Seasonal affective disorder

[Anny Road]

That would make SADADHD dsorder. Enough to get the yanks to invade.

[She Knows It]

That would make SADADHD dsorder. Enough to get the yanks to invade.

 

Love that!

[SoMuch4Gravity]

Paddy, glad to hear I'm not the only one. For me, the summer feels like it's 9 months long. It's hot as hell in the city with the sun radiating off of already hot concrete and I've never been a fan of sweating while you're not moving or doing any physical activity. The heat saps all your energy here.

 

The winter/fall/early spring are great however. i don't have central air, so i sleep a lot better, have more energy and play footy twice as much outside of the summer months. all nine of them.

[Spy Bee]

I think they didn't know whether is should be effective or affective disorder, but they went for affective because SAD sounds so much better. It's better when it's onomatopoeic.

[Guest PaddyBerger15]

Paddy, glad to hear I'm not the only one. For me, the summer feels like it's 9 months long. It's hot as hell in the city with the sun radiating off of already hot concrete and I've never been a fan of sweating while you're not moving or doing any physical activity. The heat saps all your energy here.

 

The winter/fall/early spring are great however. i don't have central air, so i sleep a lot better, have more energy and play footy twice as much outside of the summer months. all nine of them.

 

Every sympathy mate, its a fucking twat.

At least when you're cold you can put a jumper on, you can't take your skin off in the 'Summer' as much as I'd like to most days.

[Stouffer]

I suppose SAD could be a cognitive chemical imbalance, like high levels of background serotonin which mean deficiencies are harder to tolerate by sensitive individuals.

[She Knows It]

I wonder if something like SAD could be a factor that affects kids suffering from ADHD or suchlike?

 

You may have a point Stouff, some SAD sufferers do suffer from extremes of mood and short periods of hypomania (overactivity) in spring and autumn, according to the SAD association. This could be pinned on a label such as ADHD, or ADD. Swinging mood changes are similar in ADHD/DAD/ADD/SAD. Maybe they do go hand in hand. My eldest son is 14, and he has Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and I also see changes in his behaviour at certain times during the year. If you combine SAD,ADD,ADHD,DAD & AS, you get lots of Ds, As and Ss. Spooky.

[Anny Road]

My clinical advice would be get a job and go on holiday like the rest of us.

Count yourselves luck my holiday this year was heading south.

To Fort William.

Mountain bikes Canoes and rain.

On the plus side my mate has a boat out of Mallaig so 2 days of scallops, crabs and the biggests prawns in the northern hemisphere made up for it.

[Stouffer]

My clinical advice would be get a job and go on holiday like the rest of us.

Count yourselves luck my holiday this year was heading south.

To Fort William.

Mountain bikes Canoes and rain.

On the plus side my mate has a boat out of Mallaig so 2 days of scallops, crabs and the biggests prawns in the northern hemisphere made up for it.

 

Where you based AR?

[SoMuch4Gravity]

Every sympathy mate, its a fucking twat.

At least when you're cold you can put a jumper on, you can't take your skin off in the 'Summer' as much as I'd like to most days.

 

that sad part about it is, my girl love hot weather. she's cold if it's 80F degrees out. i believe 72F is the perfect temperature (5-10F degrees colder at night so you can wear a top). does anyone live close to this utopia as described above?

[Anny Road]

Where you based AR?

I don't like to give too much away. I'm a quite private person. I would say that there is noone on the british mainland who supports the team from as far away as me.

Trust me I know everyone who lives up here and there are two who possibly are from Liverpool.

[She Knows It]

I suppose SAD could be a cognitive chemical imbalance, like high levels of background serotonin which mean deficiencies are harder to tolerate by sensitive individuals.

