Anxiety Disorders Causes & Risk Factors

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• QWhy do I have anxiety with hearing loss?

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  A Diana Meeks , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Sigma Nursing

  Another psychological feeling hearing loss is anxiety.  After living with poor hearing for months, you may become obsessed with how you feel each day, noticing every new feeling or symptom. Complaints of general nervousness and irritability, excessive worry, and sleep problems are common with chronic health conditions.  Anxiety may also take the form of specific phobias (such as fear of being alone, fear of driving, or fear of going to work). Alternatively, you may find yourself completely angry or bitter toward your doctor, your family, or even life in general.

  The cost of anxiety and depression is high as it greatly interferes with your activities at work and at home. The symptoms can be successfully treated with a combination of medication and therapy, so it’s important to discuss these feelings openly with your doctor.

• QWhat causes anxiety?

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  A Dr. Michael T. Murray, ND , Naturopathic Medicine, answered

  Anxiety can be the result of both physical and psychological factors. For example, extreme stress can definitely trigger anxiety, but so can certain stimulants, such as caffeine. Anxiety can also be triggered by elevations in blood lactic acid level. Lactic acid is the final product in the breakdown of blood sugar (glucose) when there is a lack of oxygen.

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• QWhat increases my risk for anxiety disorders?

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  A Lin Federici , Psychology, answered on behalf of Bayview Center for Mental Health, Inc.

  A family history of anxiety disorders can increase your own risk.  Traumatic experiences such as physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or exposure to violence, can result is post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a type of anxiety disorder.  Effective treatments are now known for help with anxiety disorders of all types, including phobias.  If you experience anxiety to the point of distress, get help from a mental health professional.

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• QAre anxiety disorders serious?

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  A Kathy Sowder , Psychology, answered on behalf of TherapyLiveCare

  Anxiety disorders are serious because they can limit your ability to do the things you want to do or need to do. Often if you are anxious, you may find yourself coping with your anxiety by avoiding certain situations, even though you realize you need to be going certain places and doing certain things. Even though you may feel better at first by avoiding, in the long run, you may feel worse and create more problems for yourself, thus increasing your anxiety.  You can receive help in dealing with your anxiety by seeing your doctor or seeing a counselor to help you find better ways of coping with and decrease your anxiety.

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• QCan a traumatic event cause anxiety disorders?

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  A Dr. Michael J. Mufson, MD , Psychiatry, answered

  People who are extremely anxious may think that a trying experience has given them reason to feel that way. And to a large degree, they're right.
  
  A traumatic event can be a trigger for acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and specific phobia. Either of the two stress disorders usually begins within days of a terrifying experience. While a phobia may not develop immediately after a traumatic event, it can often be traced back to one. For example, many adults who fear dogs were attacked by dogs as youngsters.
  
  Growing evidence suggests highly stressful experiences, especially early in life, increase the risk for anxiety by impairing a person's ability to negotiate emotional bumps in the road later on. Such experiences include abuse or neglect, emotional deprivation, and the loss of or separation from one's mother. Studies show that rat pups separated from their mothers for just several minutes early in life have a much greater startle response than other pups when faced with stress several months later.
  
  Traumas seem to alter the brain in a way that makes it more susceptible to anxiety. In addition to making the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis  hypersensitive, they may also change the structure of the brain. The hippocampus, which works closely with the amygdala (the brain's "fear" center), is smaller in some people with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as some who have endured extreme, prolonged stress.
  
  Of course, not everyone who has survived a traumatic event develops an anxiety disorder. That's where an individual's genes and brain chemistry come in. One theory is that some people are genetically or biologically more susceptible to anxiety, but that it often takes a traumatic life event to serve as the catalyst.
  
  In some cases, the trauma or stress is not apparent. Some people seem to develop an anxiety disorder "out of the blue." But when they seek help, a mental health professional often discovers clues that suggest an undiagnosed anxiety disorder experienced in childhood. For example, a 20-year-old with generalized anxiety disorder may have been a 3-year-old who had a hard time being away from her parents when they left for work (separation anxiety).

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• QIs generalized anxiety disorder serious?

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  A Portsmouth Regional Hospital answered

  Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a serious condition. People who suffer from it may find it difficult to function normally at times. Common problems that accompany GAD, such as digestive disorders, insomnia, fatigue, irritability, and headaches, can be debilitating and distressing in themselves. Depression is a common problem for people with GAD. Generalized anxiety disorder may also cause a person to turn to drugs and alcohol due to an inability to cope. 
• QAre some veterans more likely to get anxiety disorder than others?

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  A Challenge America answered

  Some veterans are more susceptible to certain types of anxiety disorders than others. Veterans with depression and substance abuse problems are highly likely to develop anxiety disorders alongside these conditions. There are differences between male and female veterans in the incidence of anxiety disorder. Alcoholism in women is particularly associated with panic disorders and agoraphobia (fear of being out in public). Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder and specific phobia affect more women than men. Both men and women are equally prone to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and social phobia (social anxiety disorder). Anxiety disorders are very common in the general population; it is estimated that 40 million Americans have some type of anxiety disorder
• QWhat causes anxiety disorder in veterans?

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  A Challenge America answered

  When a veteran experiences anxiety disorder, it could be due to a number of factors. It may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, social stressors, or genetic predisposition. Some researchers believe that negative life experiences, such as poverty, abuse, or exposure to violence can lead to anxiety disorders. Personality type may also be a factor. It is thought that people with low self-esteem or undeveloped coping skills may be more vulnerable to anxiety. Studies specific to veterans and anxiety disorder suggest that social phobia in particular may be related to guilt or shame about wartime experiences, or negative homecoming experiences.
• QWhy do I have anxiety with hearing loss?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Sigma Nursing answered

  Another psychological feeling hearing loss is anxiety.  After living with poor hearing for months, you may become obsessed with how you feel each day, noticing every new feeling or symptom. Complaints of general nervousness and irritability, excessive worry, and sleep problems are common with chronic health conditions.  Anxiety may also take the form of specific phobias (such as fear of being alone, fear of driving, or fear of going to work). Alternatively, you may find yourself completely angry or bitter toward your doctor, your family, or even life in general.
  The cost of anxiety and depression is high as it greatly interferes with your activities at work and at home. The symptoms can be successfully treated with a combination of medication and therapy, so it’s important to discuss these feelings openly with your doctor.
• QCan shyness increase the risk of developing an anxiety disorder?

  2 Answers

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  A Dr. Tamar Chansky , Psychology, answered

  

  Anxiety disorders can be caused by a variety of factors -- and certain personality traits certainly can have a role. In this video, psychologist Dr. Tamar Chansky, who specializes in anxiety, discusses how being bashful can play a role in anxiety.

  
  

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  Can Shyness Increase the Risk of Developing An Anxiety Disorder?
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