Anxiety Disorders - Symptoms and Causes

This article is a look into the symptoms and causes of anxiety disorders. When anxiety levels gain control over a person's life, it is imperative that the person get medical help to successfully manage the disorder.

Symptoms and Causes

• Concentration difficulties


• Fearing the worst


• Dizziness


• Sweating


• Stomach upset


• Headaches


• Watching for indications of danger


• Insomnia


• Muscle tension


• Twitches and tremors


• Feelings of a blanking out of the mind


• Fatigue


• Shortness of breath


• Irritability


• Frequent diarrhea or urination


• Pounding heart


• Restlessness

Below is a discussion on the various causes of anxiety disorders:

• Biological Factors


• Childhood Environment


• Genetic Factors


• Lifestyle Factors/Stress Overload


• Thought Patterns

Biological Factors - Each and every person is born with a "fight or flight" response meant to safeguard one from harm. If there is any threat to a person's existence, the fight or flight response causes mental and physical changes which encourage the person to safeguard his survival. These changes can be shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, or muscle tension. A person with an anxiety disorder would usually have a physical overreaction to stress.

Childhood Environment - The childhood environment has a bearing on how the person would behave and think as an adult. The adults that the child had contact with may have meant well, however, he may have developed beliefs and habits that led to anxiety. One example is having been brought up in an environment which was not emotionally or physically safe.

Genetic Factors - Research reveals that OCD disorder runs in families. This family tendency may be attributed in part to genetics and in part to the way the person is brought up.

Lifestyle Factors/Stress Overload - Bad lifestyle habits such as lack of sleep and/or exercise, poor diet, or overwork would encourage the development of anxiety and cause unwanted stress.

Thought Patterns - Negative thought patterns such as victim talk, perfectionism, "what-if" thinking, and "all or nothing thinking" are cause enough for an anxiety disorder to develop.

You can get more information about the symptoms and causes of anxiety disorders by checking out online sources.