How to Identify the Real Cause of Your Anxiety (2023)

FAQs

How can I find out what is causing my anxiety? ›

Anxiety can be caused by a variety of things: stress, genetics, brain chemistry, traumatic events, or environmental factors. Symptoms can be reduced with anti-anxiety medication. But even with medication, people may still experience some anxiety or even panic attacks.

Generally, most doctors can easily tell the difference between anxiety and/or stress caused sensations and symptoms from those caused by other medical reasons - because other medical conditions/emergencies have sensations and symptoms that are unlike those caused by anxiety alone.

Anxiety disorders are real, serious medical conditions - just as real and serious as physical disorders such as heart disease or diabetes. Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive mental disorders in the United States.

It's important to note that only a mental health professional can diagnose a mental health condition. Therefore, the only way to receive a definite answer to the question, “Do I have a mental illness, or am I overreacting?”, is to get in touch with a professional at an accredited treatment center.

Anxiety causes a heavy head feeling because of tension headaches common in people living with the disorder. Most people describe these headaches as feeling like a tight band wrapped around their heads. A tightening of the scalp and neck muscles also causes an anxiety headache.

Chronic, untreated anxiety is linked to panic attacks, depression, substance abuse, brain fog and other serious issues.

Stress management techniques, such as exercise, mindfulness, and meditation, also can reduce anxiety symptoms and enhance the effects of psychotherapy. You can learn more about how these techniques benefit your treatment by talking with a health care provider.

Health issues that may seem like anxiety can be cardiac, endocrine, GI-related, inflammatory, metabolic, neurological, and respiratory. Within those groups, conditions that might first present like anxiety include irritable bowel syndrome, cardiac arrhythmias, hypoglycemia, and rheumatoid arthritis.

There are several symptoms that could be mistaken for anxiety. If your blood sugar drops too low, it can cause you to sweat and feel shaky, which may be confused with anxiety. If your thyroid gland is overactive, you can sweat excessively and feel restless and nervous.

Am I self diagnosing anxiety? ›

Only a trained mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, can diagnose a mental health disorder like social anxiety. While you cannot self-diagnose, you can take steps to figure out if your symptoms are the result of normal shyness or if they could be something more.

People with anxiety disorders often feel that their concerns are not taken seriously or that "it's all in their heads." This minimizes their pain and discomfort, and leaves psychiatric and associated medical conditions unaddressed. It should be noted that the statement "it's all in your head" is not entirely wrong.

As it so happens, "fake it 'til you make it" can help anxiety disorders. The concept comes from the therapy technique called acting as if. Developed by psychotherapist Alfred Adler, acting as if encourages people to act as if their obstacles, including anxiety disorders, are already gone.

Reality anxiety is fear of real-world events. The cause of this anxiety is usually easily identified. For example, a person might fear receiving a dog bite when they are near a menacing dog. The most common way of reducing this anxiety is to avoid the threatening object.

High-functioning mental illness means being able to go about most days as if there isn't a war going on in your head, or panic ricocheting through your body. High-functioning mental illness, like any mental illness, is exhausting, overwhelming and hard to deal with.

Brain imaging can reveal unsuspected causes of your anxiety. Anxiety can be caused by many things, such as neurohormonal imbalances, post-traumatic stress syndrome, or head injuries. Brain scans can offer clues to potential root causes of your anxiety, which can help find the most effective treatment plan.

Anxiety headaches, sometimes referred to as tension headaches, may occur in many different places, including: The front, sides, tops, and even back of the head. The back of the neck. The shoulder muscles in between shoulder blades.

But researchers don't know exactly what causes anxiety disorders. They suspect a combination of factors plays a role: Chemical imbalance: Severe or long-lasting stress can change the chemical balance that controls your mood. Experiencing a lot of stress over a long period can lead to an anxiety disorder.

Does anxiety get worse with age? ›

Does anxiety get worse with age? Anxiety disorders don't necessarily get worse with age, but the number of people suffering from anxiety changes across the lifespan. Anxiety becomes more common with older age and is most common among middle-aged adults.

One important step in reversing the anxiety cycle is gradually confronting feared situations. If you do this, it will lead to an improved sense of confidence, which will help reduce your anxiety and allow you to go into situations that are important to you.

“The term high functioning anxiety describes an individual who, despite feeling anxious, seems able to effectively manage the demands of day-to-day life,” says psychologist Adam Borland, PsyD.

A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are.

Severe anxiety is when the body's natural responses to anticipated stress exceed healthy levels and interrupt your ability to function and carry out typical day-to-day tasks. The immediate physical symptoms can include a racing heart, changes in breathing, or a headache.

Or, doctors might tell you “it's just anxiety” because they can't find another cause for your symptoms (this is especially common for women with invisible or difficult to diagnose illnesses), even if you're not struggling with your mental health and your gut says your symptoms aren't related to any anxiety you are ...

Research has indicated that individuals with high emotional reactivity (high neuroticism) and introverted tendencies (low extroversion) are more likely to experience anxiety than other personality types [101].

Use a distraction. Another technique to keep you from self-diagnosing is distraction. When you feel like doing some Googling distract yourself by doing something else — going for a run, calling up a friend, watching some funny videos, whatever will get you out of your head.

Symptoms produced by anxiety — which can include muscle pain, chest pain, heart rate changes, headaches, and dizziness, among others — can heighten existing anxiety about one's health.

“A brief mental vacation can break the cycle of anxious thoughts.” To try this on your own, set a timer for a few minutes, close your eyes, and picture yourself somewhere you feel peaceful or happy. “Just letting your mind wander can work well if your anxiety comes from feeling controlled or managed,” Henderson says.

Why does my brain think things I don't want it to? ›

Intrusive thoughts are often triggered by stress or anxiety. They may also be a short-term problem brought on by biological factors, such as hormone shifts. For example, a woman might experience an uptick in intrusive thoughts after the birth of a child.

Plus, whether you're fixating on the past or catastrophizing about the future, thought patterns that are more destructive than constructive can take a toll on both your mental health and physical health. "Studies show that ruminating on stressful events can, over time, lead to anxiety and depression," warns Dr. Fowler.

The exact cause of health anxiety is not known. While there is some evidence that health anxiety, like all anxiety disorders, may in part be an inherited or biologically based problem, it is generally accepted that several other important factors can increase the likelihood of you developing this problem.

3 Things That Make Anxiety Worse: Avoiding, Numbing, Criticizing.

Yes when your physical symptoms are caused or worsened by your mental state it is called as psychosomatism. People with mental illnesses can experience a range of physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, pain, headaches, insomnia, and feelings of restlessness.

What should I do if I can't get a diagnosis? If you think you have an underlying disease that hasn't been diagnosed, you can ask your primary care provider for a referral to a specialist. And if you or your doctor suspect the disease could be genetic, you can always make an appointment at a medical genetics clinic.

It Gets Tricky. Symptoms of anxiety produce very real physical symptoms: Dizziness, stomachaches, rapid heartbeat, tingling in the hands and feet, muscle tension, jitteriness, chest pressure, and the list goes on. These symptoms add fuel to the fire.

Matcha and green tea

Both have L-theanine with calming properties. Green tea is often in the form of crushed leaves and is steeped like traditional tea. Matcha is the entire tea leaf ground into a fine powder. It has a rich, buttery flavor when mixed as a drink.

Vitamins B9 and B12 are both thought to treat symptoms of anxiety. Folic acid has many uses in the body, and B9 deficiency has been linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression. When taken in conjunction with B12, these B super-vitamins help metabolize serotonin, which is important for mood regulation.