Signs of Social Anxiety in Adults 

Social anxiety comes with worry and fearful thoughts when you are going to be in a 
social situation. This can be anything from going to a restaurant to your first day at a 
new job. If you have odd feelings when in a social situation, you might not realize this is 
what you have. Here are some common signs of social anxiety in adults.

Physical Symptoms

Social anxiety presents many of the same symptoms as when you have other forms of 
anxiety. However, it usually only happens when you are in a social situation or when 
there is an event coming up you are afraid to participate in. These physical symptoms 
include having a rapid heart rate, blushing, sweating, getting tunnel vision, trembling 
and shaking, or having muscle twitches. It can range from having butterflies in your 
stomach to feeling like you are going to have a heart attack. These are signs of panic 
attacks, which frequently accompany social situations when you have social anxiety.

Emotional Symptoms

There are also a lot of emotional and psychological symptoms of social anxiety, often 
more prevalent than the physical symptoms. You should look at how you are feeling and 
what you are thinking about when you get into social situations. Do you suddenly have 
an intense worry when walking into a crowded coffee shop, or do you become easily 
embarrassed when anyone calls out your name in front of a group of people? These are 
signs of having social anxiety. Here are some other emotional signs of this type of 
anxiety:

You are constantly afraid of being judges
You think you will humiliate yourself
You avoid talking to people from this fear
You are afraid of being obvious, like blushing or trembling

Other Symptoms

You may also have social anxiety when you practice avoidance. This is when you find 
yourself constantly avoiding people or situations, like never going to happy hour or out 
with co-workers even though you like their company, or canceling plans with family or 
friends. It isn’t the people inviting you, but the thought that others will be there and 
getting into a situation that makes you fearful of what might happen. If you are too afraid 
to get into a relationship because you fear all the embarrassing things you might do or 
say, that can also be social anxiety. Pay attention to all signs, whether obvious or 
subtle.