 

Apparently there is a genetic link:

 

The Science of Shyness: The Biological Causes of Social Anxiety Disorder

Adrienne Wardy

 

Although many people are unaware of its existence, social anxiety disorder is the third most common psychiatric disorder, after depression and alcoholism, according to the Medical Research Council on Anxiety Disorders (1). To paraphrase the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association's definition of social anxiety disorder or social phobia it is: "A persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others...The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress in the feared social or performance situation(s) interferes significantly with the person's normal routine" (2). Although those who suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD) are often perceived as shy, their condition is much more extreme than shyness. Unlike shyness, it is not simply a personality trait; it is a persistent fear that must have deeper roots than environmental causes.

 

As an anxiety disorder, SAD is classified amongst panic disorder, obsessive- compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder

 

(3). The question is: what causes this behavior to occur? Is it simply a result of environment or are there biological reasons? Although the present knowledge on SAD is incomplete, there are several causes that are suspected: "a combination of genetic makeup, early growth and development, and later life experience"

 

(4). It is my hypothesis that, in addition to environmental causes, there are also biological causes of SAD. According to current research, there is compelling evidence that brain chemicals and genetics contribute to the development of SAD.

 

Jerome Kagan, Ph.D. has researched the genetic causes of SAD at Harvard. In his study of children from infancy to adolescence he discovered that "10-15% of children to be irritable infants who become shy, fearful and behaviorally inhibited as toddlers, and then remain cautious, quiet, and introverted in their early grade school years. In adolescence, they had a much higher than expected rate of social anxiety disorder." This evidence suggests, of course, that people are born with SAD, which indicates that there are biological factors that contribute to its development, not simply environmental factors. Kagan also discovered a common physiological trait in these particular children: they all had a high resting heart rate, which rose even higher when the child was faced with stress. Again, this physiological trait suggests the biological causes of SAD. In this study, Kagan also found evidence that linked the causes of SAD with genetics: the parents of the children with SAD have increased rates of social anxiety disorder as well as other anxiety disorders. There is also other research that suggests that SAD has genetic causes. According to The American Psychiatric Association: "anxiety disorders run in families. For example, if one identical twin has an anxiety disorder, the second twin is likely to have an anxiety disorder as well, which suggests that genetics-possibly in combination with life experiences-makes some people more susceptible to these illnesses" (3).

 

Evidence of anxiety is also apparent in the animal kingdom, which suggests that it is not simply the result of nurturing, it is an inherent attribute. In the book Fears, Phobias, and Rituals, Isaac Marks found that birds avoided prey that had markings similar to the "vertebrate eye," eye-like markings on other animals, such as moths. In his experiment, these eye-spots were rubbed off of moths. As a result, they were less likely to be eaten and more likely to escape from a predator. Marks concluded that the birds feel scrutinized by the gaze of another animal and thus avoid the "eyes," much like humans with social anxiety avoid situations in which they feel scrutinized or avoid eye-contact. His research suggests that biological factors influence a form of social anxiety in animals.

 

In addition to genetic causes, there is also evidence that SAD is caused by chemical disturbances in the brain. It is probable that four areas of the brain are involved in our anxiety-response system: the brain stem, which controls cardiovascular and respiratory functions; the limbic system, which controls mood and anxiety; the prefrontal cortex, which makes appraisals of risk and danger; and the motor cortex, which controls the muscles. These parts are supplied with three major neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, serotonin, and gamma aminobutyric acid, all of which play a role in the regulation of arousal and anxiety. Research shows that "dysregulation of neurotransmitter function in the brain is thought to play a key role in social phobia. Specifically dopamine, serotonin, and GABA dysfuncition are hypothesized in most cases of moderate to severe SP." Researchers continue to investigate whether neurocircuits play a role in the disorder. If this hypothesis proves to be true, it will clarify that there are genetic causes to SAD (1). However, the neurobiological information alone clarifies that there are biological causes to SAD.

 

Although research continues to be conducted on the causes of social anxiety disorder, it is apparent that there are genetic and neurobiological causes. Of course, psychological modeling, or environmental circumstances may also be a factor in the development of SAD; however, there is compelling evidence that chemicals in the brain also cause the anxiety. Research has also concluded that those who suffer from SAD are likely to have a family member with SAD or another anxiety disorder, which supports the hypothesis that there are genetic causes to SAD, as well.

