Social Anxiety | Homebody | Which One Are You?

I've had extreme social anxiety which often turned into panic attacks, and I've also overcome social anxiety for the most part. One thing I still don't like to do is go places or run errands.

Now, is this a form of social anxiety? Or is it just being a homebody? Social anxiety is an extreme fear of social situations. I don't have that extreme fear anymore. I still have anxiety, and I still get nervous when I go someplace new, but not the social anxiety I used to have.

Dictionary.com defines a homebody as "a person who prefers pleasures and activities that center around the home; stay-at-home."

I feel as though at this point in my life, I would consider myself as a homebody. For instance, I don't like going to the movies, although I love watching movies. What I don't like is driving to the theater (traffic stress), trying to find a parking space, waiting in line, and fighting to get into and out of the movie.

I am not worried about paying for a ticket, talking to people, or sitting next to a stranger. However, I would enjoy the movie more if I plugged it into my player at home, put my feet up, made some popcorn, and had a bunch of people at my house.

Some psychologists and such might say that I am using traffic and the hassle of going out to the movies vs. staying home just excuses, and I still have social anxiety. That may be true, but I don't mind going short distances from my home to visit or run errands.

Regardless if it is social anxiety or just a homebody, I know I am further ahead than I was a few years ago. You just have to grasp the "stop" or "I don't care" attitude, and flip those negative thoughts into positive ones.