From panic attacks to generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety presents itself in a number of forms. In small doses, this feeling is actually helpful. HelpGuide states that it can motivate people to solve problems while helping one remain alert and focused. In some cases, though, this emotion can have an adverse affect on your physical and emotional health. While no exact cause is known, a variety of factors have been identified.
It's In the Genes
The Anxiety and Stress Management Service of Australia, a program designed to help those diagnosed with anxiety live a life free of panic and fear, states that while anxiety disorders may not necessarily be inherited, the sensitivity trait contributing to them is.
The more sensitive a person is, the more she may worry about the events taking place around her. Unfortunately this tendency to worry causes her to find things to worry about when nothing legitimate exists. This worrying leads to fear, and fear results in anxiety attacks.
HealthyPlace makes a slightly different point on this topic, however. It claims that anxiety disorders tend to run in families. More research needs to be conducted on this topic before any concrete evidence supports this theory.
Personality Types
Some personality types are at a greater risk for developing an anxiety disorder than others. This includes those with low self-esteem and those who have an inability to cope with the problems life throws their way.
The Mayo Clinic adds that people who are already diagnosed with a personality disorder, such as borderline personality disorder, may be at greater risk for developing generalized anxiety disorder.
Traumatic Life Experiences
Being exposed to traumatic life experiences, especially as a child, may be a deciding factor when it comes to developing some form of an anxiety disorder. This includes those who have been exposed to physical or sexual abuse, or who have lived life in poverty. It may also include those who have seen firsthand the death of a loved one or someone whom they were close to.
Unhealthy Behaviors
Unhealthy behaviors can include everything from poor nutrition to participating in the use of recreational drugs such as cocaine, marijuana or heroin. Illegal drugs can worsen an anxiety disorder or increase anxiety in one who has a predisposition to it due to other factors such as genetics.
Poor nutrition may also spark an anxiety attack, as stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine increase levels of anxiety, thus increasing the risk of suffering from an attack on a regular basis. Additionally, if a person is not eating properly, he may not be receiving the proper vitamins and minerals required by his body; lack of these, including vitamin B6, magnesium and calcium, increases his risk of developing this disorder.