 

 

References

 

1) http://www.socialfear.com"; Provides information on the neurobiological causes of social anxiety.

2) http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/dsm.html; Provides the DSM-IV of the American Psychiatric's Association's definition of social anxiety disorder

3) http://www.psych.org/public_info/anxiety.cfm; Public information from the American Psychiatric Association.

4) http://socialanxiety.factsforhealth.org/whatcauses.html; A website that provides information on research conducted on the causes of social anxiety.

[Anny Road]

Bollocks is the word that springs to mind. Not Scientific I grant you but it is based on thirty six years of experience and extensive experience of spending several months a year in the dark. I don't get depressed because i have a mortgage to pay.

[Stouffer]

Apparently your gender can be a factor in suffering where womenexperience twice as much as men do .

[madstock]

Apparently your gender can be a factor in suffering where women experience twice as much as men do .

 

That could well be due to the production of Vitamin D, which is obviously produced by sunlight; because women are generally fattier in their construction than men (present company excluded, Mr Stouff) they require more sunlight, in the same way as people with a higher melanin content require more sun to produce vitamin D.

 

Either that, or it is down to the fact that they are hormonal, moody wenches who are always fucking right.

[She Knows It]

That could well be due to the production of Vitamin D, which is obviously produced by sunlight; because women are generally fattier in their construction than men (present company excluded, Mr Stouff) they require more sunlight, in the same way as people with a higher melanin content require more sun to produce vitamin D.

 

Either that, or it is down to the fact that they are hormonal, moody wenches who are always fucking right.

 

Or down to the fact that women are far more sensitive to hormonal changes in the brain, thus making them at a far greater risk of conditions like SAD, depression etc. Whereas men suffer far more than women from conditions that are caused by anomalies of the brain anatomy, like Autism, ADHD, Psychopathy, Compulsive lying and selfishness.

[madstock]

Or down to the fact that women are far more sensitive to hormonal changes in the brain, thus making them at a far greater risk of conditions like SAD, depression etc. Whereas men suffer far more than women from conditions that are caused by anomalies of the brain anatomy, like Autism, ADHD, Psychopathy, Compulsive lying and selfishness.

 

A good point; although on the whole I believe that women suffer more from synapses not being fused properly, thus meaning they are prone to asking the same question 5 or 6 times, even if an adequate response and/or action has been given immediately; when they are accused of (dare I say it) "nagging" it is suddenly not their fault, but the fault of their hormones. (Source: "Auto Hormone Reflex: Why I am a right stroppy bitch" contibuters: various).

[She Knows It]

A good point; although on the whole I believe that women suffer more from synapses not being fused properly, thus meaning they are prone to asking the same question 5 or 6 times, even if an adequate response and/or action has been given immediately; when they are accused of (dare I say it) "nagging" it is suddenly not their fault, but the fault of their hormones. (Source: "Auto Hormone Reflex: Why I am a right stroppy bitch" contibuters: various).

 

The male and female definition of 'adequate response' may differ. Lets take a typical scenario -

 

1. Woman approaches man who is on the internet/watching footy/playing on X-Box.

2. Woman asks man a simple question such as "Darling, you haven't seen the key for the garage have you?"

3. Man gives woman disdainful look (which body language experts would interpret as "Fuck off you irritating bitch, can't you see I'm busy"), and answers "Erm, yeah, *sigh*", and then carries on with boy activity, with perplexed look on face.

4. Woman stands like lemon for half a decade while man wins the double on 'Championship Manager', before venturing again "Hon, the garage key?".

5. Man sighs even more loudly, shoots woman disdainful look of even greater magnitude, and answers "What? yeah, erm, I saw it this morning somewhere." (all the time not taking eyes off screen and doing that jerky head movement as if to say "you're in my way", even though you are in no way within their field of vision).

