Could social anxiety heighten around certain people?

Absolutely. First you should understand social anxiety is mostly due to fear on how people perceive you. You don't want to be looked down upon or thought as a failure. read more

I think of social anxiety like being afraid of spiders. If you see a spider, and you are afraid of spiders, you are going to experience fear. That's kind of expected. Similarly, I think that if you feel social anxiety, and certain people make you feel attacked, unsafe, scared, then it will heighten your response. read more

Social anxiety disorder usually comes on at around 13 years of age. It can be linked to a history of abuse, bullying, or teasing. Shy kids are also more likely to become socially anxious adults, as are children with overbearing or controlling parents. read more

Exactly what the qualities of the kinds of people who heighten your anxiety are will, of course, vary from person to person; however, if you're one of the 40 million adults in the United States who suffers from an anxiety disorder, you'll likely recognize a few common traits between people who simply make our anxiety shoot up through the roof — even if they don't mean to. read more