The Anxiety Loop: How Cortisol Steals Your Social Confidence

The thyroid gland and the hormones it secretes also cast a shadow over levels of social anxiety and embarrassment. An overactive thyroid, by increasing body metabolism and stimulating the nervous system, creates symptoms similar to intense anxiety, including excessive sweating and heart palpitations. A person struggling with these physical issues may become hyper-self-conscious in the presence of others, imagining that everyone notices their abnormal state, which in turn intensifies their feeling of embarrassment.