You begin with a pounding heart and then you feel like you can't breathe. Soon the room begins to spin and before you know it you feel as though you are going to pass out. No, it's not the stomach flu, it's anxiety, a condition that occurs whenever you are faced with a situation you fear you can't handle. While no one cause has been identified, there are plenty of risk factors that may help you identify the type of treatment you need.
Chemical Imbalance
Inside your brain are two chemicals referred to as neurotransmitters. They play an important role in regulating your thoughts and feelings, however sometimes they are out of balance. When this occurs, anxiety can set in. These chemicals are serotonin and dopamine, and when off balance, can cause depression in addition to your anxiety. Once your symptoms are identified, the balance of these chemicals can be restored easily with medication.
Your Home Environment
Not only does anxiety run in families, it may also be a learned behavior, according to the Health Center. If a parent or another close relative such as a grandparent is diagnosed with anxiety, your chances automatically increase.
In addition to this, pessimism may also contribute to your condition. If fear and anxiety are constantly being demonstrated to you, or is being set as your example for the way life is to be lived, you may adopt these ideas and live your life in the same manner.
Another scenario is that of a child who is abused, either verbally or physically. Enduring this abuse teaches the child to constantly expect the worse, and anxiety rises from the ashes of this way of thinking.
The Use of Recreational Drugs
Using recreational drugs, especially amphetamines, LSD and cocaine, increases the risk of a person developing anxiety, especially if he has other factors that predispose him to this illness. In addition, the withdrawal effects of these drugs can cause panic attacks and high levels of anxiety.
Poor Nutrition
Everything you put or don't put into your body can also affect your chances of suffering from this disorder. For instance, if you ingest large amounts of stimulants such as coffee, you may find you suffer from more anxiety attacks.
Vitamin deficiencies can also spark an anxiety attack. These vitamins include magnesium, calcium and vitamin B6. Increasing these vitamins through supplements or increasing your intake through fresh fruits and vegetables may help decrease the number of episodes you experience.
