I took a social anxiety test!

Hmm. Social Anxiety Institute.

Test for social anxiety disorder. Find out

if you suffer from social phobia. Do I

have social anxiety disorder? This test

helps determine if you suffer from social

anxiety. I just realized social anxiety

disorder spells out sad. I find

that kind of sad as well. SAD, right?

In each of the following situations, rate

the amount of anxiety you feel using the

scale below. That sounds easy. 0, none.

1, some. 2, moderate. And 3, high.

Okay. Say hello. Saying hello to a

stranger. So how much anxiety do I feel?

I'd say 2.

I guess not high because I'm kind of used

to it now since I have to say hello to

every bloody customer that comes into the

petrol station. So I'd say 2, but I still

feel very anxious doing it. Giving a brief

talk in front of 6 other people.

Definitely a 3. I hate doing things like

that. Standing in front of a group of

people and just having to say stuff. Hey,

isn't that what I'm doing right now?

Making videos for YouTube is kind of like

giving a brief talk in front of hundreds

of people, sometimes thousands, but the

difference is I'm— you're not actually in

front of me, are you? There's just a

camera and a computer screen in front of

me. Having your friends and family sing

happy birthday to you. Definitely 3.

I hate it when people sing happy birthday,

especially when they sing it for me. I

hate it when people sing happy birthday In

general, just, I hate that song. I think

it's stupid. Having a general conversation

with someone who cares about you.

I don't know why you would feel anxious

about that. If it's someone who cares

about you, then it would be nice having a

conversation with them. So I'd say, I'd

say 0. I don't really feel like I would

feel— I don't really think I would feel

anxious over that.

Dancing in a dimly lit nightclub.

I'd say 3 because number 1, I don't dance.

I don't enjoy dancing. I don't think it's

fun. I'm not good at it. And I don't like

nightclubs. Although the dimly lit sounds

quite nice. Talking to other students

before your algebra class begins.

3. It depends on who the students are.

If, if it's my friend, then I wouldn't

really feel anxious. I've never taken

algebra class. I wouldn't know, and I

never talked to anyone anyway. So, uh,

I'd say 3. The professor calls on you

and asks you questions during your

algebra. Why is it always an algebra class

in front of the whole room? Definitely 3.

Talking in front of a whole classroom of

people is definitely a no-no. I'd just say

no, I don't want to do it. You can give me

a fail mark, you can give me a bad grade,

I don't care. I'm not standing in front of

the whole classroom to talk, okay?

Talking to a friend during lunchtime.

Again, I don't really see why you'd feel

anxious if you're talking to your friend.

So talking to someone I don't like or

talking to a stranger, I'd feel anxious,

but if it's my friend, then I wouldn't

really say I'd feel anxious. Maybe a

little. What was one? One is some, isn't

it? Okay, so maybe a little. Saying

something small when there's a lull in the

conversation. Saying something small.

What does it mean, saying something small?

I guess 2? If it means,

um, I don't really understand what it

means by saying something small. If the

conversation is like becoming really

awkward, then yeah, I'd get anxious.

Interrupting someone else to say something

during a conversation. Definitely 3. I

don't like interrupting people. I think

it's really rude and it gets kind of

awkward when you're both trying to say

something at the same time and it just—

you end up interrupting each other.

Saying good morning to a person you

categorize as an authority figure.

Yeah, pretty anxious. I don't like saying

good morning in general. I think it's kind

of stupid. Uh, carrying on

a 10-minute conversation with an authority

figure. I don't know, depends what we're

talking about. If we're talking about

similar interests, then it might not be

that Um,

anxiety-causing. What's the word?

It won't be that awkward. So what was 2?

2 was moderate, I guess. 2, yeah.

It depends what we're having a

conversation about. It depends who the

person is. It's all really dependent on

who the person is and what we're talking

about. Uh, who's next? Uh, what's next?

Answering your phone without looking at

who's calling.

I don't know. I wouldn't answer the phone

in the first place if I didn't know who

was calling, so I'd say 3. And no one

phones me anyway. I always ignore the

phone when it rings because before, all

these insurance guys kept phoning us.

They kept saying, is Mr. So-and-so there?

And then you ask them why, and then they'd

say, oh, are you interested in buying

insurance? You just put the phone down.

Don't even say No, not interested. Bye. I

just put the phone down, just slam it down

straight away. Wasting my time, bloody

idiots. Making calls to strangers

from your cubicle at work when others in

the room can hear everything you say.

That's definitely a number 3. I'd hate

that. They can hear everything you say? I

don't— that's why I don't like using the

telephone in the first place, because

people can hear what you're saying.

That's why I don't like it. Making— what

did I do? Making calls to strangers from

the privacy of your own room. Then that's

not too bad. I'd say some.