6. Woman, by now growing understandably more pissed off by the second, asks "Where did you see it? On the hook, or in the lock?".

7. Man sighs even more audibly, gives woman 'I hate you, you fat nagging wench. I wish you were dead and I could shag your mate' look, and answers "Dunno, can't remember".

 

At what point was the 'adequate response' given?

[Thants]

The male and female definition of 'adequate response' may differ. Lets take a typical scenario -

 

1. Woman approaches man who is on the internet/watching footy/playing on X-Box.

2. Woman asks man a simple question such as "Darling, you haven't seen the key for the garage have you?"

3. Man gives woman disdainful look (which body language experts would interpret as "Fuck off you irritating bitch, can't you see I'm busy"), and answers "Erm, yeah, *sigh*", and then carries on with boy activity, with perplexed look on face.

4. Woman stands like lemon for half a decade while man wins the double on 'Championship Manager', before venturing again "Hon, the garage key?".

5. Man sighs even more loudly, shoots woman disdainful look of even greater magnitude, and answers "What? yeah, erm, I saw it this morning somewhere." (all the time not taking eyes off screen and doing that jerky head movement as if to say "you're in my way", even though you are in no way within their field of vision).

6. Woman, by now growing understandably more pissed off by the second, asks "Where did you see it? On the hook, or in the lock?".

7. Man sighs even more audibly, gives woman 'I hate you, you fat nagging wench. I wish you were dead and I could shag your mate' look, and answers "Dunno, can't remember".

 

At what point was the 'adequate response' given?

 

Its probably in your bag.

[madstock]

At what point was the 'adequate response' given?

 

Well if you can't see it, I'm not going to tell you.

[Dirk]

Or down to the fact that women are far more sensitive to hormonal changes in the brain, thus making them at a far greater risk of conditions like SAD, depression etc. Whereas men suffer far more than women from conditions that are caused by anomalies of the brain anatomy, like Autism, ADHD, Psychopathy, Compulsive lying and selfishness.

 

 

That might be something to do with inaccuracies in the diagnostic manuals, though. A woman is more likely to be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder compared to males, whereas males are more likely to be diagnosed as having sociopathic personality disorder. All these labels, whilst being there to aid, are not definitive; for instance, take a look at the definition of a personality disorder, according to DSM IV:

A personality disorder is an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectation of the individual's culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment.

 

To me, that's very vague. Look at some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder and ADHD, it's easy to see why there's often a dual diagnosis or why the physician might incorrectly diagnose a person as having ADHD when they have got a bipolar disorder. All mental disorders can be said to be underpinned by defective anatomical and physiological mechanisms.

 

The chemical basis of depression can have a profound effect on neuronal growth. For instance, depressive states are believed to affect changes in certain transcription factors. Brain derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF), cREB (response element binding protein) are two such transcription factors. A prolonged state of stress is believed to reduce levels BDNF and cREB. These transcription factors are vital for maintaining healthy cells, without it, cells can induce a state of apoptosis (programmed cell death). Indeed, apoptosis occurs because of a competition for transcription factors, where cells fail to e nourished by transcription factors, they cease to function and die. This is the mechanism behind the phenomenon of being born with more neurons than we need and end up with in adult life. Due to the competition for transcription factors, not all cells receive such chemical nourishment and wither, thus dying. However, this is a perfectly desirable thing as it aids for an amount of plasticity (I'm not saying that BDNF is solely responsible for neural plasticity, this involves other chemicals such as cAMP and mechanisms such as long term potentiation), the brain needs to possess the ability to adapt where the environment changes. If the template for the brain was laid down before birth, we would have a rigid behavioural output and if the environment was to change, the next generation would struggle to adapt its behaviour to the changing environment.

 

 

However, in depression this mechanism, via reduced levels of transcription factors can lead to the death of neurons in hippocampal areas such as CA1 - CA4. It is also possibly the physiological and anatomical basis for why memory is impaired in depression.

