In order to first get rid of a particular problem, you have to learn about the main causes of it, or the root causes of it, so that you can take the appropriate actions or steps to get rid of it. And the problem of social anxiety is not any different at all!
A lot of people do not seem to understand why they are suffering from social anxiety. It just seemed as though they were just suddenly affected by it overnight, but I can guarantee you that this is definitely not the case. Social anxiety is usually caused by a various mix of reasons and accumulated negative experiences over time. So what are some of the main causes of social anxiety?
Genes and Heritage
One of the simpler reasons would of course be genes and heritage. If you have parents who are naturally shy and awkward in social situations, then there would be a huge chance that you are probably the same too. But the main reason here most of the time is not because of the “genes”, which means that it is something that lives in you and that you cannot get rid of.
Rather, it is because being naturally shy, your parents themselves tend to avoid social situations too, and cause you to be doing the same too. So over time, you will slowly believe that you are similar to them!
Peer rejection and humiliation
A lot of people start developing social anxiety during their teenage years, as this is also the time where they are the most vulnerable when it comes to feelings and their emotions. When we are teenagers, we often place a lot of emphasis on our looks and how people look at us, and the fact that acne breakouts happen the most during our teenage years does not help much at all either.
Carefully think about your teenage years and whether you had good experiences or bad ones during that particular stage of your life. If all you can remember are bad and negative experiences, then it is a definite sign that you have developed social anxiety during that time.
Lack of praise and too much criticism
In today’s competitive society, we cannot really blame our parents for being overly worried about their children’s grades and futures. Have you ever had times where you thought you did really well for your tests or exams, only for your parents to criticize you and say that you can do better? When you got a B, which was better than the average person, your parents might have said Why did you not get an A? And when you got an A, your parents might have said Why did you not get full marks, or that everyone else also got an A so there is nothing to be proud about.
Most parents do not understand that this can have a very negative effect on their children so they continue to do it. But you have to also understand that they are doing it from a point of care and concern, so the important thing is to try and not let it affect you in any particular way at all.
These are the 3 main causes of social anxiety I feel that everyone who suffer from social anxiety can relate with. If you think that you have social anxiety, do not worry, for it is a condition that can be treated without taking any drugs.
If you do not know how you should go about treating this condition, then you may want to start first by checking out the cure for social anxiety.