We have all had nail biting situations at one point or another in life. Some are the lasting kind, the ones that stay around for a while. Others are resolved in a few hours and we move on. But we are sometimes left anxious, worried and preoccupied with whatever it was that happened. This brings out the question: what causes anxiety?
There are as many answers as there are negative situations in this world. An exam can cause someone anxiety. An upcoming event where you’re supposed to play a central role can cause you anxiety. The loss of a job or of income can cause you anxiety. The recent global crisis left many people highly anxious. The list goes on and on.
There are things that will cause some people to be anxious and have no effect on others. An exam, for example, can be very worrying for someone who works full time and has not had time to prepare. Another person in exactly the same situation will tell themselves that it’s only an exam, if they fail, they will take it again.
Look at the mindsets of these 2 people and then imagine them as they study for this particular exam. One has said that they will do their best, and it releases them to invest the rest of their mental energy in getting ready. The other person is spending their mental energy worrying, and yet both are in a position to treat the situation the same way; to know that if they fail, they can take the exam again.
These kinds of causes of anxiety lead many behavioral therapists to conclude that anxiety is learned behavior. We learn to think the worst instead of making the best of things as they are now. Indeed, that’s where the sense of impending doom comes from – being stuck in believing in worst case scenarios.
Anxiety can also be brought about by excessive trauma, like having to deal with the death of someone who was very close to you.
Some anxiety seems to be genetically transferred. An anxious parent, for instance, can get an anxious baby who cries all the time. It seems that in families where people are highly sensitive to worry, there is a predisposition to getting anxiety and anxiety disorders.
Some drugs can also lead to anxiety, and it’s because they upset the natural balance in the brain that causes us to be calm and react coolly. If you start to take a drug and notice that you are suddenly on edge all the time, stop, go back and read as fully about the drug as you can and discuss it with your doctor.
There are situations, like monthly periods or pregnancy, which cause anxiety because they shift your hormonal balance. These should be left to resolve themselves unless the level of anxiety is so high that it’s affecting every day life. Discuss with your doctor the best way to go about these temporary situations because they will pass and simple therapy could help you feel better.
No matter the cause of anxiety, learn how to keep worry at manageable levels; learn to listen when your body is telling you to stop and take a break and learn to let go. That’s where many of us will fail, and anxiety will spiral into a disorder.
If you find that you are constantly worried, constantly anxious and expecting bad things to happen all the time, that’s a signal for you to stop and take a look at things. If you find that you can barely concentrate on what you are doing and your mind keeps drifting off to think about negative things, stop and start to actively change your thought patterns to be more positive.
Normal anxiety can easily lead to; anxiety disorders, panic attacks and general poor mental health. In many cases though, whatever causes you anxiety is something that can be resolved either by working on it, removing yourself from the situation or letting go.