 

New biochemical substances are being identified in the brain at an ever increasing rate. When the scientific community as a whole has a greater understanding of the neurophysiological basis of psychopathology, I believe it will revolutionise mankind and change the way view the disorderly person. It does have it's drawbacks, such as social engineering etcetera. Apologies for the waffle.

[madstock]

The chemical basis of depression can have a profound effect on neuronal growth. For instance, depressive states are believed to affect changes in certain transcription factors. Brain derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF), cREB (response element binding protein) are two such transcription factors. A prolonged state of stress is believed to reduce levels BDNF and cREB. These transcription factors are vital for maintaining healthy cells, without it, cells can induce a state of apoptosis (programmed cell death). Indeed, apoptosis occurs because of a competition for transcription factors, where cells fail to e nourished by transcription factors, they cease to function and die. This is the mechanism behind the phenomenon of being born with more neurons than we need and end up with in adult life. Due to the competition for transcription factors, not all cells receive such chemical nourishment and wither, thus dying. However, this is a perfectly desirable thing as it aids for an amount of plasticity (I'm not saying that BDNF is solely responsible for neural plasticity, this involves other chemicals such as cAMP and mechanisms such as long term potentiation), the brain needs to possess the ability to adapt where the environment changes. If the template for the brain was laid down before birth, we would have a rigid behavioural output and if the environment was to change, the next generation would struggle to adapt its behaviour to the changing environment.

 

Therefore women need to be wound up, pissed off and generally put under stress by blokes being lazy, inconsiderate and misogynistic or their cells will go into a state of stasis.

 

So great is this need that a nice, caring and in general laid-back chap who doesn't exhibit the stress-causing traits has only got to ask "Are you okay?" (in a genuine way, mind you, not saying "Oooh - you look like shit - are you okay?", or with an alterior motive) to be accused of being a latter-day Himmler.

 

Scientific fact - my mind is put at rest.

[Dirk]

Apparently there is a genetic link:

 

The Science of Shyness: The Biological Causes of Social Anxiety Disorder

Adrienne Wardy

 

Although many people are unaware of its existence, social anxiety disorder is the third most common psychiatric disorder, after depression and alcoholism, according to the Medical Research Council on Anxiety Disorders (1). To paraphrase the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association's definition of social anxiety disorder or social phobia it is: "A persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others...The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress in the feared social or performance situation(s) interferes significantly with the person's normal routine" (2). Although those who suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD) are often perceived as shy, their condition is much more extreme than shyness. Unlike shyness, it is not simply a personality trait; it is a persistent fear that must have deeper roots than environmental causes.

 

As an anxiety disorder, SAD is classified amongst panic disorder, obsessive- compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder

 

(3). The question is: what causes this behavior to occur? Is it simply a result of environment or are there biological reasons? Although the present knowledge on SAD is incomplete, there are several causes that are suspected: "a combination of genetic makeup, early growth and development, and later life experience"

 

(4). It is my hypothesis that, in addition to environmental causes, there are also biological causes of SAD. According to current research, there is compelling evidence that brain chemicals and genetics contribute to the development of SAD.

 

Jerome Kagan, Ph.D. has researched the genetic causes of SAD at Harvard. In his study of children from infancy to adolescence he discovered that "10-15% of children to be irritable infants who become shy, fearful and behaviorally inhibited as toddlers, and then remain cautious, quiet, and introverted in their early grade school years. In adolescence, they had a much higher than expected rate of social anxiety disorder." This evidence suggests, of course, that people are born with SAD, which indicates that there are biological factors that contribute to its development, not simply environmental factors. Kagan also discovered a common physiological trait in these particular children: they all had a high resting heart rate, which rose even higher when the child was faced with stress. Again, this physiological trait suggests the biological causes of SAD. In this study, Kagan also found evidence that linked the causes of SAD with genetics: the parents of the children with SAD have increased rates of social anxiety disorder as well as other anxiety disorders. There is also other research that suggests that SAD has genetic causes. According to The American Psychiatric Association: "anxiety disorders run in families. For example, if one identical twin has an anxiety disorder, the second twin is likely to have an anxiety disorder as well, which suggests that genetics-possibly in combination with life experiences-makes some people more susceptible to these illnesses" (3).

