Causes Of Anxiety

While there is no definitive answer as to what causes an anxiety disorder, scientists and researchers believe that there are several factors which appear to contribute significantly in the development of this mental illness.

Estimates show that six point eight million adults are affected by "general anxiety disorder" or "GAD" on an annual basis with women being two times more susceptible than men of developing this disorder. The most common factors associated with the development of an anxiety disorder are life experiences, genetics, brain chemistry, and personality.

Genetics and Brain Chemistry which Appear to Play a Roll in Anxiety Disorders

Many experts in the field of anxiety disorder research strongly believe that anxiety disorders are hereditary and that multiple genes may be responsible for certain individuals being predisposed to developing this illness. It is a commonly known fact that individuals who have an anxiety disorder typically have a family history of other members who have suffered from some type of anxiety disorder as well.

Researchers also agree, however, that in many cases of individuals who develop an anxiety disorder, this is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors and not solely due to genetics.

Medical professionals have conducted many studies that evaluated identical and fraternal twins. These evaluations have concluded in identical twins that if one has an anxiety based disorder, the other individual is likely to develop the same type of disorder. However, these same studies have concluded that this is not always the case with fraternal twins.

Researchers have also found that there appears to be a link between general anxiety disorders and abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals or neurotransmitters are responsible for the processing of information between the nerve cells of the brain and when these levels are unbalanced it can cause this information to be processed incorrectly which may lead to the development of anxiety in certain situations.

Psychological and Environmental Factors which can lead an Anxiety Disorder

Medical experts believe that individuals who have experienced long periods of trauma, stress, or abuse throughout their lifetime are at a high risk for the development of an anxiety disorder. Many individuals develop severe anxiety when going through a very stressful period in their life such as the loss of a loved one, divorce, changing schools or jobs. Anxiety disorders tend to develop slowly over a period of time and typically begin during the earlier stages of adolescent or adult life.

Substance abuse and addiction are also thought to be contributing factors in acquiring an anxiety disorder as well as when withdrawing from these substances which include alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. Individuals who have underlying emotional problems such as low self esteem and difficulty coping with stress are also susceptible to developing this disorder.

Recent technology has made it easier for scientists and researchers to study the potential causes of anxiety disorders which may lead to better forms of treatment and possible solutions in the prevention of this illness.