Social Phobia
Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, affects more than 13 percent of Americans. It is a real and serious health problem that responds to treatment. The first step is seeking help. If you suspect that you might suffer from social
phobia, complete the following self-test by clicking the "yes" or "no" boxes next to eachquestion, print out the test and show the results to your health care professional.
HOW CAN I TELL IF IT'S SOCIAL PHOBIA?
Are you troubled by:
1. | An intense and persistent fear of a social situation in which people might judge you? |
Yes No
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2. | Fear that you will be humiliated by your actions? |
Yes No
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3. | Fear that people will notice that you are blushing, sweating, trembling, or showing other signs of anxiety? |
Yes No
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4. | Knowing that your fear is excessive or unreasonable? |
Yes No
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Does the feared situation cause you to:
5. | Always feel anxious? |
Yes No
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6. | Experience a "panic attack", during which you suddenly are overcome by intense fear or discomfort, including any of these symptoms? |
Yes No
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7. | Pounding heart |
Yes No
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8. | Sweating |
Yes No
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9. | Trembling or shaking |
Yes No
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10. | Shortness of breath |
Yes No
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11. | Choking |
Yes No
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12. | Chest pain |
Yes No
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13. | Nausea or abdominal discomfort |
Yes No
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14. | "Jelly" legs |
Yes No
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15. | Dizziness |
Yes No
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16. | Feelings of unreality or being detached from yourself |
Yes No
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17. | Fear of losing control, "going crazy" |
Yes No
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18. | Fear of dying |
Yes No
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19. | Numbness or tingling sensations |
Yes No
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20. | Chills or hot flashes |
Yes No
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21. | Go to great lengths to avoid participating in the feared situation? |
Yes No
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22. | Does all of this interfere with your daily life? |
Yes No
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Having more than one illness at the same time can make it difficult to diagnose and treat the different conditions. Illnesses that sometimes complicate anxiety disorders include depression and substance abuse. With this in mind, please take a minute to answer the following questions.
23. | Have you experienced changes in sleeping or eating habits? |
Yes No
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More days than not, do you feel:
24. | Sad or depressed? |
Yes No
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25. | Disinterested in life? |
Yes No
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26. | Worthless or guilty? |
Yes No
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During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs:
27. | Resulted in your failure to fulfill responsibilities with work, school, or family? |
Yes No
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28. | Placed you in a dangerous situation, such as driving a car under the influence? |
Yes No
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29. | Gotten you arrested? |
Yes No
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30. | Continued despite causing problems for you and/or your loved ones? |
Yes No
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