 

Evidence of anxiety is also apparent in the animal kingdom, which suggests that it is not simply the result of nurturing, it is an inherent attribute. In the book Fears, Phobias, and Rituals, Isaac Marks found that birds avoided prey that had markings similar to the "vertebrate eye," eye-like markings on other animals, such as moths. In his experiment, these eye-spots were rubbed off of moths. As a result, they were less likely to be eaten and more likely to escape from a predator. Marks concluded that the birds feel scrutinized by the gaze of another animal and thus avoid the "eyes," much like humans with social anxiety avoid situations in which they feel scrutinized or avoid eye-contact. His research suggests that biological factors influence a form of social anxiety in animals.

 

In addition to genetic causes, there is also evidence that SAD is caused by chemical disturbances in the brain. It is probable that four areas of the brain are involved in our anxiety-response system: the brain stem, which controls cardiovascular and respiratory functions; the limbic system, which controls mood and anxiety; the prefrontal cortex, which makes appraisals of risk and danger; and the motor cortex, which controls the muscles. These parts are supplied with three major neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, serotonin, and gamma aminobutyric acid, all of which play a role in the regulation of arousal and anxiety. Research shows that "dysregulation of neurotransmitter function in the brain is thought to play a key role in social phobia. Specifically dopamine, serotonin, and GABA dysfuncition are hypothesized in most cases of moderate to severe SP." Researchers continue to investigate whether neurocircuits play a role in the disorder. If this hypothesis proves to be true, it will clarify that there are genetic causes to SAD (1). However, the neurobiological information alone clarifies that there are biological causes to SAD.

 

Although research continues to be conducted on the causes of social anxiety disorder, it is apparent that there are genetic and neurobiological causes. Of course, psychological modeling, or environmental circumstances may also be a factor in the development of SAD; however, there is compelling evidence that chemicals in the brain also cause the anxiety. Research has also concluded that those who suffer from SAD are likely to have a family member with SAD or another anxiety disorder, which supports the hypothesis that there are genetic causes to SAD, as well.

 

 

References

 

1) http://www.socialfear.com"; Provides information on the neurobiological causes of social anxiety.

2) http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/dsm.html; Provides the DSM-IV of the American Psychiatric's Association's definition of social anxiety disorder

3) http://www.psych.org/public_info/anxiety.cfm; Public information from the American Psychiatric Association.

4) http://socialanxiety.factsforhealth.org/whatcauses.html; A website that provides information on research conducted on the causes of social anxiety.

 

Social Anxiety Disorder isn't Seasonal Affective Disorder.

[She Knows It]

Social Anxiety Disorder isn't Seasonal Affective Disorder.

 

Whoops, how foolish of me!

[Michael Howard]

Apparently there is a genetic link:

 

The Science of Shyness: The Biological Causes of Social Anxiety Disorder

Adrienne Wardy

 

Although many people are unaware of its existence, social anxiety disorder is the third most common psychiatric disorder, after depression and alcoholism, according to the Medical Research Council on Anxiety Disorders (1). To paraphrase the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association's definition of social anxiety disorder or social phobia it is: "A persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others...The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress in the feared social or performance situation(s) interferes significantly with the person's normal routine" (2). Although those who suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD) are often perceived as shy, their condition is much more extreme than shyness. Unlike shyness, it is not simply a personality trait; it is a persistent fear that must have deeper roots than environmental causes.

