Causes & Triggers of Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues that affects millions of people across the globe. While we all feel anxious from time to time, some people experience severe anxiety that can be debilitating.
Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. When you’re anxious, your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. Your heart rate increases, your breathing speeds up, and your muscles tense. Anxiety can cause physical symptoms like:
Racing heartbeat
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Nausea
Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
Many everyday situations can trigger anxiety and cause these physical sensations. Common triggers include:
Stress at work, school, or in relationships
Financial difficulties
Health issues
Loss or grief
Lack of social support
Difficult life transitions like moving to a new place or changing jobs
Traumatic events from the past
Common Causes of Anxiety
Genetics
Anxiety disorders often run in families, and some people are born with a biological vulnerability to anxiety. If you have close relatives with an anxiety disorder, you’re more likely to develop one yourself. But genetics are only part of the cause. Environmental factors and life experiences also play a significant role.
Traumatic Life Events
Experiencing a traumatic event like abuse, an accident, injury, or loss of a loved one can trigger excessive anxiety and worry. The loss of control that often accompanies such events can be profoundly frightening and may lead to anxiety that lingers long after the traumatic experience has ended.
Stress
Stressful life circumstances, such as job loss, financial troubles, relationship issues, health problems, or the loss of a loved one, can trigger anxiety and exacerbate symptoms. While stress doesn’t cause anxiety on its own, excessive or long-term worry and stress can develop into anxiety.
Health Issues
Certain medical conditions like chronic illness, asthma, heart disease, or medication side effects can trigger or aggravate symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety may also arise from a medical issue that has gone undiagnosed. Talk to your doctor if you experience physical symptoms that you think might be linked to anxiety or other medical problems.
Learned Behaviors
Anxiety can be a learned behavior if you witness those around you responding in anxious ways. This can start as early as childhood if you pick up on the unhealthy anxiety patterns and coping behaviors of your caregivers. Unfortunately, these patterns can be carried into adulthood. With treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), you can reframe your thoughts and change neurological pathways in order to build healthier coping strategies.
Managing Anxiety: Lifestyle Changes and Treatment Options to Reduce Symptoms
Here are some effective strategies for managing anxiety and improving your quality of life.
Proper Self-Care
Sleep deprivation fuels anxious thoughts. When your mind is tired, your ability to cope with stress and worry diminishes. Faithfully committing yourself to a healthy sleep routine will significantly contribute to anxiety reduction.
Additionally, you should maintain a balanced diet and not skip any meals. When your body is deprived of certain vitamins, it can wreak havoc on your mental health. Specifically, a vitamin D deficiency can alter your brain chemistry. You should speak with your doctor or a nutritionist to see what supplements you should take.
Finally, exercise is a natural anxiety reliever. Yoga and meditation are also great options, relaxing both the body and mind. When you exercise, your body releases feel-good hormones called endorphins that improve your mood and act as natural anxiety-reducers. Exercise also burns off extra energy and tension, leaving you feeling calmer.
Therapy
Speaking with a therapist or counselor is one of the best ways to learn skills for coping with anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you identify negative thought patterns and replace them with more constructive ones. With time and practice, you can even become your own therapist, using the tools and strategies you learn from therapy.
Anxiety does not need to be the dominant narrative of your life. With the proper support and therapeutic care, you can begin your journey toward an anxiety-free life. Book a consultation with us so we can help you get started.
Read about our Anxiety Therapy in Washington DC and VA.