Biological Causes Of Social Anxiety

More Than Just Shy
Social anxiety is a mental illness marked by excessive fears of social interaction or situations, where an individual fears judgement or negative evaluation from other people around them resulting in embarrassment or humiliation. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most common disorders in the United States with 15 million Americans suffering from social anxiety disorder. Within the past ten years, there have been increased attention in anxiety disorders, the causes, and treating the illness. By understanding the causes of social anxiety disorder, and recognizing the events that trigger its symptoms, a sufferer can better manage while seeking treatment for their

mental disorder.
Since anxiety disorders have only been recently acknowledged as a mental illness, there have been limited studies performed when compared to other illnesses such as depression.

However, progress has been made and psychologists have a better understanding on the contributing factors and causes of social anxiety disorder. Experts have examined the biological factors of the disorder and the physical reasons why patients suffer. Tomas Furmark, a Biological Psychology expert from the Uppsala University, believed that individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder showed abnormal patterns within the brain. “Aberrant patterns of brain activity in the amygdala and medial temporal lobe region, insula and striatum are suggested. There is also evidence of abnormalities in the serotonergic and dopaminergic transmission systems” (Furmark 5). In other words, the temporal lobe regions responsible for fear were hyperactive while the neurotransmitters in the brain responsible for stimulating or calming the brain were not functioning

correctly.
Despite the fact that mental illnesses can be passed on to another family member, it is still not clear if there is a specific gene responsible for the disorder or perhaps a behavior that have been learned over time. Although psychologists debate which environmental factors influence an individual, it is agreed that at some point an event or series of events made an impact to the sufferer. Negative social experiences that may have caused an individual embarrassment, bullying, or humiliation are examples of trauma responsible for a person to develop social anxiety disorder.
For many individuals it is perfectly normal to feel nervous or uncomfortable when meeting new people, attending a social party, or speaking in public. However, to a person suffering from social anxiety disorder; these are trigger events to the illness in which they suffer. Murray B. Stein Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and authority on psychiatry, further explains experiencing trigger symptoms. “When they interact with others, they might or might not show overt evidence of discomfort (e.g., blushing, not making eye contact), but invariably experience intense emotional or physical symptoms, or both (e.g., fear, heart racing, sweating, trembling, trouble concentrating)” (M. Stein, D. Stein 1115). In addition to these symptoms, some patients have reported experiencing nausea, trouble breathing, confusion, or dizziness.
As a result, to the overwhelming fear of social interactions, many individuals suffering from anxiety disorders tend to avoid them completely. According to a study on anxiety disorders the authors briefly describes social avoidance, “Briefly, this disorder is characterized by a persistent fear of negative evaluation by others in one or more social situations, leading to extreme distress and/or avoidance of social situations” (Asnaani et al. 226). Attending work or school becomes difficult, personal relationships are strained, and simple tasks such as shopping becomes nearly impossible. The disorder changes their life; completely changing the way they live.
Ultimately, social anxiety disorder is a debilitating mental illness affecting millions of Americans each and every day.

Although progress have been made within the past ten years to understand the causes of this disorder, there is still much to be learned. Psychologists have learned that there are biological and environmental factors that may cause a person to develop social anxiety disorder, and through observation they have narrowed the causes and symptoms. By understanding the events that trigger the symptoms of social anxiety, both the individuals suffering from the illness and the medical community can work together in treating and curing the

illness.