The exact cause of an anxiety disorder is not known. The functioning of the brain is still not completely understood by the scientists today, even though a lot of research has been done on the subject.
There are two theories regarding the causes of anxiety disorder. One of the theory states that it is chemical imbalance, while the other theory states that it is behavioral condition.
The term “chemical imbalance” is a term wildly associated with brain impairment. Some doctors and psychologists believe that anxiety disorders can be treated by medicines by targeting the neurotransmitters that are involved with the disorder. By directly targeting the neurotransmitters, they can be returned to the normal level.
However, this theory doesn’t explain the effect of situation on the person behavior. If it is a chemical imbalance, then the disorder should be present regardless of the situation around a person. For example, a person suffering from panic disorder might be comfortable travelling in a train. But if the train is stopped and the driver announces that there might be some problem with the train, the sufferer feels trapped starts to panic. But if the driver announces that it was false alarm and everything is back to normal, the sufferer stops panicking and starts feeling calm again.
Similarly, someone who works in the fire department doesn’t hesitate in doing his work which requires skills and bravery, but feels uncomfortable and trapped while at a barber shop.
The behavior changes according to the conditions. This means that these situations are associated with the behavior. In other words, it must be a behavioral condition.
A well known expert in the field of Anxiety r. Claire Weekes described that many anxiety disorders are developed from exhaustion. The exhaustion can be mental, physical or emotional. He explained that a person who is exhausted is more susceptible to anxiety and triggering the fight or flight response.
Mental exhaustion refers to stress, which can be work related or worry. Physical exhaustion can be because of poor diet, substance abuse or some bodily changes like premenopause.
Emotional exhaustion is associated with issues like family, loved once, divorce etc.
When a person is exhausted, they feel jittery and are very vulnerable to any type of anxiety or shock. People become confused about their condition and start developing fear. They start fearing that something is wrong with their minds and or bodies which lead to more bodily response and so they become trapped in the vicious cycle of fear.
Another reason for developing an anxiety disorder can be a terrifying event in the person’s life that leaves an impact on them. It can be any unresolved issue like child abuse, neglect or any other traumatic incident. This type of disorder is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A person suffering from such a disorder usually knows what the traumatic incident that is causing this is. The best way to treat this disorder is therapy where they directly address the issue.
It should be noted that GAD, should not be treated with such therapy where the therapist tries to find an underlying cause for the problem. Unless you know it is PTSD, it is a bad idea to blame yourself or some incident for the severe anxiety. This is because blaming only reinforces the thoughts that there is something wrong with you and to truly recover from GAD or any other type of Anxiety Disorder, you need to believe that there is nothing wrong with you and you can control your mind and body.
