Anxiety results from stress. The reaction to stress may determine the level of anxiety people experience and how they are affected by it. Stress occurs to most people from time to time. Anxiety provides a way to function under stressful conditions and can have positive or negative results. People can overcome stressful events because of anxiety. Certain behaviors, however, may intensify conditions and cause chronic anxiety. Understanding behavioral causes helps reduce the amount of anxiety in people's lives.
Types
Some people suffer severe anxiety from traumatic events, such as abuse, victimization or the death of a loved one, "Medical News Today" reports. Stress at work, in school and from financial or family problems can cause anxiety. Serious medical illness or symptoms of medical illness alarm many people. Successfully dealing with the various types of anxiety brought on by different situations in life often depends on a person's behavior during stressful conditions.
Self-Medication
Substance abuse may contribute to or intensify anxiety. Many people who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or social phobias turn to drugs or alcohol to mask the problems they face. Intoxication from illicit drugs or the effects of withdrawing from illicit drugs can cause anxiety, according to "Medical News Today."
Personality
People with low self-esteem and poor coping skills have an increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. People who have anxiety disorders in childhood may also develop low self-esteem or other personality disorders later on. Upbringing may determine a person's behavior. Bad parenting or growing up in an abusive or negative environment can lead to personal problems and chronic anxiety for many people.
Thought Patterns
Negative thinking causes anxiety disorders. Many people have thought negatively for so long, they live their lives constantly worrying. They think of anxiety as being normal. They have lost their sense of control and may feel trapped by their anxiety. However, treatment helps change these behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people identify, understand and change their thinking and behavior patterns, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Therapists teach patients skills they can practice to help improve their thinking and moods.
Concerns
Irrational fears may change behavior for many people who avoid situations or places they think will cause them harm. People with anxiety disorders, such as phobias or obsessive-compulsive behavior, have worries that interfere with their lives because their fears or obsessions take so much time out of their daily activities. Therapeutic measures include gradually exposing people to their fears until they realize no great harm will come to them when confronting the situations.
