Anxiety is a familiar emotion to most people, a regular part of the human experience. It’s common to feel it when we are anticipating a future event, such as giving a presentation. In this case, we may be concerned about the outcome and how we will perform.
However, there is a difference between experiencing acute and/or prolonged anxiety that interferes with our ability to function. In previous blog posts, we’ve talked about ways to manage anxiety. In this post, we’ll delve deeper into its causes to gain a better understanding of why it occurs.
What is anxiety?
To give a brief psychological definition, the American Psychological Association (APA) shares that anxiety is an emotion that involves feeling tense, as well as experiencing worrying thoughts and physical symptoms like increased blood pressure.
The APA also discusses how anxiety is similar to fear, although they are not the same. While fear is more of a short-lived response to a specific threat, anxiety is more generalised, focusing on potential and often nonspecific threats.
For example, fear can present as a response to hearing noises outside at night, which might make you feel in danger. However, when you are constantly fearful of being in danger, this is anxiety.
What causes anxiety?
No one fully understands this complex emotion. However, researchers have identified biological, psychological and environmental factors that can contribute towards it.
We’ll now give a brief overview of each of these factors:
Biological causes
Neuroscientists and other researchers continually discover new information about how the brain works. Through technologies such as MRI scans, there is a consensus that certain factors may impact our predisposition to feeling anxious.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, some of these factors include:
- Chemical imbalances: hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances can contribute to anxiety. For example, the release of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) occurs when you feel under threat, which can result in an increased heart rate (and feeling anxious).
- Changes in the brain: The amygdala, a part of the brain that manages fear, becomes very active when we feel anxious. When this happens and other parts of the brain, like the pre-frontal cortex, don’t activate, we can struggle to rationalise our feelings.
- Genetics: As with many medical conditions, you may have a predisposition towards an anxiety disorder if someone in your family, typically a parent or a sibling, has one.
- Health conditions: Some health conditions may also exacerbate anxiousness, for example, hyperthyroidism.
In the contemporary world, we are ”always on” and overloaded with information, which often comes at us too fast for us to process and digest. As a result, our nervous system gets relentlessly overstimulated. This state of dysregulation becomes a daily experience, to the point that we believe it’s “normal”. However, it’s actually a risk to both our mental and physical health.
Therefore, it’s essential to slow down and be more present, which is an act of radical activism in the modern age, but can help manage anxiety and regulate our nervous system.
Psychological causes
Psychological factors such as personality traits and experiencing trauma also have an impact. According to Psychology Today, anxiety is unique to humans, primarily because we have evolved to think about the future. Therefore, experiencing it from time to time is normal.
However, if we are predisposed towards perfectionism and neurotic thinking patterns, we will be at risk of experiencing anxious thoughts, which can become worse if we don’t learn to manage them.
If we experience significant trauma, this can impact our ability to trust that nothing bad will happen to us again, leading to hypervigilance, which is a state of heightened nervous system activation. While not the same as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which specifically relates to trauma, symptoms of PTSD and anxiety can overlap.
Cultivating self-compassion, understanding your locus of control, and reframing your perspective can all help manage anxious thoughts. Meditation and exercise can also interrupt anxious feelings and thought spirals.
Environmental causes
While stress and anxiety are not the same, the physical effects of environmental stress can impact our psychological and biological functioning, which can affect our mental health. As modern humans, we face numerous uncertainties, ranging from financial stress to concerns about security and environmental stability. Experiencing traumatic events, such as crime, for example, can impact the way we respond to thoughts about the future and contribute to anxiety.
According to an article on Verywell Mind, our immediate environment can have a profoundly positive or negative impact on our mental wellbeing, encompassing factors such as noise, light, air quality, and social surroundings.
Therefore, spending time in nature is vital to refresh us. Even small amounts of time can lead to reduced stress, reduced anxiety and improved mood levels.
Learn more about anxiety and anxiety disorders
By identifying our triggers and building self-awareness, we can learn to manage anxious thoughts and symptoms. However, if it is significantly affecting your quality of life, you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder, and it’s essential to seek professional support.
If you’d like to learn more, SACAP Global offers comprehensive short online courses in the psychology behind anxiety and related mental health concerns:
- Managing & Preventing Anxiety
- Understanding Burnout Through the Lens of Compassion
- Introducing the EmotionAid® Protocol
- Holistic Approach to Managing Depression
If you or anyone you know is struggling with debilitating anxiety, remember that help is available. You can reach out to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) by calling the toll-free Cipla Mental Health Helpline on 0800 456 789 or by sending an SMS to 31393.
