Top Five Causes of Anxiety

Do your palms get sweaty? Do you find that your head is consumed by racing thoughts that don’t ever seem to stop? Have you ever experienced an upset stomach when you’re anxious?

Anxiety is more than worries or nerves. Unfortunately, it’s a mental health issue that can be debilitating for your overall well-being. Moreover, it can present itself through different physical symptoms.

Whether you suffer from generalised anxiety or social anxiety, it’s important to identify and better understand what may cause it. Read the rest of this blog where we go over the top five causes of anxiety!

The top five causes of anxiety

There are many things that could trigger anxiety, here are the top five causes in our book.

Personal triggers

People who suffer from phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder may have specific triggers.

Things like past experiences or personal fears can cause an immediate fight-or-flight response. Sometimes, this may trigger an anxiety or panic attack.

Although actively avoiding these personal triggers may help, constantly in fear that you may encounter these triggers can worsen your anxiety.

Stress

Overworking, financial concern, relationship conflicts – you name it. Chronic stress may end up causing your anxiety or make it worse in the long run.

Our bodies trigger a fight-or-flight mode in response to stress. Our heart rate goes up along with our blood pressure, the muscles in our body tense, and our breath becomes much quicker.

When this goes on for a long period of time, this can become incredibly debilitating for our body. This can make it difficult to sleep, for example, or perform better at work.

Parties or social events

Parties or social events can be a cause for people who specifically suffer from social anxiety. Sometimes, it could even be making an appointment on the phone.

This is because they fear getting judged, embarrassing themselves, or being thought of negatively by people.

Negative thinking

Sometimes, it can be the way that we perceive things that can cause anxiety. However, that isn’t to say that people’s triggers aren’t valid. They are!

On the other hand, some people may indirectly be worsening their anxiety due to having a negative outlook.

Of course, it can be hard to think positively in certain situations. Some people may also need time to react the way they need to.

But being consumed by negative thoughts or thinking the glass is always half empty can prolong your anxiety.

Health issues

Especially with the times that we’re living in, health issues may be a source of anxiety.

Those experiencing chronic health problems, like cancer, may find it to be the cause or worsening of their anxiety. This may also apply to close family or friends, who have to watch a loved one go through it.

But this is especially true for those who are hypochondriacs. With COVID-19 as well, it can be understandable that some people may be scared to catch or spread the virus.

Anxiety is a common mental health issue that can happen to anyone. What’s important for those who experience it is to identify the causes behind it. From there, you may find how to effectively treat and reduce your anxiety symptoms.