Causes & Symptoms of Anxiety

Since 1957, Azure Acres Treatment Center has given hope to individuals struggling with a primary substance abuse issue and anxiety while preventing its long-term effects. Azure Acres provides residents high-quality alcohol and drug abuse treatment near Santa Rosa, California.

Understanding Anxiety

Learn about anxiety

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions that are distinguished by feelings of apprehension, worry, anxiety, and/or excessive fear that causes an individual to change his or her behaviors as well as struggle with functioning normally on a regular basis. When individuals are grappling with anxiety disorders, they tend to keep away from situations that trigger the onset of their anxious feelings, which can make their symptoms even worse.

There are a great deal of different anxiety disorders, which include:

Generalized anxiety disorder occurs when individuals are constantly going through excessive pangs of worry and apprehension in regards to activities or events. The prominent factor of this form of anxiety disorder is the expectation that something catastrophic will occur, yet that expectation is grossly out of proportion to the actual risk that is involved. Those who have generalized anxiety disorder find that their all-consuming worry and apprehension stands in the way of their ability to follow daily responsibilities, as they are out of control of the emotions they are experiencing.

Separation anxiety disorder is present in those who have endless feelings of fear or anxiety regarding being outside of their homes, away from loved ones, or out of touch with other attachment figures. In some instances, those with this disorder might go to all ends to ensure that they stay in touch with their loved ones in fear that something will happen to them. When separation occurs or is anticipated, those with this form of anxiety disorder will develop upsetting symptoms that can prevent them from functioning normally.

Panic disorder happens when individuals are constantly experiencing panic attacks. A panic attack occurs when an individual gets an abrupt rush of fear that includes a number of painful physical and cognitive symptoms. Some of these symptoms can include sweating, a pounding heart, trembling, nausea, chest pain, feelings of choking, shortness of breath, and/or feeling lightheaded or unsteady. In addition, these attacks can bring on episodes of derealization, which is when one feels like he or she is in a false sense of reality, or episodes of depersonalization, where an individual feels like he or she is detached from his or her surroundings. A panic attack can also be so severe that individuals might feel completely out of control or that they are dying. The frequencies and symptoms of these panic attacks will vary from person to person, however all will go through a fear that a panic attack will develop, which can hinder their daily functioning.

Specific phobia is a form of anxiety disorder where an individual goes through intense feelings of fear or anxiety surrounding certain situations or objects. These feelings can stop individuals from participating in specific activities just to avoid coming in contact with the objects or situations they fear. Those who struggle with specific phobia develop distressing emotional responses to the things they fear that is abnormal and not proportionate to the risk of harm that comes from being exposed to the feared interaction. In addition, the presence of fears such as these can cause individuals with specific phobia to struggle in their day-to-day functioning.

Agoraphobia occurs when individuals have deep fears and anxieties surrounding specific situations. Those with agoraphobia tend to fear things such as being in closed or open spaces, using public transportation, standing in line, being in a crowd, or being away from their home. These individuals will be fearful of being put in situations such as these, where they feel as though they will not be able to escape, causing them to develop panic-like symptoms. The presence of agoraphobia can impact an individual’s ability to function on a regular basis.

Grappling with any form of anxiety disorder can cause deep upset for those afflicted. Sadly, there are many people who turn to the use of drugs and/or alcohol to cope with the upset that is caused by their condition. Luckily, there are treatment options available to help those individuals address the issues surrounding both the anxiety disorder and the substance use disorder so they can live happy, healthy, and recovered lives.

Statistics

Anxiety statistics

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) states the about 40 million adults struggle with some form of anxiety disorder. This means that roughly 18% of the adult population finds themselves grappling with anxiety of some sort.

Causes and Risk Factors

Causes and risk factors for anxiety

The causes and risk factors connected to one’s likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder can include:

Genetic: Those with a family history of anxiety disorders are more likely to also suffer from similar conditions. However, the levels of heritability of these disorders will vary amongst the different types of anxiety disorders.

Environmental: For some forms of anxiety disorders, specific environmental factors can impact an onset of symptoms. Life stress, including the loss of a loved one, can have a great impact on the development of separation anxiety disorder. Negative or traumatic encounters with a feared object or situation can trigger specific phobia. Childhood maltreatment and adversity are linked to social anxiety disorder, and interpersonal stressors, including stressors regarding one’s health and suffering from abuse, can bring on symptoms of panic disorder. Negative childhood events can impact one’s chances of developing agoraphobia. There haven’t been any environmental factors connected to the development of generalized anxiety disorder.

Risk Factors:

  • Anxiety sensitivity (believing that symptoms of anxiety are harmful)
  • Behavioral inhibition
  • Parental overprotection during childhood
  • Smoking (noted as being a risk factor particularly for panic attacks)
  • Negative affectivity (neuroticism)
  • Being the victim of physical or sexual abuse
  • Experiencing a traumatic event
  • Being female
  • Family history of anxiety disorders
  • Suffering from maltreatment or adversity during childhood

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of anxiety

The signs and symptoms that an individual with an anxiety disorder will display will vary based on the type of anxiety disorder he or she has and whether or not he or she is also battling with a co-occurring condition. Some of the many signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders can include:

Behavioral symptoms:

  • Refusing to be separated from major attachment figures
  • Isolating oneself from others
  • Avoiding certain people, places, events, situations, and/or objects
  • Refusing to leave one’s home
  • Being unable to adhere to daily responsibilities
  • Frequent absences from work or other obligations
  • Isolating oneself from others
  • Restlessness

Physical symptoms:

  • Headaches
  • Stomachaches
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle tension
  • Nausea
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Sweating
  • Pounding heart
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness

Cognitive symptoms:

  • Racing thoughts
  • Nightmares
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Paranoia
  • Concentration difficulties
  • Having the sensation of one’s mind going blank
  • Derealization
  • Experiencing an inability to control one’s worry and apprehension
  • Depersonalization

Psychosocial symptoms:

  • Apprehension
  • Nervousness
  • Fear
  • Worry
  • Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
  • Low self-esteem
  • Irritability
  • Mood swings

Effects

Effects of anxiety

When individuals do not obtain the proper care for anxiety disorder symptoms, they put themselves at risk for going through a variety of adverse effects. Some of these effects can include, however are not limited to, the following:

  • Decline in occupational performance
  • Social withdrawal
  • Engaging in self-harming behaviors
  • Beginning to use and abuse drugs and/or alcohol
  • Onset of new, or worsening of current, mental health symptoms
  • Deteriorated relationships
  • Decline in overall physical wellbeing
  • Decreased quality of life
  • Familial strife

Co-Occurring Disorders

Anxiety and co-occurring disorders

Those who are afflicted with anxiety disorder might begin to abuse other substances to help cope with the pain that they feel. In addition, those with anxiety disorders might also have symptoms of other mental health conditions, too. Some of the many disorders that are known to co-occur with anxiety disorders can include:

  • Bipolar disorders
  • Depressive disorders
  • Impulse-control disorders
  • Personality disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Multiple anxiety disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

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I came into the Azure Acres treatment program experiencing severe anxiety and felt that I had lost complete control of my life. All of the therapists were incredibly patient, encouraging and skilled and gave me the tools and support I needed to manage my symptoms.

– Former Patient