What Is Shyness?
Shyness is a feeling of anxiety or apprehension when dealing with people in a social, professional, or personal setting. A shy person may consider themselves afraid of talking or being talked to. Shyness exists in varying degrees; the terms Social Anxiety and Social Phobia are common disorders found in extremely shy individuals. These disorders are the most common types of anxiety disorders, and the third most prevalent psychiatric disorder overall, right behind depression and alcohol dependence. ¹ Shyness is characterized by individuals being less open and expressive around people due to a fear of being ridiculed, criticized or rejected. As a result of the anxiety, shy people will often avoid social situations in general.
What Causes Shyness?
Shyness may come from a person’s biological genetics, certain high or low amounts of specific chemicals in the brain, upbringing, or personal experiences. Social Anxiety Disorder, which is a stronger, reoccurring fear, is said to have genetic roots, deeper than something caused by environment within a lifetime. There is evidence that suggests that there may be a “Social Anxiety gene” so to speak, that it may be acquired from parents or more distant relatives. There is also evidence that states, “dysregulation of neurotransmitter function in the brain is thought to play a key role in social phobia.” Furthermore, “Specifically dopamine, serotonin, and GABA dysfunction are hypothesized in most cases of moderate to severe [Social Phobia].” ¹ This research indicates that the cause is chemical imbalance for some Social Anxiety sufferers, and that scientists have isolated specific chemicals is encouraging to the socially anxious community.
Upbringing also plays a role in shyness. Another article states, “If the inhibited child has outgoing, nurturing parents, she will probably imitate their behavior.” ² Traumatic events that damage a person’s self esteem may also create shyness as a learned behavior in both children and adults. Things like abuse and ridicule in childhood will often cause a person to be reserved and afraid later in life. Adults can also have bad experiences that cause them to fear a particular social situation, but older individuals without a history of shyness are often better at recovering from an unpleasant experience.
Can Shyness Be Treated?
There are anxiety medications that can be prescribed to people with severe Social Phobia. For some, these may make it easier to cope with and tolerate social interaction, and may be the best choice, while for others, the possible side effects may not outweigh the benefit.
For people with mild to moderate shyness, there is a greater possibility that the fear and anxiety can be lessened by means of gradually expanding their social horizon. Some people resolve to try one new social thing a day, even if it’s a small thing such as greeting someone passing by, or helping out someone who appears to be struggling; the experience can help to undo some of the learned fears of “social situations cause me pain,” and help a person to instead think “I can perform well in social situations.” Another method to conquering shy behaviors is to look at the cause of fears and realize that there is nothing to fear. Overcoming shyness for some people can simply mean realizing, “I am a good person and have nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve been wrong in thinking so negatively about myself, and people are not constantly thinking the same.”
1. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f02/web1/awardy.html#1
2. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Shyness