 

As an anxiety disorder, SAD is classified amongst panic disorder, obsessive- compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder

 

(3). The question is: what causes this behavior to occur? Is it simply a result of environment or are there biological reasons? Although the present knowledge on SAD is incomplete, there are several causes that are suspected: "a combination of genetic makeup, early growth and development, and later life experience"

 

(4). It is my hypothesis that, in addition to environmental causes, there are also biological causes of SAD. According to current research, there is compelling evidence that brain chemicals and genetics contribute to the development of SAD.

 

Jerome Kagan, Ph.D. has researched the genetic causes of SAD at Harvard. In his study of children from infancy to adolescence he discovered that "10-15% of children to be irritable infants who become shy, fearful and behaviorally inhibited as toddlers, and then remain cautious, quiet, and introverted in their early grade school years. In adolescence, they had a much higher than expected rate of social anxiety disorder." This evidence suggests, of course, that people are born with SAD, which indicates that there are biological factors that contribute to its development, not simply environmental factors. Kagan also discovered a common physiological trait in these particular children: they all had a high resting heart rate, which rose even higher when the child was faced with stress. Again, this physiological trait suggests the biological causes of SAD. In this study, Kagan also found evidence that linked the causes of SAD with genetics: the parents of the children with SAD have increased rates of social anxiety disorder as well as other anxiety disorders. There is also other research that suggests that SAD has genetic causes. According to The American Psychiatric Association: "anxiety disorders run in families. For example, if one identical twin has an anxiety disorder, the second twin is likely to have an anxiety disorder as well, which suggests that genetics-possibly in combination with life experiences-makes some people more susceptible to these illnesses" (3).

 

Evidence of anxiety is also apparent in the animal kingdom, which suggests that it is not simply the result of nurturing, it is an inherent attribute. In the book Fears, Phobias, and Rituals, Isaac Marks found that birds avoided prey that had markings similar to the "vertebrate eye," eye-like markings on other animals, such as moths. In his experiment, these eye-spots were rubbed off of moths. As a result, they were less likely to be eaten and more likely to escape from a predator. Marks concluded that the birds feel scrutinized by the gaze of another animal and thus avoid the "eyes," much like humans with social anxiety avoid situations in which they feel scrutinized or avoid eye-contact. His research suggests that biological factors influence a form of social anxiety in animals.

 

In addition to genetic causes, there is also evidence that SAD is caused by chemical disturbances in the brain. It is probable that four areas of the brain are involved in our anxiety-response system: the brain stem, which controls cardiovascular and respiratory functions; the limbic system, which controls mood and anxiety; the prefrontal cortex, which makes appraisals of risk and danger; and the motor cortex, which controls the muscles. These parts are supplied with three major neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, serotonin, and gamma aminobutyric acid, all of which play a role in the regulation of arousal and anxiety. Research shows that "dysregulation of neurotransmitter function in the brain is thought to play a key role in social phobia. Specifically dopamine, serotonin, and GABA dysfuncition are hypothesized in most cases of moderate to severe SP." Researchers continue to investigate whether neurocircuits play a role in the disorder. If this hypothesis proves to be true, it will clarify that there are genetic causes to SAD (1). However, the neurobiological information alone clarifies that there are biological causes to SAD.

 

Although research continues to be conducted on the causes of social anxiety disorder, it is apparent that there are genetic and neurobiological causes. Of course, psychological modeling, or environmental circumstances may also be a factor in the development of SAD; however, there is compelling evidence that chemicals in the brain also cause the anxiety. Research has also concluded that those who suffer from SAD are likely to have a family member with SAD or another anxiety disorder, which supports the hypothesis that there are genetic causes to SAD, as well.

 

 

References

 

1) http://www.socialfear.com"; Provides information on the neurobiological causes of social anxiety.

2) http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/dsm.html; Provides the DSM-IV of the American Psychiatric's Association's definition of social anxiety disorder

3) http://www.psych.org/public_info/anxiety.cfm; Public information from the American Psychiatric Association.

4) http://socialanxiety.factsforhealth.org/whatcauses.html; A website that provides information on research conducted on the causes of social anxiety.

 

 

I think it really is Dirk in a wig