There are several different possible causes for social anxiety:
Learned Behavior
One explanation for social anxiety may be based in the environment of a child
as they develop. As we grow, we learn about how to interact with the world
by observing those around us, and if an individual is surrounded by socially
anxious people while they are developing, it is possible that they will learn
to act this way as well.
Traumatic Event
If a person experiences a traumatic event in public or at the hands of a group
of people, this may make them nervous or anxious in similar situations because
they are fearful of another traumatic event. Suffering extreme embarrassment,
especially at an early age, could make an individual socially anxious.
Interruption in Development
Different stages of a child’s overall development are associated with
different phases of social development. Babies will develop a fear of strangers
at or after seven months, but not before then. Children between the ages of
six and eight do not like to be alone, but this changes at adolescence as teenagers
begin to enjoy time on their own. If something happens to disrupt the normal
progression of these phases, a disruption in social learning may occur as well.
Predisposition
Scientists are studying the idea that increased sensitivity to disapproval
may be based in an individual’s physiology or hormonal balance.
Genetics
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The child of socially anxious parents is at increased risk of social anxiety.
While this may be because of environmental factors, it also points to a possible
link between heredity and the development of social anxiety.
Chemical Imbalance
It is possible that those who suffer with social anxiety have an imbalance
of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that help regulate the anxiety response.
Social anxiety is most likely caused by a combination of factors, which is
why it is important to investigate different treatment options to find what
works best on an individual basis.
Author: Nan Little
Website: http://www.insightjournal.com/
Do you experience an overwhelming and persistent fear of social or
performance situations? Are you afraid you will embarrass yourself
around others? Does engaging in social activity always cause anxiety or
panic? These symptoms indicate that you may have social anxiety. Find
out more about social anxiety disorder here.
What are the steps to diagnosing social anxiety disorder? Find out what
your healthcare professional will need to learn in order to determine
whether you are experiencing occasional shyness and social anxiety or
have social anxiety disorder.
What type of person develops a social anxiety disorder? Learn more
about what researchers have discovered, including the gender risk
factor, the family risk factor, the environmental risk factor as well
as the negative experience risk factor.
Have you felt an overwhelming desire to escape in a situation where you
experienced a high level anxiety? Did you tremble or shake
uncontrollably, excessively sweat, felt dizzy or had tingling
sensations? These symptoms indicate that you may have experienced a
panic attack. Find out more about panic attacks here.
Individuals who have been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder have
many treatment options available to them. Psychotherapy (including
Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
(REBT), prescription medications, as well as Complementary and
Alternative Medicine (CAM) are just some of the many treatments for
social anxiety disorder.
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