So I don't feel super anxious if it— if

I'm on my own and I'm making a phone call

to like the bank or something like that,

then it's— I'm not too bad.

Accidentally dropping your food tray at a

busy food court in the shopping mall.

Definitely 3. That would be so

embarrassing. I don't know how anyone

would not be anxious if that happened.

Walking around your block? A little,

because those bloody Irish people live

opposite and they kind of intimidate me.

And kids in general, teenagers, really

make me feel anxious. You don't know what

they're gonna do. They just randomly shout

at you sometimes, don't they? Driving by

yourself? I'd say 3, even though I don't

know how to drive. If I could drive, then

it would definitely be very, very scary.

Very— it would make me very anxious.

Driving with 3 other people in the car

with you. I don't know if I'd feel

anxious. I don't know. I've never been in

that situation before. If I was, I guess

you would feel very anxious because you

had a lot of responsibility, and if you

make any mistakes while driving, they're

gonna See, they're gonna see you make

mistakes, aren't they? So let's say 3.

Going out to a movie with a coworker you

don't know well. I'd say some, because if

you're going to watch a movie, then you're

just watching the movie, aren't you? You

don't have to— you don't have to talk or

make conversation, so that's fine. Giving

a presentation to your work team or to a

group in school. Definitely a 3. Like I

said before, standing in front of a group

of people and speaking I remember once I

was in secondary school and in science

class we had to give a presentation in

front of everyone and I just said, no,

I'm not doing it. And then the teacher

said, okay, but I'll have to give you an

automatic fail. And I said, yep, that's

fine. I'd rather get a fail than have to

stand up in front of everyone and have to

talk. Walking down the aisle during your

own marriage. Definitely 3.

I don't really want to have a wedding

where I have to walk down an aisle. It

sounds so old-fashioned. In a church,

down an aisle with all your friends and

family. It sounds so cheesy. That's not

how I want to get married. I just want to

be like— I want my girlfriend to go, hey,

let's get married, and then we go down to

the registry office and sign some paper.

Done. We're married. Yeah, I'm very

romantic. Telling your neighbors that

their party was too loud last night and

you would like them to be quieter.

Definitely a 3. There's no way I could do

that. Anything could happen. They could

just slam the door in the face. They could

tell you to shut up. They can tell you to

fuck off. They might— I don't know, they

might attack you. There's no way I'd

approach someone and complain to them

directly. Working as a cashier in a busy

grocery store. That's kind of like what I

do now. Except, except for it's not really

busy and it's not a grocery store, but I'm

a cashier. Then that makes me very

anxious. Even though I've gotten used to

it and I can do my job pretty well, every

time a customer comes up to the till, I

feel anxious. I feel nervous. I feel like,

just hurry up and get this over with.

Hurry up and go away, please. Going to a

job interview and being interviewed by

several people. 3. I've never had

an interview where it's been more than 3

people, more than one person. It's always

just been me and the other person, so I

guess being interviewed by several people

would be pretty, pretty scary.

Sing at a karaoke bar while sober.

I've sung at karaoke before in front of

people, but not at a karaoke bar in front

of strangers. I've always gone with

friends or on my own. So if it was a

karaoke bar, I'd definitely say 3 because

I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it in

front of a load of strangers. Reading out

loud from a book in your class. That's not

too bad. I'd say some because you're not

really having to think what you have to

say. You're just reading out of a book.

If it's like you have to do a talk about

something you're interested in in front of

your history class, then that would be

very scary. Hosting a small party with

only friends. That doesn't sound too bad.

It sounds fun. If you're— if they're your

friends, then why would you be anxious?

I'd say 0. I don't

really know because I don't have friends

and I've never hosted a small party, but

I'm not sure, maybe 1?

Again, if they're your friends, I don't

really see why you'd be anxious. Shopping

for something at a public place alone.

Yeah, I do feel pretty anxious. I'd say 2.

I don't know why, but it just feels like

everyone's looking at me, especially when

I go to buy clothes and I'm looking at the

clothes. It just feels like everyone's

looking at what I'm doing, and I hate it

when the sales assistant comes up to you

and says, can I help you with anything?

Or, or what are you looking for? And

you're not really looking for any—

anything in specific. You're just

browsing. Asking a salesperson for help at

any public store. Definitely a 3. I never

ask for help. I'd rather walk around for

half an hour trying to find what I'm

looking for instead of having to ask

someone. I've never asked someone— I've

never asked any salesperson for help

before. Phew, that actually took longer

than I thought. So let's press submit.

My voice is starting to go. Don't know if

you noticed or not. See if we have—

oh, we got, we got 70 out of 90 possible

points. Wow. And what's this? A nice join

our newsletter. How about no? Your score

indicates a high amount of social anxiety

and most likely would meet DSM-IV

standards for social anxiety disorder.

Want help in overcoming social anxiety?

