Anxiety disorders refer to feelings of apprehension, nervousness or fear over a perceived threat to an individual which already causes interference in performance of tasks and relationships with other people.
But, we would then ask ourselves about what are the causes of anxiety?
Anxiety may be caused by events, situations, people or objects that are interpreted by the person as capable of causing disruption in the way things have been planned or desired by the individual. Usually, anxiety results from the interpretation of the individual than the actual thing that causes anxiety.
The causes of anxiety may be grouped into two larger categories for ease in understanding. Biological factors are usually non-modifiable since they are affecting the physiology of the individual. The presence of medical conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular conditions or infections are commonly associated with anxiety, and attributed to the nature of the diseases because the exacerbation or attack of their symptoms causes a lot of worrying and apprehension to the person. The mere performance of regular activities or simply going down a flight of stairs may trigger their illnesses.
The use of certain medications or supplements such as taking coffee or herbal teas is also a known cause of anxiety. These beverages contain stimulants that make it easy for the individual to become nervous or distressed by ordinary situations or things. Substance and alcohol abuse also causes anxiety in the individual thus making the person easily aroused or violent in behavior.
Genetics and family tendencies also predispose the development of anxiety and anxiety disorders. A believed theory is that the imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain causes the sudden surge of nervousness and apprehension noted in anxiety, and making the person act in a very inappropriate manner.
Another theory being subscribed is the presence of changes in the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls fear and strong emotions. This alteration in the structure of the brain results into improper absorption or delayed transmission of signals into the neurons, causing a faulty response to several situations.
These biologic factors that are believed to result to anxiety are managed by pharmacologic or drug therapies. Sedatives such as Valium may be given by the physician to induce relaxation and may ultimately cause sleep in order to depress the anxious behavior. On the other hand, external factors refer to environmental and situational factors that can be modified and managed by the person experiencing anxiety or by other people.
The presence of stressful experiences which may range from the daily fatigue from school and work, difficult to maintain relationships with other people, and presence of traumatic events like abuse, death or disaster. Financial problems and maturation stages in life such as marriage, first day at work, pregnancy or going to college are also known causes of anxiety.
These external factors may be managed by behavioral modification, counseling or psychotherapies. Utilizing of appropriate relaxation and stress management techniques are also useful in these causes.
Knowing and understanding these causes of anxiety is not only crucial for the diagnosis of the anxiety disorder but also in the prevention and management of subsequent anxiety problems.