This article forms part of SACAP’s Anxiety Awareness Series.
In today’s world, it’s safe to say that we all experience anxiety to some degree. However, for some, it can become debilitating and present as an anxiety disorder. While common, anxiety manifests differently in individuals, and a myriad of factors influence it.
In this post, we’ll explore anxiety’s psychological, biological, genetic, and environmental influences. We’ll also share insights into how it manifests, who is at risk, and how to address it, as part of SACAP’s Anxiety Awareness Series.
What is anxiety?
According to the definition in our blog post “Key Mental Health Terms and Conditions”, anxiety is a feeling of intense worry or fear. It involves uncomfortable feelings and sensations related to the anticipation of a future event.
However, while fear and nervousness often centre around a specific event, the root causes of anxiety are not always clear. Therefore, understanding its complex roots is essential for managing anxiety triggers and symptoms.
What causes anxiety?
Anxiety involves a complex interplay of psychological, biological, genetic and environmental factors. We’ll explain each of these below.
Psychological factors
Our past experiences, the way we respond emotionally, and our cognitive functioning can all contribute to anxiety. Unresolved trauma can also fuel anxious thoughts and behaviours, as well as neurotic and perfectionistic behaviour.
People who tend to catastrophise, or imagine the worst-case scenario, can amplify their anxious thoughts. If we have a habit of ruminating, or chewing over past events or future worries, we can also create a toxic cycle of distress.
Biological factors
Aspects of our biological functioning can contribute to anxiety, including how the neurotransmitters in our brain (e.g. dopamine) help regulate mood and emotional responses. If our neurotransmitters don’t function properly, we can also experience mental health struggles.
Hormonal imbalances can also contribute to heightened anxiety and put strain on our body’s stress response system. For example, if we are chronically stressed, our body produces cortisol to help us respond to a perceived threat. However, if we are constantly producing too much cortisol, we will feel anxious all the time.
Genetic factors
Research shows that there are genetic variants that may increase susceptibility to anxiety disorders, but these may never be activated.
Research shows that there is a strong correlation between having adverse childhood experiences and developing a mental health issue. In other words, adverse experiences create toxic stress, which can modify gene expression patterns and exacerbate mental health conditions.
Environmental factors
Environmental influences such as adverse childhood experiences, including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, can increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders. Experiencing poverty, conflict, or violence can also impact our emotional regulation.
Family dynamics and interpersonal relationships also play a role in the development of anxiety. Maladaptive patterns of communication and coping within the family unit can exacerbate symptoms and undermine individuals’ ability to regulate emotions effectively.
How anxiety shows up
According to one of our previous articles on anxiety symptoms, there are various physical, emotional and behavioural manifestations of anxiety. Physically and emotionally, these manifestations include:
- Physical symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and heart palpitations
- Emotionally, it can consist of feeling a fear of impending doom and obsessive thoughts
Behaviourally, anxiety can manifest as an anxiety disorder, which can include the following:
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Social anxiety
- Phobias such as agoraphobia (the fear of being trapped)
- Panic attacks
Anxiety disorder symptoms differ from person to person, so it’s vital to seek professional help if you are experiencing chronic and debilitating symptoms.
Who is most at risk of experiencing anxiety?
World Health Organisation (WHO) data confirms that anxiety disorders are prevalent, but tend to affect more women than men. While anyone at any age can experience anxiety, the onset of anxiety disorders often begins in childhood and adolescence, so it’s vital to ensure that children and young adults receive the proper support.
Unfortunately, anxiety can not always be easily detected, especially in people who experience high-functioning anxiety. High-functioning anxiety is difficult to diagnose because being functional is subjective. However, if you are constantly busy, worrying about doing everything perfectly (perfectionism), struggling to sleep, unable to say no, or are using substances or exercise as a form of numbing, you may be experiencing it.
Studies show that the way teens engage with technology affects how their brains develop, which in turn impacts their ability to regulate and function. Constant comparisons on social media can also affect self-esteem and exacerbate anxiety. Online technology also amplifies cyberbullying, as it can take place 24/7, which can impact mental health.
Childhood anxiety is also a concern, as children can be diagnosed with all of the disorders listed above. In addition to these, children can struggle with separation anxiety or selective mutism, where they struggle to communicate at school and in social situations. While these disorders can be debilitating at any age, it is particularly concerning for children, as these disorders can affect their development and lead to mental health challenges in later life.
How to deal with anxiety
Once we recognise how multifaceted anxiety is, we can adopt holistic approaches to dealing with it. As we’ve discussed in our post, “5 Strategies for Coping with Anxiety”, there are many ways to approach managing negative thoughts and developing adaptive coping strategies, for example, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).
Mindfulness techniques are also helpful, as they help develop an awareness of thoughts and bodily sensations, which can contribute to feeling less overwhelmed. Building positive peer relationships and social support networks also helps manage stress, create healthy coping strategies, and promote resilience and wellbeing. There are also many mental healthcare resources available in South Africa to assist.
If you’d like to equip yourself with practical skills to manage anxiety, SACAP Global’s Managing and Preventing Anxiety short course equips individuals with valuable tools and insights to manage and alleviate symptoms effectively. SACAP Global also offers additional courses in the field of mental health, which offer additional supportive strategies for optimising mental health, including the following:
For a more comprehensive and accredited qualification, SACAP also offers various degree programmes in applied psychology, including the following:
