Causes of Anxiety

What's making you so anxious? You may be surprised — from certain medications to problems with your thyroid, watch out for these anxiety triggers.

1. Personality factors

Some research suggests that people with certain personality traits are more likely to have anxiety. For example, children who are perfectionists, easily flustered, lack self-esteem or want to control everything, sometimes develop anxiety during childhood or as adults.

Everyone is different and it's often a combination of factors that can contribute to a person developing anxiety. It's important to note that you can't always identify the cause of it or change difficult circumstances.
The most important thing is to recognize the signs and symptoms of anxiety and to seek help. The sooner you seek help, the sooner you can recover.

2. Physical health problems

Continuing physical illness can also trigger anxiety or complicate the treatment of either the anxiety or the physical illness itself. Common conditions that can do this include:

hormonal problems (e.g. overactive thyroid)
diabetes
asthma
heart disease

If there is concern about any of these conditions, ask a doctor for medical tests to rule out a medical cause for the feelings of anxiety.

3. Ongoing stressful events

Stressful events can also trigger symptoms of anxiety. Common triggers include:

job stress or job change
change in living arrangements
pregnancy and giving birth
family and relationship problems
major emotional shock following a stressful or traumatic event
verbal, sexual, physical or emotional abuse or trauma
death or loss of a loved one.

4. Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant — and that can be bad news for someone with anxiety. In fact, caffeine’s jittery effects on your body are similar to those of a frightening event. That's because caffeine stimulates your "fight or flight" response, and studies show that this can make anxiety worse and can even trigger an anxiety attack. And just like the symptoms of anxiety, consuming one too many cups of Joe may leave you feeling nervous, moody, and can keep you up all night.

5. Weight Loss Supplements

Many over-the-counter (OTC) weight loss supplements come with anxiety-producing side effects. Saint John's wort side effects may include insomnia, and green tea extracts (which claim to suppress appetite) contain plenty of caffeine. Guarana is an ingredient in some OTC diet products that contains twice as much caffeine as regular coffee. And watch out for any product containing ephedra — it can lead to increased heart rate and anxiety.

6. Traumatic Events

Traumatic events are caused by certain accidents and incidents. These can be cured by the help of medical professionals and support groups.

7. Unhealthy Lifestyle

Drinking, smoking, drugs, and junk food contribute to stress. To counterattack the effects of these, you know what to do: Live a healthier and better life. Know how to handle the sources and you'll discover how to handle the stress.

8. Cigarettes, drugs and alcohol

Relying on smoking, drinking or using drugs to feel calmer can backfire. Nicotine is a stimulant that studies have shown can raise blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke also may cause breathing problems that the body responds to as if it's suffocating, increasing the likelihood of panic attacks. As for alcohol and drugs, people suffering from an anxiety disorder are two to three times more likely to abuse these than the general population, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Both alcohol and drugs can lead to panic attacks and their disruptive effect on the central nervous system limits the brain's ability to calm the mind and body.

9. Age

As we age, we face multiple stresses that can bring on bouts of anxiety. Life events such as health changes, memory problems, the death of a spouse or even a seemingly happy change like retirement, can all be stress-provoking. The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation estimates that 10-to-20 percent of older adults suffer from anxiety, although many go untreated because they may not recognize the symptoms.

10. Negative thinking

Many therapists stress that persistent negative thinking really does have a harmful effect on our emotional well-being. Ever hear of automatic negative thoughts (or ANT’s)? These are quick, unconscious, off-the-cuff criticisms that the mind churns out when faced with stressful situations. "Why did I do that?" "Why am I so dumb?" and other negative self-criticisms wreak havoc on your emotional state. The good news is that a therapist can help you identify these ANT’s and reduce the power they have on your psyche.