Neuroscience And The Root Of Social Anxiety

In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that over 7% of adults deal with social anxiety. Some people might assume social anxiety is just a form of being antisocial or introverted. But those who struggle with it know that it’s so much more.

Social anxiety can feel crippling and overwhelming. The fear caused by certain settings and situations might make you feel like you have no control. It can severely impact your quality of life and leave you feeling like you might never be able to enjoy social situations the way others do.

Sound familiar?

One of the best ways to deal with any kind of anxiety is to understand the root cause. When it comes to social anxiety, neuroscience has revealed that the fear of being evaluated is the underlying cause. Let’s take a closer look at what that means for you.

A Hyperactive Amygdala

Research has consistently shown that individuals with social anxiety often have an overactive amygdala. This area of the brain is responsible for your “fight-or-flight” response.

When you have a hyperactive amygdala, you’re more likely to be on high alert. Social situations can be perceived as potentially dangerous or threatening, so you choose to avoid them to escape the danger — even when there really isn’t any.

When you perceive social situations as threatening, it’s much easier for the cycle of anxiety to take over. Anxiety tends to grow when you focus on the “what ifs” of a situation. When your fight-or-flight response is in high gear, it’s easy to let your imagination run wild and think of dozens of potential threats, even if they aren’t necessarily realistic.

Problems With The Prefrontal Cortex

The amygdala isn’t the only area of the brain that contributes to social anxiety.

The prefrontal cortex is essentially responsible for keeping the amygdala in check. It helps you make rational decisions and enhances your ability to think things through.

Children and teens don’t have a fully formed prefrontal cortex. It’s something that isn’t complete until adulthood. So, it makes sense why young people have a harder time thinking about long-term situations or problem-solving certain issues. Studies have shown that people with social anxiety often have a dysfunctional prefrontal cortex. That makes it difficult to regulate the amygdala’s responses. As a result, you’re likely to feel like you have less control over how you respond to fear.

Imbalances In Neurotransmitters

Your brain is constantly sending messages through the use of neurotransmitters. Some of those messages are good, while others might seem negative, but they’re designed to protect you.

Unfortunately, when there’s an imbalance in neurotransmitters, those “negative” messages can become more frequent. They can go from being a natural defense mechanism to something that causes unnecessary fear.

Abnormalities in neurotransmitters often play a part in social anxiety, especially when it comes to serotonin and dopamine. These are chemicals in the brain associated with feelings of happiness. When you’re not receiving them the way you should, social situations can go from being exciting and fun to scary and overwhelming.

Dealing With Social Anxiety

Social anxiety, ironically enough, can often make you feel like you’re totally alone. But it’s not something you have to live with forever.

Therapy is one of the best ways to not only manage the symptoms of social anxiety but to overcome it completely. You’ll learn where it really stems from in your own life, how it’s impacting your mind (and how your mind is impacting your feelings), and what you can do to move forward.

If you want to learn more about anxiety therapy or what might be causing your social anxiety, don’t hesitate to contact my office today.