Social anxiety is a disorder that affects thousands of people across the country but its exact cause has yet to be determined by doctors and scientists. There are however a handful of theories that try to explain how the disorder becomes prominent in patients that exhibit the symptoms. First, anxiety is defined as a psychological and physiological state that is characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional and behavioral items. When these items combine they create an uneasy feeling or feeling of fear in the patient. Many doctors consider anxiety to be a normal reaction to a high amount of stress in one’s life. The most natural way to cure anxiety or social anxiety is to reduce the amount of stress one deals with during the course of a day or a week.
The first theory for the cause of social anxiety is that the disorder is genetically predisposed. This means that sensitivity to criticism or social scrutiny can be passed down from one generation to another just like hair color and eye color are inherited. For instance, a child that has two very shy parents might inherit a genetic code for shyness that over a period of time can amplify into a social anxiety disorder. Many people with social anxiety disorder will have a high resting heart rate. A resting heart rate is the beats that your heart makes while a person is relaxing (not running or walking or exercising). A patient with a social anxiety disorder will also exhibit an increased heart rate during times of stress.
Another theory for the cause of social anxiety disorder is development. Doctors and scientists have discovered that this disorder develops at different stages of a person’s life. For instance, at seven months old babies develop a fear of strangers. This development of fear does not take place anytime before the seven month mark. Separation anxiety occurs in three year old children leaving their parents for the first time to attend preschool while children ages six to eight have trouble being alone. As children grow into their early to mid teens they seek out solitude when they are dealing with physical appearance and performance in school. All of these are examples of different stages of a social anxiety disorder.
Chemical imbalances are another known cause of a social anxiety disorder. Patients suffering from long term symptoms of a social anxiety disorder typically have some sort of chemical imbalance in their brain. The key neurotransmitters produced in the brain that help people respond to stress are Serotonin, Norepinephrine, and GABA. If there is an imbalance of any one of these chemicals then the patient will suffer from a social anxiety disorder. If a patient does have a chemical imbalance in their brain there is treatment available to them. The most common way to treat an imbalance is with prescription drugs. Prescription drugs will restore the chemical balance in the brain and help to reduce the symptoms of social anxiety to the point where the patient can return to a normal life.
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