According to recent statistics, about 3 in 100
people of all races and social groups are affected by social anxiety.
Since it's so common, researchers have turned their attention to this
condition. After almost 70 years of research, scientists believe to have
finally discovered the roots of social anxiety.
In this article, we're going to present the most common explanations
for social anxiety. It might sound complicated right now but rest
assured that you are about to be provided with simple,
easy-to-understand information. By knowing what exactly causes you to
behave in an anxious manner, you'll gain valuable insights about this
condition. The success of this treatment plan depends on how well you
understand the nature of social anxiety.
The Legacy of Our Ancestors
Thousands
of years ago, people started living in large organized groups known as
civilizations. This is what gave us a competitive edge. Unlike other
species from the animal kingdom, we were able to exercise a better
control over resources and watch each other's backs. But things were not
as good as you might think. Unlike today, the primitive society was
often a dangerous place, even for its own members. You could be attacked
by other individuals, robbed of your possessions or even killed. Being
around other people (especially strangers) posed a significant threat.
Staying Home Might Have Been Safer
In
order to increase your chances of survival, one useful strategy was to
stay inside your home. This is the reason why some experts believe that
social anxiety was actually an adaptive response that we passed on from
one generation to another. People who chose to avoid large groups had
better chances of survival by staying away from trouble. Unfortunately,
what worked well in the past is completely useless in our modern
society. Today, it's literally impossible to survive on your own. You
need the help of others and social anxiety is preventing you from
getting it.
Ghosts of the Past
Some researchers believe
that social anxiety is actually a learned behavior. In other words, we
become socially anxious by observing and interacting with other people
who experience this problem.
Sometimes, the biggest fears and
worries are not actually ours. Overprotective parents and other
caregivers can 'imprint' their personal struggles on us. If you grow up
in a world depicted as dangerous, you'll eventually integrate this
assumption as a universal truth.
How Children Learn to be Anxious
Children
are not always capable of distinguishing between safe and unsafe. If
you're a child and your dad tells you that going to the park all by
yourself is dangerous, you'll simply take him at his word. Some parents
choose to accompany their children, everywhere they go. If you were one
of these children, the chances of discovering the world all by yourself
were close to 0. Given the circumstances, it's absolutely normal to feel
anxious every time you step foot into a new restaurant, store or any
other place.
Create Your Own Experiences
There comes a
time when one must take a 'leap of faith' and experience the world
through his/her own eyes. It's that 'sink or swim' moment when we put
our social skills to the test. It might be the first day you take the
bus all by yourself, or the first teenage party that you attend.
Unfortunately, some of us were raised in a bubble, completely stripped
of any opportunity to interact with others in an unrestricted manner.
Misunderstanding Failure
Social
anxiety doesn't appear out of the blue. You don't just wake up one day
feeling scared and not wanting to attend a meeting or go to the mall
with your friends. For some of us, social anxiety is the result of
repeated failure and public shaming. Maybe it began in elementary
school, when your teacher embarrassed you in front of everyone for
giving the wrong answer. From that point on, you chose to keep your
mouth shut because it's impossible to embarrass yourself in front of
others if you don't say anything.
Everybody Makes Mistakes
As
we discussed in our previous articles, anxious individuals are
extremely concerned that other people might notice their lack of social
skills. On top of that, they don't want to embarrass themselves like
they did in the past, so they simply choose to give up. Oftentimes,
those of us who deal with social anxiety fail to understand that
everybody makes mistakes. It's all part of being a normal human being.
Failure is an opportunity to learn and grow.
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