Causes Of Anxiety

The exact causes of anxiety are pretty difficult to determine, although basically doctors include brain chemistry, genetics and environmental stress as major contributors to the development of such psychological disorders. Even the medication prescribed to alleviate the symptoms for people who suffer from chronic depression and anxiety has a working mechanism that is not fully understood by scientists. We could say that nervous ailments are a vicious circle with lots of unknown factors, and that it is definitely more difficult to treat the causes than the symptoms. Nevertheless, recovery is not impossible, on the contrary, one can regain full health by a balanced use of medication and therapy.

Brain chemistry seems to be one of the causes of anxiety if we consider the abnormal levels of the neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters represent the chemicals via which the information travels from nerve to nerve. If there is an imbalance in the secretion of chemicals, incorrect messages reach the brain, and the reaction is often anxiety. Other than brain chemistry, genetics play an important part among the causes of anxiety, since this disorder is more frequent among people with a family history of generalized anxiety disorder. Thus, the brain sensitivity is inherited and passed on to the next generation.

Traumatic life events are other causes of anxiety, but it all depends on the sensitivity of the person in question. Thus, while some will develop anxiety after the death of a loved one, others will experience it because of job or school changing or divorce. Anxiety disorders usually become worse during periods of intense stress, with the mention that the withdrawal from addictive substances can also aggravate the condition. Thus, it will be a lot more difficult to quit smoking or eliminate alcohol and caffeine from your life if you suffer from generalized anxiety disorder.

Pregnancy for instance is another great life change that may cause temporary anxiety, but it all depends on the subjective individual factors and sensitivities as well. Then, the use of drugs like cannabis, ecstasy, LSD or amphetamines can also trigger anxiety in different forms and at various intensity levels. Some causes of anxiety are part of daily life; in fact, stress is often a motivating factor for lots of people, and many owe their success to it. Therefore, the causes of anxiety don't have to be pathological; in many cases they are easy to identify and eliminate with proper relaxation and the right attitude.