You feel anxious because it is a common feeling we all tend to experience. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety affects 40 million individuals in the United States of America only.
However, feeling anxious for no reason can lead to dreadful emotions such as fear and panic attacks.
Anxiety is a natural response from the body due to stress or fear. Anxiety also occurs due to apprehension about what is to come.
What triggers anxiety
Anxiety can be triggered by a wide range of factors, including stress, genetics, brain chemistry, and life experiences. Some common triggers of anxiety include:
Stressful life events and circumstances can trigger anxiety in individuals. These events can include things like a death in the family, a divorce, a job loss, or financial problems. These types of events can cause an individual to feel overwhelmed and uncertain, leading to anxiety.
Physical health problems can also trigger anxiety symptoms. Conditions such as heart disease, thyroid problems, or diabetes can cause anxiety, as can certain medications used to treat other conditions, such as high blood pressure or asthma.
Genetics may also play a role in the development of anxiety. If an individual has a family member with anxiety, they may be more likely to develop the disorder themselves.
Personality can also contribute to the risk of developing anxiety. People who are perfectionists or who tend to worry frequently may be more prone to anxiety.
Substance abuse, including the use of drugs or alcohol, can cause anxiety and make existing anxiety worse. Substance abuse can also worsen other mental health conditions, such as depression, which can further contribute to anxiety.
Anxiety is triggered by different aspects ranging from a chemical imbalance, stress, genetics, and traumatic events. Each of these triggers provokes the body to produce instinctual responses such as fight, flight, and freeze.
Stress
Chronic stress causes long-term anxiety and panic attacks. Most people develop chronic stress due to their health status such as being diagnosed with cancer among other chronic diseases. To reduce stress-related triggers, you should consult a therapist to help you manage your emotions.
Chemical imbalance
Chemical imbalance of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and gamma-aminobutyric triggers anxiety. Low levels of serotonin cause negative mood swings leading to anxiety.
Norepinephrine releases the fight and flight response. Therefore, imbalanced norepinephrine triggers anxiety due to unexpected instinctual responses.
Low levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA) activate the nerve cells more often leading to unexplainable anxiety.
Genetic factors
Genetic factors such as gender, race, age, and demographics cause anxiety. For instance, people of color experience unexplainable anxiety due to discrimination in ‘white-centered continents’ such as Australia, Europe, and America.
Traumatic Events
Traumatic events such as abuse, kidnapping, assault, death of a loved one, and financial constraints trigger anxiety. Kidnapping, sexual abuse, and assault make an individual anxious whenever they see someone familiar with the abuser or an event that reminds them of the assault.
Symptoms of anxiety.
Anxiety has emotional symptoms such as poor concentration, paranoia, panic attacks, fatigue, excess worry, and fatigue.
Besides anxiety causes physical symptoms such as stomach upset, sweating, muscle aches, increased heart rate, headaches, chest pain, and unexplainable shaking.
Take time out of your schedule and listen to music, read, meditate or engage in yoga whenever you feel anxious. Taking some time off helps to clear the brain off daily stressors.
Engage in deep breaths helps to supply the brain with sufficient oxygen, which relaxes the brain and the nerve cells.
Also, getting adequate sleep helps the body to feel relaxed, which in turn reduces anxiety.
Minimize the intake of caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol tend to trigger panic attacks.
Eating a balanced diet reduces anxiety since the body acquires the right amount of nutrients for the growth and nourishment of the brain and heart.
Seek assistance from a professional such as a therapist reduces the chance of developing chronic anxiety and panic attacks. Based on your stage of anxiety, the therapist might recommend medication, psychotherapy, or both methods.
Therefore, accepting anxiety as a curable disease prepares the body and the brain for healing.
