Shyness is a trait that can be a result of environmental factors. These factors can stem from emotional abuse, ridicule and other forms of child abuse, but not always. Some shyness is inherited.
Shyness is partly a result of genes a person has inherited. It's also influenced by behaviors they've learned, the ways people have reacted to their shyness, and life experiences they've had. Genetics. Our genes determine our physical traits, like height, eye color, skin color, and body type.
Many suffer from more than just shyness, experts say. They have a condition called social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia. The condition has been officially recognized as a psychiatric disorder since 1980.
Severely shy people may have physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, a pounding heart or upset stomach; negative feelings about themselves; worries about how others view them; and a tendency to withdraw from social interactions. Most people feel shy at least occasionally.
Shyness doesn't always go away over time, but children can learn to be more confident and comfortable interacting with other people.
While it's true that both types of personality can experience problems with their mental health, it's widely accepted and proven that introverts are more susceptible to depression than many other personality types.
Shyness is not an official ADHD symptom, but experiences and struggles due to the neurodivergent condition - or another existing mental health disorder - can cause a person to become shy, aloof, and introverted.
What Causes Shyness? Shyness emerges from a few key characteristics: self-consciousness, negative self-preoccupation, low self-esteem and fear of judgment and rejection. Shy people often make unrealistic social comparisons, pitting themselves against the most vibrant or outgoing individuals.
Introversion is a personality type, while shyness is an emotion. People who are shy tend to feel awkward or uncomfortable when they're in social situations, especially when they're around strangers. They may feel so nervous, they become sweaty. Their heart may beat quicker, and they may get a stomachache.
Shy people showed a lower self-esteem and self-presentation, and displayed higher self-deprecation. Moreover, individuals with higher levels of self-esteem revealed a higher self-presentation and lower self-deprecation.
Shy children usually don't have any difficulty expressing their emotions, whereas children with autism may show limited emotional expression or have difficulty recognizing and understanding emotions.
Shyness and social anxiety disorder are two different things. Shyness is a personality trait. Many people who are shy do not have the negative emotions and feelings that accompany social anxiety disorder. They live a normal life, and do not view shyness as a negative trait.
In many cases, social awkwardness comes from extreme anxiety. Social anxiety is more than just feeling shy. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 12.1% of U.S. adults experience a social anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.
This fear of negative reactions such as being laughed at, humiliated or patronized, criticized or rejected can cause a shy person to retreat. Stronger forms of shyness can be referred to as social anxiety or social phobia.
For starters, not everyone with the hyperactive side of ADHD is loud and talkative. While talking non-stop is part of ADHD for some people, there are many other ways hyperactivity can express itself.
In the previous shyness post, I explained about the three types of shyness: situational shyness (in specific situations), transitional shyness (during transitions or change) and permanent shyness (pretty much in all social situations).
Your modesty is endearing
To others, you appear modest, empathetic and non-threatening, which are all attractive qualities. So, while shy people will often ponder for a long time before they approach someone, when they do, they tend to have a consistently good experience.
Shy people don't think they're more important than others
But it is a trait that most of us find very likable and attractive in others. In fact, psychologists have consistently found that both men and women rate humility as one of the most desirable traits in a partner.
People with social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, go through life feeling extremely uncomfortable or paralyzed in social or work situations because of their intense fear of being scrutinized or embarrassed.
Is shyness necessarily a bad thing? Chloe Foster, a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma in London, says shyness in itself is quite common and normal and doesn't cause problems unless it develops into more of a social anxiety.
Shyness can turn into social anxiety if it causes someone to routinely avoid, worry, or analyze social interactions. If someone feels anxious about their shyness, they may develop negative thought patterns about inferiority or incompetence. Over time, these thought patterns can trigger anxiety symptoms.