Learn about our online therapy program by

clicking here. This test is not a

professional diagnosis. So not really a

big surprise, but I guess this confirms

it. I have a high amount of

social anxiety. Well, I don't really think

it's fair to call it a disorder, so I just

prefer Not to have to encounter, not to

have to interact with people. It's just a

preference. Why is that labeled as a

disorder? It's like they're saying it's

some kind of illness. Oh, I need to get

therapy. I need to see a psychologist. I

need to do the online therapy program so I

can get better, so I can fix this, this

horrible mental disorder. I just think

that's how I am. It's my personality.

Maybe it's a little weird. Maybe I'm in

the minority, but I wouldn't say it's a

disorder. Maybe it's a— maybe it's one of

the good points of my personality. It

depends how you, how you look at it. If

you're a social person, then I guess you

would think of it as a disorder. You'd

think to yourself, that person's so weird.

He gets all nervous by just talking to

people. They're just people. What's there

to be scared of? How would they know?

They wouldn't understand. Okay, so let's

look at this. What each score range means.

0 to 14, your score indicates that you

likely do not have a diagnosable case of

social anxiety disorder. 15 to 29, your

score indicates some social anxiety

symptoms. You may or may not have a

diagnosable case of social anxiety

disorder. 30 to 59,

your score indicates a moderate amount of

social anxiety and would probably What?

And would probably would meet. That's

weird English. And would probably would

meet DSM-IV qualifications for social

anxiety. What is this DSM-IV

qualification? If I can get a

qualification, how do I get it? I can put

it onto my CV. Social anxiety disorder

qualification. 60 to 90. Your score

indicates a high amount of social anxiety.

And would meet DSM-IV standards. There's

that word again. And then they give me—

let's have a look at this in a minute,

see what else there is.

So they've got forum, test that we just

did, group therapy, online therapy.

Okay, let's have a look at their therapy

program. Why not? Since— oh,

I don't know if you can see at the top, I

still have Mr. Ron Standard Jr. He's, uh,

I still have his page open up here. I

don't know why. I just feel like I don't

want to close it yet. I want him to be

with me. Don't leave me, Ron. Don't leave

me for your planning and construction job.

Come back to YouTube and make video game

parody reviews, please. Please.

So apparently the 25-session series

includes audio therapy, therapy handouts,

videos, explanations of the therapy,

supplements, Supplemental handouts and

materials. Songs reinforcing therapy

concepts. What do you mean songs? Music?

Or do I have to sing? Motivational quotes.

Discussions for each session. Session.

Session. Dr. Richards discusses the

new therapy series. Okay, let's listen to

what Dr. Richards has to say.

Welcome to the introduction to the new

series, Overcoming Social Anxiety Step by

Step. I'm Dr. Thomas A. Richards,

psychologist and founder of the Social

Anxiety Institute in Phoenix.

We've specialized in the treatment of

anxiety disorders since the early 1990s.

Guy's voice. And renamed our anxiety

clinic the Social Anxiety Institute when

we began seeing people exclusively with

social anxiety. In 1999.

God, this guy's voice is so boring. It's

like he's falling asleep. Sounds like a

robot. Dr. Richards goes on for 23

minutes. Let's see what else he says

halfway through. You will see that you

never do anything more than take one step

at a time. Okay, if you take one

step, yeah, then acting on the cognitive

strategies you learn May make you a little

nervous. A little nervous.

This guy speaks so slowly. Step by step.

Each session is approximated to take 1

week, but many people— it sounds

like the way he speaks, he's so slow at

speaking, that's why the whole session is

going to take a whole week. It's going to

take a whole year the rate he speaks at.

Jesus Christ. Proven treatment that has

helped thousands of people worldwide,

taught by Dr. Richards, who suffered with

social— ah, he suffered from social

anxiety. We shouldn't, we shouldn't make

fun of him. He's just trying to help

people. What am I trying to do?

Absolutely nothing.

I cried tears of joy at finally finding

someone who so thoroughly understands this

disorder. Susan Paz. The thought

of introductions, presentations,

meetings, and group discussions don't

scare me anymore. Applying the therapy has

really worked. I'm happy and I deserve it.

Vanessa Giga. I woke up this morning

energized, motivated, and without feeling

anxiety. I've woken up to anxiety every

morning for the past 15 years. I cannot

put into words how free I felt this

morning. Jane Smart. $29 a month?

That's so expensive.

$29 per month for 6 months or $160 for the

entire series. You have to make a living,

gotta pay the bills somehow, don't you,

Dr. Richards? So yeah, there's quite a

lot of information here to the therapy.

I'm not gonna do the therapy for $160.

I'm not even interested in doing any

therapy. I'm fine. I like having my

anxiety— social anxiety disorder. Don't

take it away from me. It's the only thing

I have.