As stated earlier, anxiety is the fear of the unknown.  When we think of fear, we often think of phobias. Phobias are fears that are so intense that they actually make an impact on your life.  Anxiety, too, can make a huge impact on your life…if you let it get out of control.

There are several different classifications of anxiety and panic disorders.  It is estimated that about 25 percent of the population suffers from one of these disorders.  Some may have less of the symptoms associated with this condition than others.  While some people who suffer from anxiety find it to be so repressing that they cannot go about their every day lives, others will be able to work through their lesser symptoms.

At the root of anxiety, like many other disorders, is control. Or rather, lack of control.  More than anything, the anxious person fears having a lack of control in a situation.  Depression usually goes along with anxiety and many people who are diagnosed with anxiety are also found to be depressed.

The main anxiety panic disorders that will cause a panic attack or anxiety attack include General Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress disorder.  While the symptoms for these disorders may vary, at the core of all of them is lack of control.

You might want to know how and why your anxiety is triggered.  For the most part, stress plays a huge factor in triggering an anxiety attack. While the person who suffers from anxiety may react well in a stressful situation, after it is all over, they tend to have the anxiety or panic attacks.  Most people who have an anxiety attack for the first time have experienced a significant stressor in their daily life. Thus, stress plays a major role in the cause of anxiety.

Anxiety causes should be broken down into two categories – physical and environmental.  There can be physical situations that may cause you to have increased anxiety or an anxiety attack, although most of the time this is not the case.

Physical Causes of Anxiety and Panic

One of the most common physical cause of anxiety and panic is the onset of menopause.  Many women begin suffering from anxiety when they approach menopause.  If you are in your mid to late 40s and are starting to have panic attacks, they can very well be related to the fluctuations in your hormone levels.

Most women who go through menopause will experience some psychological factors such as mild depression or anxiety.  Some women will experience menopause symptoms to the extreme.  In such cases, doctors will usually treat this condition with hormone replacement therapy or other types of drugs, so that the woman can go about her daily life.

Other physical causes of anxiety and panic can be attributed to certain drug use.  Withdrawal from drugs or alcohol can cause the symptoms that are associated with an anxiety attack.  Those who suddenly stop taking drugs that are prescribed for anxiety often have full blown anxiety attacks.  This is also the case with anyone who stops taking an antidepressant.

Street drugs can also cause a dependency that can make someone feel the symptoms of an anxiety attack.  In the case where drugs or alcohol withdrawal play a factor in anxiety attacks, the condition is usually managed with the use of other drugs and the patient gradually weaned off of medications.

Anxiety can also be caused by a thyroid problem.  If you go to your doctor with acute anxiety, chances are that he or she will want to test your thyroid for abnormal activity.  In most cases, however, the test will reveal nothing is wrong.

There is also medical evidence to indicate that heredity can play a role in having anxiety or panic .  Many people who suffer from anxiety panic attacks have close family members who also suffer.  Doctors believe that a chemical imbalance in the brain is the physical culprit for many anxiety panic disorders and will often prescribe drugs that will increase the amount of serotonin in the brain.  Many in the medical community believe that lack of serotonin or loss of this chemical is what causes anxiety and depression.

Environmental Causes of Anxiety

Stress is usually the result of incidents happening in someone’s life that are deemed to be stressful.  The more stress the body takes on, the more likely the stress will manifest itself into an anxiety or panic attack.  Some of the major stressors that trigger anxiety and panic include:

• Death of a loved one Breakup of a marriage or relationship
• Loss of a job
• Illness
• Moving
• Getting a new job
• Having a baby
• Getting married

While some of the above are negative stressors, you will note that some are positive stressors.  Moving to a new home can be exciting, but it is still a form of stress, even if it is your dream home.  Getting married and having a baby are two joyous occasions, but still are major components of stress because they catapult you out of your comfort zone.

At the time that the stressful event is occurring, you may feel in complete control and be able to manage.  It is usually after one of these events that you will experience a panic or anxiety attack.

If you have experienced any of the above stressors, be aware that they can lead to an anxiety attack.  While this is not true in every case, these major stressors usually lead to a general sense of discomfort for some people, for others they can lead to a full blown anxiety or panic attack.

If you suffer from anxiety, know that you are far from alone.  While most people will not come up to you and discuss their anxiety attacks, the more people you get to know and talk to about anxiety, the more you will see that there are many others just like you who suffer from the same thing. You are not alone.