Social anxiety can be caused by lots of different things and these causes can be complex. These simple facts about the brain may help explain why social anxiety occurs.
Humans are social creatures – throughout our history, we have been dependent on other people to survive. Because of this, we are born with a fear of being abandoned
As we get older, we start to fear being rejected by others – rejection can lead to abandonment
This can manifest as a fear of being judged or a fear of shame/embarrassment, which may contribute to social anxiety