subject: What Causes Anxiety? [print this page] What Causes Anxiety? What Causes Anxiety?
If you are constantly worried about your job, your schoolwork, and your relationships then you know how anxiety feels and also the things that cause it. Although anxiety is your body's natural response to stressful and threatening situations, unhealthy levels of anxiety can also lead to harmful psychological conditions.
For one, abnormally high anxiety levels can make you susceptible to a wide variety of anxiety disorders. Panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and phobia are only three of the most disruptive psychological illnesses that you can develop. By becoming aware of the different causes of anxiety, you can maintain healthy anxiety levels that will make you more productive in your day-to-day activities.
What causes abnormal anxiety levels?
Anxiety is usually triggered by stressful events in your life. You can be more vulnerable to anxiety than most people, while others can be more susceptible to anxiety than you are. If you are one of those people who easily get stressed and anxious, you can learn to manage it well. By adopting a positive outlook towards life and giving yourself a break every now and then, you can avoid harmful anxiety levels for good.
Aside from environmental factors, your family history can also be a contributing factor. If one of your parents, grandparents, or other relatives have experienced anxiety disorders, you will also be more likely to develop an anxiety disorder amidst your busy schedules and hectic routines.
Lastly, your brains composition and chemistry can also make you more vulnerable or less susceptible to generalized anxiety disorder. If there are abnormal levels of specific neurotransmitters in your brain, important messages cannot properly get through your brain. This can change the way your brain reacts in certain situations and lead you to constant periods of anxiety.
Studies also show how the food you eat and the beverages you drink can also lead to unhealthy levels of stress and anxiety. Alcoholic drinks and caffeine were found to worsen anxiety as was smoking.
