whats causes it?
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Doomed2Die
Well-known member
Some scientists hypothesize that social phobia is related to an imbalance of the brain chemical serotonin. Sociability is also closely tied to dopamine neurotransmission. Low D2 receptor binding is found in people with social anxiety. The efficacy of medications which affect serotonin and dopamine levels also indicates the role of these pathways. There is also increasing focus on other candidate transmitters, e.g. Norepinephrine, which may be over-active in social anxiety disorder, and the inhibitory transmitter GABA.
Individuals with social anxiety disorder have been found to have a hypersensitive amygdala, for example in relation to social threat cues (e.g. someone might be evaluating you negatively), angry or hostile faces, and while just waiting to give a speech. Recent research has also indicated that another area of the brain, the 'Anterior cingulate cortex', which was already known to be involved in the experience of physical pain, also appears to be involved in the experience of 'social pain', for example perceiving group exclusion.
From wiki. Though thats just a part of the 'possible causes' list.
Individuals with social anxiety disorder have been found to have a hypersensitive amygdala, for example in relation to social threat cues (e.g. someone might be evaluating you negatively), angry or hostile faces, and while just waiting to give a speech. Recent research has also indicated that another area of the brain, the 'Anterior cingulate cortex', which was already known to be involved in the experience of physical pain, also appears to be involved in the experience of 'social pain', for example perceiving group exclusion.
From wiki. Though thats just a part of the 'possible causes' list.
phoenix1
Well-known member
I think the cause of SA is actually pretty simple.
It's a person who felt too much social pain to the point that they now focus all there energy on stopping the pain at all cost. Everything is focused on stopping that pain. It's the start of anxiety (the effort to stop or avoid pain) and its ultimately the thing that sustains SA because the more you focus on stopping or avoiding the pain, the more anxiety you get which in turn means more pain - which means it just gets worse and worse.
All the neurotransmitter bullshit is just a nice excuse for the drug companies to use. Anyone can become socially anxious given the right (or wrong) circumstances. It's not a genetic flaw in itself. The genetic connection is really basically that people who tend to be reactive or sensitive feel pain more and are more likely to start focusing on the pain and anxiety itself. It's not a flawed or a diseased brain, its just a person who reacted to social events in a desperate way.
It's a person who felt too much social pain to the point that they now focus all there energy on stopping the pain at all cost. Everything is focused on stopping that pain. It's the start of anxiety (the effort to stop or avoid pain) and its ultimately the thing that sustains SA because the more you focus on stopping or avoiding the pain, the more anxiety you get which in turn means more pain - which means it just gets worse and worse.
All the neurotransmitter bullshit is just a nice excuse for the drug companies to use. Anyone can become socially anxious given the right (or wrong) circumstances. It's not a genetic flaw in itself. The genetic connection is really basically that people who tend to be reactive or sensitive feel pain more and are more likely to start focusing on the pain and anxiety itself. It's not a flawed or a diseased brain, its just a person who reacted to social events in a desperate way.
