The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
194IS SYMPTOM EXPOSURE FOR YOU?
Although symptom exposure is likely to be helpful for many who suffer from social 
anxiety, it’s usually possible to reduce social anxiety without this particular strategy. In 
fact, for some people, there may be little reason to use these exercises at all. Symptom 
exposure is likely to be helpful to you if either of the following statements is true:
UÊYou are generally afraid of experiencing anxiety symptoms such as a rapidly 
beating heart, dizziness, shaking, blushing, or sweating.
UÊYou are afraid of experiencing anxiety symptoms in front of other people.
If you’re fearful of experiencing physical arousal feelings in general or when in social 
or performance situations, we recommend trying the exercises described in this chapter. 
However, if you are not fearful of the sensations that you experience when anxious, and 
you are not concerned about others noticing your anxiety symptoms, then there is no 
need to practice these exercises. In fact, you can skip ahead to chapter 10.
HOW DOES SYMPTOM EXPOSURE WORK?
Like situational exposure, symptom exposure is believed to decrease fear by disprov -
ing a person’s fearful beliefs, assumptions, and predictions. By deliberately bringing on 
uncomfortable feelings in a controlled and predictable way, you will learn that (1) you 
can control the sensations that normally appear to be uncontrollable and (2) even if you 
do experience noticeable physical feelings in front of other people, the consequences 
are likely to be minimal.
By learning to allow yourself to be anxious in front of other people, and to allow 
others to observe your anxiety symptoms, eventually you will become less concerned 
about your anxiety reactions and about what people think when they notice your shaking,