Causes of Anxiety and Panic Attacks
There are many different causes of anxiety, fear or panic and it’s different for everyone.
When you’re feeling anxious or scared, your body releases stress chemicals,
This can be helpful in some situations, but it might also cause physical symptoms such as an increased heart rate and increased sweating. In some people, it might cause a panic attack.
Regular anxiety, fear or panic can also be the main symptom of several health conditions. Do not self-diagnose – speak to a GP if you’re worried about how you’re feeling.
You might find it hard to explain to people why you feel this way, but talking to someone could help you find a solution.
Identifying a cause
If you know what’s causing anxiety, fear or panic, it might be easier to find ways
to manage it.
Some examples of possible causes include:
- work – feeling pressure at work, unemployment or retirement
- family – relationship difficulties, divorce or caring for someone
- financial problems - unexpected bills or borrowing money
- health – illness, injury or losing someone (bereavement)
- difficult past experiences – bullying, abuse or neglect.
Even significant life events such as buying a house, having a baby or planning a wedding could lead to feelings of stress and anxiety.
Our relationship to the anxiety response can make it a useful warning flag or a distressing, limiting symptom. Difficulty arises when people struggle to turn off their anxiety.
Managing anxiety involves changing our relationship to it, empowering ourselves to be in control of engaging and disengaging with it.
You don’t have to be afraid of your own early warning system, it exists to protect you and I will help you to find ways to regain control.