Causes of Anxiety: 8 Common Myths

Anxiety is something that everyone experiences, at least some point in their lives. It is an emotion that is experienced by both children and adults. There are some specific causes that trigger anxiety and there are also some factors that may make someone more prior to anxiety, such as genetics.

There are also quite a few myths that surround anxiety in general and it is often a disorder that is overlooked by the general public.

• It’s Not a Disorder

One myth is that anxiety is not a disorder and that everyone is anxious sometimes. While it is true that everyone does experience stress in varying levels of severity, an anxiety disorder is real and many people are living with it untreated.

General anxiety disorder is a condition in which someone worries constantly and often creates unrealistic thoughts regarding situations and outcomes. A common label is to call someone a “worrier,” but in reality they may be dealing with some type of anxiety disorder.

• Avoid Triggers

Another common myth about anxiety is that if a person avoids the triggers that cause their particular anxiety, it will go away. This can cause the condition to worsen and actually make the individual have even less self esteem and self confidence.

It would not be advisable for someone suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder to avoid social environments in general, as this would only feed their fear and anxiety surrounding social situations. Some people may not even be able to recognize what their triggers are. Anxiety and panic attacks can occur at any time and sometimes without any apparent reason.

• One Cause

It’s often thought that both anxiety and depression is only the result of one particular cause. The truth is, both anxiety and depression can be triggered by many things and it can be individualistic to that particular person.

There are many causes of anxiety, including genetics and brain chemistry imbalances. Someone can experience an anxiety disorder even if they have no prior history of this condition. It’s not limited to one particular cause or even particular individuals.

• Not Common

It may be joked that someone is simply a “worrier” and some people may also believe that anxiety disorders aren’t common. Unfortunately, anxiety disorder’s are common and it is estimated that at least 19 million people in the U.S. alone suffer from some type of anxiety disorder.

• Panic Attacks Can Cause Death

There is one particular disorder called Panic Disorder that refers to someone who experiences panic attacks. There are many symptoms of panic attacks and sometimes the individual can feel as if they are going to die. A panic attack brought on by stress is not going to cause death. The person may experience dizziness, heart palpitations and could even faint but they will not die from a panic attack alone.

• Medical Cause

Another myth is that an anxiety disorder is only caused by a medical problem. There can be medical causes but the majority of causes are not related to a medical illness or disease. The way a person responds to a medical illness or problem can cause anxiety.

• All in The Mind

This myth is mostly fueled by those who have not suffered from an anxiety disorder. It can be hard to understand certain conditions if you have not experienced them personally. But, anxiety disorder’s are not all in the mind. It is true that some anxiety disorder’s can be caused by an imbalance in the brain but  there are many other causes of anxiety. A person who is suffering from an anxiety disorder is not able to control it.

• Past Cause

Another rather common myth surrounding anxiety disorder’s is that they stem only from past events. This factor can definitely make someone more prone to anxiety but it is not the cause of most anxiety disorders. This myth has been propelled by the idea that anxiety, depression and other psychological disorder’s stem from trauma or an event in the past that caused severe stress. This has been seen in psychology, where the therapist has helped to release past events that were otherwise blocked by the individual.

If someone has experienced trauma or severe stress in the past, it can transform into an anxiety disorder or make one more prone to developing one later in life. But that’s not to say that everyone who experiences past stress will develop an anxiety disorder later in life, because that is not true.

The causes of anxiety range from person to person and everyone experiences and copes with stress differently. You may have heard that exercise can boost mood and help with stress. This is true but it would not cure severe cases of anxiety. To prevent yourself from experiencing excess anxiety, it is a good idea to exercise, hydrate properly and maintain a healthy diet. Some nutritional deficiencies can actually cause anxiety.

If you are experiencing anxiety on an ongoing basis, it’s best to consult with your doctor to identify the exact cause.