Anxiety is a common emotion that can look and feel like uneasiness or fear. It’s the body’s natural response to stressful situations or life events.
But when anxiety starts to take over and control other areas of your life like your schoolwork, career, or personal relationships, it can be a sign of a larger issue or an anxiety disorder.
There are a lot of believed causes or risk factors of anxiety. Let’s take a closer look at what causes anxiety.
Past Events
One of the most common causes of anxiety is from worrying about a past event. Some of the most common events that can cause anxiety are related to adverse childhood experiences or negative events that took place during someone’s developmental years. If children went through challenging times when they were younger due to things like abandonment, abuse, domestic violence, neglect, or the loss of a loved one, those thoughts and feelings can stay with them and affect them even in their adult years. Exposure to these types of traumatic events can prevent someone from fully developing or learning healthy coping mechanisms, which can make them more susceptible to mental health issues like anxiety.
Diet and Nutrition
Diet and nutrition play a big role in your overall mental health and wellness. Individuals who tend to under or overeat may experience issues with their mental and physical health. You can make yourself feel good from the inside out by eating foods filled with proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates.
For your body and brain to function to the best of their ability, you have to treat them well. This means ensuring you’re fueling your body properly with healthy and well-balanced meals during your day.
Family History and Genetics
Similar to how height, hair color, eye color, and some personality traits tend to run in families, so can mental health issues like anxiety. If a family member experiences anxiety, there’s a good chance that you’ll be more at risk for developing anxiety too. Anxiety could be passed down through genetics or by being exposed to certain actions and behaviors while you were growing up.
Health Problems
Anxious feelings that you’re facing could also be caused by preexisting health conditions. Some potential health problems that can contribute to signs and symptoms of anxiety could include the following:
- Caffeine
- Chronic disease or chronic pain
- Drugs, medications, or supplements
- Electrolyte abnormalities
- Environmental toxins
- Head trauma
- Lyme disease
- Thyroid issues
- Tumors
Major Life Events
Major life events are an extremely common cause or risk factor when it comes to anxiety. Life is filled with both ups and downs. At times, it can feel like you’re on a rollercoaster. Even if you go to the same 9-5 job each and every day, no two days will look exactly the same. These are some of the major life events that can lead to anxiety:
- Divorce
- Excessive workload
- Getting fired, experiencing a layoff, or being let go
- Illness
- Injury
- Loss of a loved one
- Moving to a new city or state
Personality
Depending on your personality type, you may be more at risk of developing anxiety as well. People who show signs of introversion, perfectionism, or the need for control are at higher risk of experiencing anxiety.
Next Steps
Experiencing signs and symptoms of anxiety is completely normal. What’s not normal is when it starts to harm your daily life and routine. That is one of the first signs that it may be time to reach out for additional support. While there is nothing wrong with experiencing anxiety, it shouldn’t feel like you don’t have control over it. We’re here to help you when you’re ready. Reach out today to learn more about how anxiety counseling can help you get to the root cause of your anxiety and help you work through any signs and symptoms that you may be experiencing.
