# Are you born with Social Anxiety?



## Strength (Aug 12, 2006)

Which is the biggest factor?


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

*Re: Social Anxiety: Nature vs Nurture*

I'd say DNA is #1, but I think environment is very important too. You'll note that it's not easy to separate these factors. My parents failed to teach me social skills -- they had none to teach -- but that is likely due in large part to their own defective genetics.


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## Becky (Nov 5, 2003)

*Re: Social Anxiety: Nature vs Nurture*

I think it's a bit of both.


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

*Re: Social Anxiety: Nature vs Nurture*



UltraShy said:


> I'd say DNA is #1, but I think environment is very important too. You'll note that it's not easy to separate these factors. My parents failed to teach me social skills -- they had none to teach -- but that is likely due in large part to their own defective genetics.


:agree


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## Strength (Aug 12, 2006)

*Re: Social Anxiety: Nature vs Nurture*



UltraShy said:


> I'd say DNA is #1, but I think environment is very important too. You'll note that it's not easy to separate these factors. My parents failed to teach me social skills -- they had none to teach -- but that is likely due in large part to their own defective genetics.


hmmm...that's an interesting way of looking at it. Or maybe your parents had the right genetics, but were not raised with proper social skills taught to them. It's a hard question to answer.


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## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

Who knows? I am fairly confident that it was mostly environment and external factors for myself.


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## slurpazillia (Nov 18, 2005)

*Re: Social Anxiety: Nature vs Nurture*

---


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## sean88 (Apr 29, 2006)

It's the environment after age 5 that plays the biggest role.


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## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

i was born with it, i think. there was never a major environmental factor in my life that would cause my SA.


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## Amocholes (Nov 5, 2003)

Considering I didn't have it until I was 41, I don't think mine could be genetic. I can see how someone might have a genetic predisposition towards it.


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## FreeSoul (Jan 1, 2006)

I think the development of SA has more to do with enviroment growing up.
There are things a person can be born with that can make a person vulnerable to developing SA in life. I don't think it's something set in stone and a person could avoid it with good, positive support growing up. 
I think even a normal person as a kid could develop it if they are in a life of constant hard knocks. Some people might toughen up to such things, others not so.


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## CoconutHolder (Oct 13, 2007)

I definitely think that shyness is hereditary. But I think that SA happens because of the circumstances of the environment around the child and how others respond to the child's shyness. Also, structure and unconditional love is imperitive along with gentle encouragement for shy children to try to prevent SA.


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## Perfectly~Flawed (Jun 13, 2005)

.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Environment - 0 to 5, but can be after that.


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## leppardess (Nov 8, 2003)

*Re: Social Anxiety: Nature vs Nurture*



Cerberus said:


> I think people can be born with a disposition for SA, but I think the environment one is in or brought up in can exacerbate or ameliorate SA.


 :agree


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