The Difference Between Overthinking and Social Anxiety

One of the things that comes up most often when you have social anxiety is 
overthinking. This is the root of all those fearful emotions and negative feelings when 
you are going to be around other people. While they can be linked, overthinking is not 
the same thing as social anxiety. Here are some things to consider so you understand 
the difference.

Shyness and Social Anxiety

The first thing you should understand is that being shy is not the same thing as having 
social anxiety. While it is definitely possible to suffer from shyness and social anxiety, 
they can also happen separately. With shyness it is more about feeling a little 
vulnerable around new people, but you often open up to them in the right 
circumstances. You can also have phases where you feel just fine being around other 
people, even if you don’t actually talk to them. With social anxiety, any social situation 
makes it hard to deal with, even something like walking down the street or being in a 
restaurant. It’s not just talking to people, but being around them in general that becomes 
debilitating.

Identifying Overthinking

Many people with social anxiety will also overthink, which is what leads to their fear, but 
these are also not the same thing. Some people simply overthink things, but can calm 
themselves down enough to handle social situations. With social anxiety, it is much 
more difficult to handle, even if you are not overthinking too much. With overthinking, 
your thoughts get the better of you. You often get wrapped up in what could or couldn’t 
happen, and then that can lead to feelings of anxiety, worry, and fear. When you can 
identify how this starts, you will hopefully find a way to reduce your anxiety as well.

How They Can Be Related

As you can see, overthinking can actually lead to worsened social anxiety symptoms. 
Perhaps you have this generalized fear of being around large groups of people, but can 
usually get through it okay as long as you have the right mindset. On the other hand, if 
you tend to overthink, you are worried about what they will say, do, or think, that they 
will judge you, and then all those worries and fears come up to the surface and make 
your anxiety a lot worse. This is often where the panic attacks come from.




