Question: What are the causes and signs of anxiety?

Answer:  Anxiety disorder is a condition that affects perhaps 1 out of every 20 Irish people at any one time, and it is estimated that 1 out of 9 people will be affected by it at some time throughout their life. 

In itself, anxiety is a natural and healthy feeling, coming as it does from our original “fight or flight” responses to danger that evolved thousands of years ago.  Many ordinary daily situations make us feel anxious, job interviews or exams, even driving on an unfamiliar road. When anxiety begins to inhibit our ability to complete tasks that should not necessarily arouse anxious feelings, however, completing our shopping or talking to others, for example, it becomes more than a natural response and mutates into what can be a serious and upsetting hindrance to living a happy life.

What Causes Anxiety

As far as is known, anxiety is caused by a change in the balance of chemicals, which are known as neurotransmitters, in the brain. When a threat is perceived, hormones and neurotransmitters such as adrenaline are released, causing a change in mood, physiology, and perception. While they help us deal with difficult situations, feeling anxious is necessarily an unpleasant feeling, especially when it occurs frequently and without a suitable reason.  

As you would expect with a condition that often goes undiagnosed, an anxiety disorder does not have one definite or singular cause. Rather, it is usually brought about by a combination of genetics, family history, environment, and life experience. Anxiety can also be a secondary problem that occurs as a result of other conditions such as drug abuse and depression. There is also a strong link between the development of an anxiety disorder and alcohol. Binge drinking in particular will affect the brain’s chemical balance, as the rapid intake of alcohol will lead to a surge in neurotransmitters and a corresponding withdrawal as the alcohol leaves the system afterward. Of course, drinking to excess is often a reaction in itself to a deeper underlying problem, which makes its role in the creation of anxiety ironic.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety can manifest itself internally through a general feeling of unease or dread that something bad will happen. You may find that you cannot concentrate, are irritable, and/or restless. This restlessness will often come not with the desire for activity, but actually a reluctance to engage in social events and sometimes to even leave the house. In extreme cases, this leads to the onset of agoraphobia, or the fear of open spaces.  Anxiety will often lead to difficulty sleeping, if not outright insomnia. Sometimes, this will force the sufferer to take sick days from work or college, which worsens the anxious condition still more.

The physical symptoms of anxiety include dizziness, as well as excessive sweating, with a quickly pounding or palpitating heart. Sometimes breathlessness and/or stomach ache or headache round off the physical symptoms, which makes for a truly tense and unpleasant experience.  

If you feel that you are suffering from an anxiety or any of the problems outlined in this post, you should seek a consultation appointment with your G.P.