Who played a big part in the development of your SA?

[sadclownbadsummer]

I always had social anxiety because of my dad abusing my mom in front of me, and because my mom was always critical about my looks, grades, lack of social skills, etc. and would harrass me if I didn't behave the way she imagined her "perfect daughter" should. I also had a brother who verbally abused me for years. But the biggest perpetrator and the guy who exacerbated it was the only guy I ever dated, who broke up with me/ended our friendship because I was "too depressed for him" (I was suicidal for a month or two while dating him due to feeling like my anxiety was never going to end). He basically told me that he couldn't be around someone who didn't want to live because he wasn't having fun anymore and I was taking up too much of his time, which I understand now that I think about it. But it's seriously harmed my self image. Now I assume that if I ever go through another suicidal spell, no matter how brief people will just want to leave again, so I don't even bother to connect with people and don't tell anyone I meet now the details of my personal life.

[savaguava]

My classmates, because they like to tease me about my shyness

[Nec]

I think that my SA was developed in middle school. I was extremely shy many classmates made fun of me because of that all the time. Calling me weird and so on, later in high school my SA was already developed.

[jasonbenedek]

I would say definitely my mother contributed the most to my social anxiety. She is a very outgoing person, and was always critical of my social interactions with others. I was somewhat shy to start out, but it definitely became a lot worse because of her constant criticism.

[Surfside]

I couldn't vote - guess I'm too late.

I was in fact bullied by my peers/classmates in school, but I (somehow) grew out of it in my 20's. My social phobia was about gone completely during my late 20's. I slow crept its way back into my life around 30is. I'm not certain I could say any person/thing caused it, but, I noticed I was get more and more self conscious of it and its in full swing.

Back to the question - who played the biggest part? Peers from school and myself during later years.

[MissUnderstood]

For me, it was my Mother.She's very disciplinarian and a perfectionist. She would belittle me and tell me that I am ugly and filthy that I did not inherited any of her good genes. She will call me nasty names and would often say that I look like a mongoloid because I'm so fat and ugly. I grow up with all these negative slurs which made me avoid at looking myself on the mirror.

[rieksti]

From them options: Others. Self.

[violetmoon]

My brothers are more then ten years older then I am. For as long as I can remember they have caused me such terrible anxiety. They have teased me relentlessly since I was young. They would get me to sing or dance and then tease me about it in front of their friends, making sure everyone would laugh until I cried. They would treat me really good, buy me stuff and take me places and then they'd rip it all away and laugh as I melted down. They know they can still get to me because of the way they have always treated me, wearing me down and calling me out on everything I've ever done.
I don't speak to either of them anymore and they still try to torment me through other family members etc.

[sae]

I don't think I can blame mine on a person or people. Perhaps I can blame my upbringing. My parents have always been amazing. They aren't the loving sort by any stretch but never have they been hateful or manipulative. In fact the exact opposite. No head games, no hidden motivations, no social games, no butt hurt, no "I feel..." very black and white. I went to public school but avoided interaction like the plague. If I wasn't at school I was at home.
Home was literally in the middle of nowhere, no neighbors, no family outside of my parents or sister, no family friends. During the summer we we sequestered away from the rest of the world. I went into adulthood Ill prepared for the reality of human nature. I was naive exploited made the fool time and time again.
Being shut in is just easier. At 23 I was diagnosed with Aspergers (I diagnosis I both reject and embrace) and it seems that could possibly be a huge contributor as to why I have struggled all this time to acclimate to social interaction. I don't get people, can't read people, forget they have motives, forget that there are people that don't follow a strict set of rules when interacting with others, and often struggle to balance my fear of being alone with my desire to distance myself from everyone else.

[Chauntecler]

Myself. I let myself down my entire life. It was only this past christmas I started to see what had gone wrong. I never took opportunities, I quit everything I started, I used people, lied, hated for petty reasons, held grudges and eventually alienated every friend I had.

My entire lifestyle just fed into the anxiety I have now. Not too late for change, I suppose, but living with everything I've done is difficult.