A lot of anxiety disorders do not have an apparent origin. They may come out due to a combination of social, biological, and psychological factors.

Neurobiology and Genetics

Research on anxiety reveal that these disorders tend to be inherited. Which is, children and close kin of individuals with anxiety are at higher risk than most to develop anxiety disorders. Some individuals may inherit genes that make them particularly vulnerable to anxiety. These genes do not necessarily cause individuals to be anxious, but the genes may increase the risk of anxiety disorders when certain psychological and social factors are also present.

The illness or disorder likewise is seemingly related to certain brain activities. Neurotransmitters which are the chemicals in the brain make the neurons, or brain cells, to link up together in a network. One neurotransmitter, called gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), appears to play a role in regulating one’s level of anxiety. Lower levels of GABA are associated with higher levels of anxiety. Some researches say that the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine have a role in panic disorder.

Psychological Influences

Psychologists have proposed a variety of models to explain anxiety. Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud suggested that anxiety results from internal, unconscious conflicts. He believed that a person’s mind represses wishes and fantasies about which the person feels uncomfortable. This repression, Freud believed, results in anxiety disorders, which he called neuroses.

Not so long ago, behavioral researchers have challenged the popular model of anxiety which is that of Freud’s. They have stated that one’s anxiety level relates to how much a person believes events can be predicted or controlled. Younger individuals who have little control over events, perhaps because of overprotective parents, may have little confidence in their ability to handle problems as adults. This lack of confidence can lead to increased anxiety.

Behavioral theorists also think that the younger population may learn anxiety from a role model, such as an elder buddy or a parent. As they see their parent’s anxious response to difficult situations, a kid may learn a similar anxious response. A kid may also learn anxiety as a conditioned response. For instance, an infant often startled by a loud noise while playing with a toy may become anxious just at the sight of the toy. Other health experts theorize that individuals with a high amounts of anxiety misinterpret normal events as extremeley dangerous. For xample, they may think their rapid heart rate may be because they are experiencing a panic attack when in fact, it may be the due to their exercise.