What Causes Anxiety? Understanding the Roots of a Common Mental Health Challenge

Anxiety is a feeling most of us know all too well. But have you ever wondered why we experience anxiety in the first place? Let me help you understand the causes and what can be done to manage it.

The Basics of Anxiety

Before we get into the causes, let's quickly define anxiety. It's a normal human emotion characterized by feelings of worry, nervousness, and unease. While it's natural to feel anxious sometimes, like during changes in your life, anxiety becomes a problem when it's constant or overwhelming and gets in the way of relationships, work, and life goals.

Nature: Genetics and the Brain

When it comes to anxiety, both nature (our genes) and nurture (our environment and experiences) play a role. It's not just one or the other – it's a mix of both.

The Genetic Factor

Research shows that anxiety can run in families. If your parents or siblings have anxiety disorders, you're more likely to develop one too. But don't worry – having a family history doesn't mean you're doomed to have anxiety. It just means you might be more prone to it.

Brain Chemistry: The Inner Workings

Our brains are complex machines with lots of moving parts. Neurotransmitters, which are chemicals in our brain, play a big role in anxiety. When these chemicals are out of balance, it can lead to anxiety symptoms. Think of it like a seesaw – when it's balanced, everything's fine, but when it tips too far one way, that's when problems start. There are many factors that can contribute to this imbalance, including prolonged chronic stress, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, chronic inflammation in the body, and many more.

Nurture: Life Experiences

Now, let's talk about nurture. Our life experiences, especially during childhood, can significantly influence whether we develop anxiety.

Trauma

Experiencing trauma, whether it's a one-time event or ongoing stress, can lead to anxiety. This could be anything from a car accident to living in a war zone. Trauma changes how our brains process fear and stress, often making us more susceptible to anxiety.

Childhood Emotional Neglect

Here's something that doesn't get talked about enough: childhood emotional neglect. This happens when parents or caregivers don't respond enough to a child's emotional needs. It's not always obvious, but it can have a big impact on how we handle stress and emotions as adults and our ability to regulate emotions.

Kids who grow up in emotionally unavailable environments might not learn how to deal with their feelings in healthy ways. They might grow up feeling like their emotions aren't important or that they shouldn't express them. This can lead to anxiety later in life and the need to over-compensate for never feeling “good enough.”

Stress

In our fast-paced world, stress is almost unavoidable. Chronic stress can wear us down, making us more vulnerable to anxiety. It's like constantly revving a car engine – eventually, something's going to give.

Early Attachment

The bond we form with our primary caregivers in infancy and early childhood sets the stage for how we relate to others and handle stress later in life. If this attachment is secure, we're more likely to develop healthy coping mechanisms. If it's insecure, we might be more prone to anxiety.

Critical Periods

There are certain times in our development when we're more sensitive to environmental influences. These "critical periods" happen at different ages and can shape how our brains process emotions and stress. For example, the teenage years are a critical period for developing social skills and emotional regulation.

Learning and Conditioning: The Power of Experience

As we grow, we learn from our experiences. If we face a lot of stressful or scary situations, especially at a young age, we might learn to see the world as a threatening place. This can lead to anxiety as we always expect the worst to happen.

Cognitive Development

How we think about ourselves and the world around us develops as we grow. If we develop negative thought patterns or unrealistic expectations, it can contribute to anxiety. For instance, always thinking "what if something bad happens?" can fuel anxiety.

Social Influences

Our social environment, including family, friends, social media, and society at large, shapes our beliefs and behaviors. If we grow up in an environment that's overly protective or emphasizes danger, we might be more likely to develop anxiety. Also, social media contributes to people making assumptions about other people’s lives and their happiness or functionality. It can cause unrealistic expectations, which contributes to anxiety and the belief that you “should” be at a certain spot in your life or be a certain kind of person.

Substance Abuse

It's worth mentioning that substance abuse can both cause and worsen anxiety. Some people use drugs or alcohol to cope with anxiety, but this often backfires, leading to more anxiety in the long run.

The Role of Modern Life

Our modern lifestyle can contribute to anxiety in ways our ancestors never experienced:

1. Information overload: We're constantly bombarded with information, much of it negative.

2. Social media: Comparing ourselves to others' curated online lives can fuel anxiety.

3. Decreased face-to-face interaction: Less in-person social contact can increase feelings of isolation.

4. Busy schedules: Always being on the go can lead to chronic stress.

What Can We Do About It?

Understanding the causes of anxiety is the first step in managing it. Here are some strategies that can help:

1. Seek professional help: Therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and brainspotting can be very effective.

2. Learn relaxation techniques: Methods like deep breathing and meditation can calm an anxious mind.

3. SLEEP: Sleep is foundational to your brain sorting out information that is important, from information is not. When you don’t get a good sleep, your brain holds onto too much information and this can cause anxiety to spiral.

4. Challenge negative thoughts: Learn to question and reframe anxious thoughts by asking yourself, “is this fear/anxiety based on FACTS, or FEELINGS” or, “am I predicting something will happen with little evidence.”

5. Medications: Yes, sometimes medications are necessary and there is NO shame in this. It’s sometimes helpful to use medications to calm the fires just enough to be able to develop and use coping skills.

I KNOW this was A LOT. I hope you can see how many things contribute to anxiety. Remember, anxiety is common and treatable. If you're struggling with anxiety, you're not alone. Understanding where your anxiety comes from can be a powerful tool in learning to manage it. With the right support and strategies, it's possible to reduce anxiety and live a fuller, more relaxed life.

Learn more about Anxiety Therapy or contact me with any questions!