According to a group of American and German researchers, social anxiety disorder is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic factors People-pleasing Attitude: "If someone isn't friendly to me, it's because there must be something wrong with me. Many phobias have names and children will go to great lengths to avoid being exposed to them. The real cause of anxiety or panic disorder is not the phobia or the stresses but how the nervous system reacts to triggers and stresses: Self-Hypnosis has been used in everything from cancer and burn treatments, arthritis relief, weight loss and stopping smoking to eliminating You fear them to the extent of completely avoiding them.