The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
58 HOW AND WHEN DID YOUR SOCIAL ANXIETY BEGIN?
How old were you when you ﬁrst had signiﬁcant anxiety in social situations? What was 
going on at that time in your life?
How old were you when you ﬁrst noticed that your social anxiety began to interfere with 
aspects of your life? What was going on at the time?
What has the course of your social anxiety been over the years? Has it improved, stayed 
the same, or worsened? Are you aware of factors that may have caused it to change over 
the years (for example, getting married or moving to a new neighborhood)?
Are there speciﬁc events that initially caused you to become more nervous in social 
situations or made your social anxiety worsen? (Examples may include experiences such 
as presentations that didn’t go well, being teased while growing up, or doing something 
embarrassing or humiliating in public.)