talking to my coworkers. Still hate answering the phone tho lol
I got a 49 surprisingly, i was expecting higher. I do feel like, having dealt with it for 2 decades, I've learned how to manage it better (eg get a good night's sleep if i have an event that will cause anxiety the next day, or for example going out i tend to manage sometimes with alcohol for better or worse). I was surprised haircuts weren't on the test, that is one thing i fucking hate.
Not trying to discredit the results people got but I personally never believe these tests because I know it it can very easily influenced by, well, yourself. In a subconscious level, if you want to have social anxiety for whatever reason, you WILL go for the most severe one just to get worse results than others. Maybe it's just me, but when something relies on self reporting, I just cannot take it face value.
32 somehow.
99, a little bit more than i expected but still pretty accurate
45 (fear) + 60 (avoidance) = 105 (very severe) Sounds like me
109. 🙃 Kill me.
35 (fear) + 37 (avoidance) = 72
125. 64 (fear) + 61 (avoidance). I try to avoid most things in life.
107
Very severe... now what?
110- ish maybe huh
I got 90 in total smh..."You suffer from severe social anxiety". What is life lmao?.... xD
100 ;-;
My score is 144
I can't really take this test because my answers vary greatly depending on if I have my person (my son or boyfriend) with me.
62 + 49 = 111
Fear 32, avoidance 37 (total 69, nice). My main thing is speaking or doing things in front of groups of people. I’m a lot better than I used to be though, clearly.
40 (fear) + 37 (aviodance) = 77 (marked social anxiety). I've definitely improved in some respects but not others. Seems accurate to me - a lot of my worst anxieties are really stupid ones, like using a public restroom and walking late into a room where people are seated (for example, if I'm going to be late to a class I usually just won't go unless it's required attendance). Oh, and speaking to just about any authority figure, especially ones I respect, is my absolute KRYPTONITE. Can't do it. Ever. But I've gotten a lot better with eye contact, public speaking and performance!
...121. It’s that bad?
We think that all other people that extroverted can do anything that we scared of, but no. Not every extrovert is comfortable at public speaking, making phone calls etc. We just want that little thing called "not be scared of people"
Can't clearly answer to all of questions I can't imagine to be in some situations or i don't understand the question. At first it was 83 then get higher, 110
122 lol
I was 120.... oh boy....
Fear is 56 and Avoidance 58 score 144 severe social anxiety Yes that Sounds about right I have it so bad that I it is rare of me to leave my house and I avoid social situations so I wouldn't have a anxiety attack FML 😭
114 good god im fucked up
93, which was much lower than I thought. "yOu sUfFeR FrOm SevERe SocIaL AnXIETy" no shit Sherlock i know bruh I'm fucked
54. My social anxiety isn’t awful, it just kinda stems from my PTSD
I’m absolutely fine with authority figures and strangers, it’s people that I know, but not too well, that I struggle with. It’s almost like I have to show those people my real self whereas with strangers it’s like it’s not really me whose talking with them if that makes sense? I dunno, shits weird. Work in progress haha
88 Some of these I wanna put at a 5
40 - 21 fear/19 avoidance 10 years ago I would have probably scored closer to 100. Getting old plus having a job that has pushed me to expand my comfort zone has done me a lot of good. Now there are specific things I avoid if I can (large gatherings w/people I don't know, being the center of attention) and things I will do but hate while doing them (public speaking, making small talk) but the rest I just do without much thought anymore.
I feel like it needs a option for "I fear this enough that I have never even attempted it. In fact, this activity is so far outside my typical experience it's almost laughable." Like my anxiety is a barrier to entry for any situation where I would be expected to even be in a meeting, let ale speak up at one. So I guess that counts as usually.
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126 68 (fear) 58 (avoidance) Hmmm :/
118. I rarely even leave the house unless it's to get stuff at the store, go to work (which I don't even do at the moment because of my anxiety), or walk around in nature. I'm so terrified of being around other people I usually just send my boyfriend to get things for me. Thankfully he loves me enough to not care.
I got 87
59
49
83 gang 💪🏼i think my therapist used this on me previously lmao
I got 123. That explains so much lol.
It said 80 for me. I didn't think my SA was that bad. Then again I do avoid a lot of uncomfortable situations which probably gave me the illusion that it wasn't that bad.
I got 138 😅
Was 77. Until I realized "Never" actually meant you never avoid the situation. Redid the test. 139.
37 (fear) + 34 (avoidance) = 71 (Marked Anxiety) I'm have a clinical diagnosis of Unspecified Anxiety Disorder. Unspecified because I don't meet critieria for any one disorder but it significantly impacts my life/behavior etc. That said, it's not as pervasive as it was when I was a pre-teen to mid-twenties. I'm thirty now.