There are a lot of different anxiety disorder causes.
Many people who experience a panic attack feel chest pains, palpitations and even increased sweating because of extreme stress from work or from school.
Others might suddenly experience an anxiety attack for seemingly simple reasons, such as driving through traffic or suddenly seeing an object that triggers a traumatic childhood memory.
While most of these attacks can be managed well and dealt with properly, some attacks can recur and intensify.
If these attacks happen often and you do not seek help right away, they can develop into more serious disorders.
Understanding and learning all about the many different anxiety disorder causes is an important first step in properly dealing with anxiety conditions.
Some attacks, such as those caused by stress or overwork, can easily be handled; while others, such as those stemming from childhood trauma or drug abuse, take longer to stop.
Let us go through the different common causes of panic attacks to give you a better insight on how to handles the attacks properly.
1.
Family history and your genes.
Those who have parents or relatives who suffer from anxiety attack disorders will most likely experience these attacks more often than those who do not.
Many studies show that if you have first-degree relatives who have developed anxiety disorders before they become 20 years old, you have a larger risk of developing this disorder as well.
There are also other studies that have shown that females are more likely to develop anxiety attack disorders than males.
2.
Traumatic experiences.
There are many different events that can trigger panic or anxiety attacks.
Incidents like stress from an overbearing boss or the worry you feel before an exam can cause these attacks.
Once the exam is over, though, or you get to talk to your boss about how you feel, the attacks subside and you no longer feel the symptoms, such as palpitations and sweating.
Traumatic experiences can also cause panic attacks long after the event is over.
If you have been through a life-threatening car accident, for instance, you might still feel the onset of an attack years afterward.
Those who have experienced child abuse might get these attacks in their adult life.
3.
Chemical imbalances in the brain.
The brain is a complicated organ that controls all your emotions such as fear, anger, happiness and even stress.
It does this through different neurotransmitters, like dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and GABA, which are released and reabsorbed in your brain.
If any of these neurotransmitters change or become imbalanced, you may have problems with handling different emotions or stress.
Low levels of serotonin, for example, are largely linked to depressive emotions.
Chemical imbalances in your brain can cause panic attacks for little or no reason at all.
4.
Alcohol and drugs.
Those who abuse drugs and alcohol have a greater risk of experiencing attacks more frequently.
Amphetamines and Cocaine, for instance, can cause symptoms of anxiety attacks, like palpitations and an increased heart rate.
Even caffeine can cause these symptoms.
If you are recovering from alcohol and drug abuse, you may experience symptoms such as chills, night sweats and an irregular heart beat.
Some may use illegal drugs and alcohol to try to ease these symptoms, but drugs and alcohol only exacerbates the problem.
5.
Medical conditions.
Medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, asthma (because of the drugs used to treat asthma) and epilepsy can also be anxiety disorder causes.
Even those with certain heart problems can experience panic attacks more often than others.
There is nothing to be scared of if you experience a panic attack.
Sometimes, though, these attacks can increase in intensity and frequency and can lead to many disorders.
But once you understand the many different anxiety disorder causes, you can start to manage and control these attacks properly.