Social Anxiety - Causes

Causes

The exact causes of social anxiety are still contested. Ongoing research on the genetic roots of physical and mental health suggests that the tendency toward feelings of anxiety, in social situations in particular, has a moderate probability of inheritance.

Another potential cause of social anxiety can be found in the nervous system. Medications that are prescribed to treat social anxiety affect the levels of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that are responsible for transmitting signals in the brain. However, researchers are still unsure if the differences in these chemicals cause social anxiety. Several studies have found that certain areas of the brain, such as the amygdala, can be more active in individuals with social phobia.

Also, life experiences can be another cause of social anxiety. Negative experiences in life, and the way one handles and reacts to them, can also lead to the development of social anxiety. If one is consistently put in situations that make him or her feel inferior or fear the judgment of other people, he or she can begin to develop negative beliefs about himself or herself and the world that can cause social anxiety. This then promotes avoidance of situations that may provoke anxiety, which causes one to miss the opportunity to prove their negative assumptions about themselves wrong.