Is social anxiety inherent in AS, or merely a consequence?
Social anxiety is learned, but that learning is heavily influenced by how you perceive your environment and how you filter information and construct meaning out of it.
Genetic influence:
There is a strong correlation between introversion, sensitivity to outer stimuli (which largely depend on your genetic disposition) and social anxiety (but no equivalence), meaning: social anxiety isn't a consequence of autism, but it is likely more prevalent in people with autism if you assume that autistic people are also more introverted. (I'm not aware of studies linking autism directly to anxiety, but I guess they exist as well)
Environmental influence:
People with autism are more likely to unwittingly violate rules and social contracts which can lead to more negative feedback which then can excessively reinforce the normal anxiety patterns that are part of the human behavioral model.
So, in conclusion, it's possible to be autistic and have no anxiety issues, but I'm pretty sure the probability of developing social anxiety is higher if you're autistic.
_________________
What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely sketch the outlines of at most one tiny little part of it at any given instant. - D.F.W.
i was diagnosed with aspergers last week,, i feel my social phobic disorder actually is the result of my undiagnosed aspergers for so many years, ive always been shy but when i got to about 13-14 it became a phobia, a real intensive fear
I agree with your post. I think it also depends on the situation. As someone else wrote, we have a choice when we are older not to be part of every social group like at school.
That is one of the not so good things; people think you are rude when you play with your iPhone or say nothing, but often that's just because you want to get out of the situation.
Similar Topics | |
---|---|
What do you use to cope with social anxiety
in Bipolar, Tourettes, Schizophrenia, and other Psychological Conditions |
23 Mar 2024, 7:34 am |
Anxiety and some of my posts
in Bipolar, Tourettes, Schizophrenia, and other Psychological Conditions |
18 Feb 2024, 9:38 pm |
Anxiety about elevators |
23 Mar 2024, 1:49 pm |
Social And Relationships |
08 Feb 2024, 5:23 pm |