The Anxiety Loop: How Cortisol Steals Your Social Confidence

One of the most interesting and recent findings in the field of biological psychology relates to the role of the hormone serotonin in the emergence of behaviors driven by embarrassment. Contrary to traditional beliefs that a lack of serotonin causes depression and anxiety, new studies show that an over-secretion of this hormone in specific parts of the brain can be linked to social fear. Researchers have found that individuals who experience intense embarrassment in groups may have higher levels of serotonin in the amygdala, the brain's fear center.