Social Anxiety Test

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I tried this test but I am not sure of its accuracy (I am diagnosed as having social anxiety but scored as not having social anxiety at all...I only scored 11 on it) as it does not give me other options as to why I avoid socialising (for example it asks if you avoid situations because fear but it does not have an 'I avoid this situation because I find it confusing' button).

Anyway, thought others might like to try the test anyway: http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/disorder/liebowitz/

People on other sites for social anxiety have found it quite accurate.

Thanks Bummble,
I'm really not surprised that I scored 75.

It only focuses on anxiety-related reasons, so if you avoid a situation because it's confusing, then it's likely not a matter of anxiety, or at least not social anxiety.

I took this test awhile ago and shocked myself because I thought I had social anxiety, but I didn't actually.

I did that before and remember scoring quite high. I am a bit bugged with the "fear" word, it's not like I'm afraid of that sales person, but I am kinda of dealing with him. Or returning goods to a store for a refund, or doing stuff in public. I just get this feeling which resembles fear, it's like being very uncomfortable with your brain boiling.

And I don't find these situations confusing, I find them rather trivial, so to speak. (But I guess I have no understanding on the basic level). I just cannot do something, well I can, but I am "frozen in fear", that's how much reluctant I become. I feel very anxious while being in public and dealing with people, I do feel afraid in a way. These days, however, it's more like a legacy of my past. This anxiety drives me nuts, now it's just plain irrational.

9 fear + 17 avoidance = 26 total. No social phobia.
A fair bit of avoidance due to lack of interest or enjoyment.

Wow, I scored 117.
I figured it would be high, it kinda doesn't surprise me.
Even ordering a pizza on the phone makes me anxious.

52, so no social phobia, which I knew already. Several of the questions had nothing to do with me, though. Like the ones about parties and sexual/romantic partners.

I had similar issues with the party question, mostly because I don't go to parties because I don't enjoy them, not because of social anxiety, they are just not my thing. I'd rather hide out in a museum or relax with a good David Attenborough DVD but no one seems to ever be up for that lol.

I scored 98. Not surprised at all.

56(fear) + 56(avoidance) = 112 severe social anxiety

my results where pretty spot on! I've recently been diagnosed with severe social anxiety! but having said that my councilor believes I've got aspergers!

40(fear) + 63(avoidance) = 103
You have very severe social anxiety.

Heh.

21(fear) + 27(avoidance) = 48

NO social phobia, just as I expected, though I'm close to the threshold (which is also in line with my expectation), due to anxiety in romantic relationships and speaking before an audience.

41(fear) + 50(avoidance) = 91
You have severe social phobia.

That's not surprising.

I got 59 which is mild social phobia. Probably about right for nowadays, although I realised that my answers were frequently of two types - there were ones that had low levels of fear, but I almost always avoided them. These were generally social ones that were optional so I could avoid them (I sometimes wish I wanted to go to such things as I don't think the fear IS as bad now as it used to be, but it seems as though over the years the constant fear has actually made such things become unattractive and even boring and it is so much easier to stay at home and read a book). Then there are those that scare me a lot but I do them anyway because I have to (like making certain phone calls or talking to people in authority at work - formal oral presentations used to scare me [but these scare almost everyone to begin with] but years of practise at work means I can in certain instances almost enjoy them and just feel a bit nervous, not scared).

I am 34 now and have learnt a lot of ways to adapt to what was probably very severe social anxiety in my teens. However, I don't think the test is that well aimed at me and I'm not sure how well it would have picked things up even in my teens. For example, I always have more fear of looking people I KNOW in the eyes rather than people I don't know (same with other types of interactions too - I'm better with complete strangers than people I know - unless I know them very very well or they are considerably younger than me). Perhaps this is different from most people with social anxiety, I don't know.

However, there are other things that crippled me the most which aren't even mentioned. When I was in my teens I couldn't even speak to my parents properly I was so scared of disapproval/being laughed at - I imagine that most socially anxious people don't have a problem with their closest relatives unless they are in abusive relationships (which I wasn't), and certainly it wasn't mentioned. One particular problem I had was requesting things/help from people (including my parents) - it is still one of my major problems, but this was not mentioned on the test at all (apart from perhaps the talking to people in authority thing - however, I would have little problem talking to someone I don't know in authority e.g. a police officer, about something not too important, or requesting things from a professional, such as a ticket for the cinema or mortgage advice from a bank).

Answering the phone wasn't mentioned either (I get a surge of adrenaline even now when my mobile goes off, and people I know, know not to ring me). I am also still very uncomfortable with bumping into people I know, even if I know them well (if I see them first I will try to avoid catching their attention at all), having people I know see me at events e.g. cinema where I have gone alone (and want to be alone at), and one of my particular problems is greeting people - not complete strangers in a formal situation at all, but people who I know a small amount (perhaps I see them regularly on my way to work), I am scared they will want to stop and chat for longer and I will have nothing to say to them, so my chest fills with dread when I see them even though I know that it is nice that they are being friendly and they will be hurt if I do ignore them. On the other hand, I have no problem at all turning sales people down - I don't know them so I won't see them again, and actually find it quite hard to understand why other people can't just say no and walk away. Maybe this makes me appear rude, but my reasoning is that they are being rude for trying to force things on me.

Because some of the things that do still scare me are things that are fairly fundamental to social interactions and that most people do without thinking (and aren't even on the test at all) probably the score underestimates me. In fact I am finding it interesting that social anxiety seems to be scored mainly due to people's interactions with those they don't know well/at all and not those they know well (which after all are more important for most aspects of life). I would be interested to know whether people who are diagnosed with social anxiety (I never was) have problems (fear and inhibition) around people they know well (parents, close friends, colleagues) or whether it is mainly centered on strangers or people they only know slightly.

My score: 88

Fear - 44

Avoidance - 44

Severe social phobia.

I experience similar patterns. It's clear that in my teens I experienced more severe social anxiety than I do now. Practicing is a tremendous help, but it takes time and effort. I've come a long way from hardly able to say anything into a phone receiver to being able to handle difficult phone calls, though they still drain me and sometimes I'm trembling for minutes afterwards.

Walking in the street I rarely notice anyone I know, so it's not a big issue to me... If I do, I'm not as anxious now as I used to be.