Table of Contents
Why do I have anxiety for no reason?
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. Some common mental symptoms of anxiety include: Feeling nervous, restless or tense. Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom. Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry. Having difficulty controlling worry. The even better news: Many people respond well to anxiety treatment without medication. They find that their condition can often be managed entirely, or at least in part, with lifestyle changes and holistic therapies. Mindfulness and cognitive behavior therapy are both effective techniques to help break the cycle of anxiety. Strategies to calm anxiety include labeling one’s thoughts and evaluating whether or not they are helpful. You may feel like you’re about to collapse, having a racing heartbeat or be short of breath. These attacks can, at times, last a few minutes or a few hours. Anxiety is there all the time; you can feel it in the background, in the subconscious of your mind. Abnormalities in a brain neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid — which are often inherited — may make a person susceptible to GAD. Life events, both early life traumas and current life experiences, are probably necessary to trigger the episodes of anxiety.
Is anxiety all in my head?
Anxiety is a psychological problem. So if the question is whether or not anxiety is in your head, the answer isn’t necessarily a no. Most of the symptoms of anxiety do originate in your brain. If you have health anxiety your symptoms likely come from the mind, but they are still very much real. This is because anxiety affects both our mind and our body – with short and long-term effects. Everyday worries take place in your thoughts, while anxiety often manifests physically in the body, Devore explains. You might feel faint or lightheaded. Anxiety disorder symptoms include feelings of nervousness, panic and fear. You may also have physical symptoms such as sweating and a rapid heartbeat. But you don’t need to live like this. Several effective anxiety disorder treatments are available. Know When to Seek Help If your anxiety, or the anxiety of a loved one, starts to cause problems in everyday life—such as at school, at work, or with friends and family—it’s time to seek professional help. Talk to a health care provider about your mental health. Chronic, untreated anxiety is linked to panic attacks, depression, substance abuse, brain fog and other serious issues.