UÊWhat do I fear that the other person will think about me?
UÊWhat will happen if my anxious thoughts are true?
Sometimes it may be difﬁcult to pinpoint your fearful thoughts. Chances are that 
social anxiety has been a part of your life for so long that your negative thoughts are 
well-rehearsed, very quick, and almost automatic (like habits). Also, the fact that you 
probably avoid the situations you fear makes it that much more difﬁcult to remember 
exactly what thoughts tend to occur when you are actually in the situation.
If you have difﬁculty identifying your anxious beliefs, we suggest that you try to 
engage with the situations you fear and attempt to identify your assumptions and predic -
tions while you are still in the situation. With practice, it should get easier to recognize 
your anxious beliefs. In fact, even if you are unable to identify the speciﬁc thoughts that 
contribute to your anxiety, practicing being in the situation will likely lead to a decrease 
in your fear, as discussed in chapters 7 and 8.