What is Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety can make ordinary interactions feel like high-stakes tests. Treatment focuses on exposure, attention shifting, behavioral experiments, and rebuilding confidence in real social settings.
Common signs and symptoms
- Fear of being judged, embarrassed, rejected, or visibly anxious
- Avoiding conversations, meetings, presentations, dating, or groups
- Over-rehearsing, replaying, or criticizing interactions
- Blushing, sweating, trembling, or mind going blank
- Difficulty speaking up despite wanting connection
How Westwood Institute treats it
- Graduated social and performance exposures
- CBT for self-critical predictions and post-event review
- Practice reducing safety behaviors
- Skills for attention, assertiveness, and participation
- Treatment plans tailored to school, work, or relationship goals