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What Causes Anxiety Disorders?

There isn’t one specific cause of anxiety disorders. They are not an illness like the flu which is caused by a virus, or a broken bone caused by an accident.  They are a caused by a complex set of individual circumstances that include genetic and environmental factors.  Each person that suffers with an anxiety disorder has a unique story of how that came to be a reality for them.  Each story is unique, but when looked at as a large group, patterns and similarities emerge.

Research indicates that there is a strong genetic component that may contribute to anxiety disorders. Scientists have not isolated a specific gene that makes a person predisposed to an anxiety disorder.  If you have a family member with an anxiety disorder, you are more like to also be at risk of developing one at some point in your life.  Your family history is no guarantee one way or the other, but it can put you more or less at risk.  Life experiences can trigger a genetic tendency towards anxiety.  If you don’t experience these triggering events, you may avoid this challenge in your life.

Our environment and the experience we grow up with shape our mental processes and in some cases, set us up for developing an anxiety disorder.  Children who grow up in an abusive or neglectful home can be at risk for an anxiety disorder.  Their life experience has taught them to always be on guard, and that it is not safe to trust.  Individuals who experience homelessness, are refugees, live through war, or are victims of violence are also at risk.  Individuals who do not have a strong support system are more at risk than those that do.

While having a difficult childhood, or experiencing severe trauma may place a person at risk for developing one or more anxiety disorders, it does not guarantee that they will.  Some individuals are able to process these negative events and maintain good mental health and a positive outlook on life.  Receiving appropriate counseling after these negative experiences can help prevent a severe disorder from developing.

In many cases it is a combination of a genetic predisposition towards mental health issues and negative life experiences that lead a person to develop an anxiety disorder.  It is usually not one thing, but a list of several contributing factors, that finally tip the scale and send the individual into an anxiety disorder.  The good news is that with professional help recovery and happiness is possible.  There are many effective treatment options and many caring mental health professionals available.

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.

Coping Strategies for Living with an Anxiety Disorder

Living with an Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety can be a nightmare for some to deal with, especially people who have to deal with it every day of their lives. Chronic anxiety, living with it every day, can be torturous, but it is treatable. Reaching out for help would be the first step to getting this under control. While you are going through the process of therapy to treat your specific anxiety disorder, here are some ways to try to manage the day-to-day, when the anxiety disorder seems out of control.

Break things down into what you can do for your body, what you can do for your mind, and what actions you can take to help yourself out that day. Looking at what you can do for your body, adopting some healthy lifestyle traits will go a long way towards alleviating anxiety and improving your mood as well.

Tips to help your body (to get rid of anxiety disorder) include:

  • Limit or cut out alcohol and caffeine from your diet
  • Try to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night
  • Eat regularly, and eat well-balanced meals
  • Set up regular exercise, for at least thirty minutes a day
  • Take frequent breaks from what you are doing

These may not seem like much, but anxiety can be intensified when you are, tired, stressed, or intoxicated. By doing this you will take care of your health and lower your anxiety disorder.

Caring for your mind to lower anxiety is a little more complicated. A lot of work can and should be done in talk therapy to help manage these conditions, but here are some tips to help alleviate some anxiety when it happens:

  • Ask yourself if this is something worth getting upset over
  • Ask yourself if this is something that will matter a year from now
  • Learn to accept what you cannot control instead of letting it consume you
  • Learn what you can and cannot control
  • Develop a strong sense of humor
  • Meditation and keeping yourself focused on the present

These are simple steps that may take a lot of practice but will go a very long way in the quest to rid yourself of anxiety.

Now, taking action is another thing that will help, especially when it is action aimed at fighting anxiety disorder, both being proactive and reactive. These can include:

  • Slow, deep breathing or some thoughtful breathing technique
  • Learning distraction techniques, like listening to music, reading, or talking to friends when you are upset
  • Set goals for yourself every day, attainable ones
  • Learn what triggers your anxiety and avoid it until you are strong enough to manage it

Coping skills to combat daily anxiety disorder are a necessary tool in living with it. There are things to do that will overall help lower anxiety, as well as things to do in the moment when the anxiety is getting bad. These will help in conjunction with any medication and talk therapy you are doing to eliminate chronic anxiety from your life.

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Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this post and any associated articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of eTherapyPro. These posts and articles are shared for your enjoyment and consideration. Read them or not at your sole discretion and liability. They are not intended to replace counseling services rendered by licensed professionals. Consult with your counselor before implementing any content from these articles into your life.