Anxiety is a widespread mental health issue present in many places around the world and affects millions of people. In fast-paced cities like New York, where the hustle of daily living never seems to end, the effect of anxiety can be especially debilitating. Before going to seek an anxiety specialist in NYC, you may want to start with the following question “what is anxiety actually caused by?” In this blog, we will discuss the underlying causes of anxiety, how to identify symptoms, and tips on how to recover, including finding the right anxiety specialist in NYC for you.
Understanding Anxiety
Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety occasionally, but those with anxiety disorders often experience very intense and overwhelming states of fear or worry. These feelings are typically associated with physiological tension, as well as cognitive and behavioral symptoms. The feelings can be considerable distress, hard to manage, and sometimes can last for long periods if left without treatment. Anxiety disorders can impair the ability to conduct daily activities and can adversely influence one’s family life, relations with others, education, and work outcomes.
What is the root cause of anxiety?
1. Genetic Factors
Research indicates that anxiety can be hereditary. If you have a family member that has an anxiety disorder, you may be at a higher risk of experiencing it yourself. Traits can be inherited, which can be an increased predisposition or vulnerability, but genetics don’t write your destiny. This is why working with experienced anxiety therapists in NYC can help in identifying, and working with your inherited patterns even if they make you susceptible.
2. Brain Chemistry and Function
Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are also key players in regulating mood and responses to stress. An imbalance of these brain chemicals can produce anxiety. In addition, structural deviations in brain areas like the amygdala (emotion processing) and hippocampus (memory storage) may increase fear responsivity. Many of the anxiety therapists in NYC offer therapies that could potentially rebalance the brain chemistry as was originally biologically meant, either through cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and medication when deemed necessary.
3. Life Experiences and Trauma
Experiences of life, including trauma, have a significant impact on anxiety disorders. Experiences in childhood often leave lasting marks on emotional and psychological well-being. Experiences of abuse or neglect, bullying, or growing up in an unpredictable or unstable way can predispose people to experience additional anxiety later in their lives. Experiences of serious accidents or crises, financial distress, or divorce, relationship separation, difficulties, or chronic work stress would also induce or magnify anxiety symptoms later on. Such experiences may create profound emotional wounds that, unless they are addressed at a deeper level, may fuel these feelings of fear, insecurity, and helplessness. These underlying traumas need to be identified and addressed in order to achieve a deep and lasting healing process and promote emotional resilience.
4. Chronic Stress
In the modern world, chronic stress can feel unavoidable. Work demands, social pressures, increased living costs, and personal desires often compound to create a sense of insistent pressure. Over time, chronic stress will drain emotional and mental reserves, especially without employing healthy coping strategies which increases the potential of developing anxiety disorders. Chronic stress impacts mood and well-being as much as physical health and sets off a negative cycle that is difficult to overcome. Therefore, learning effective skills that mitigate the effects of stress is essential to bolster balance and emotional resilience. Lifestyle changes such as exercise on a regular basis, mindfulness practices, good nutrition, and restorative sleep can make a positive contribution to reduce stress and lessen anxiety, as well as bolster health and long term mental well-being.
5. Medical Conditions
Some medical issues may appear or amplify signs of anxiety, therefore it is important to consider physical health if we want to help support emotional health. Conditions such as thyroid issues, specifically pure hyperthyroidism, arrhythmias, respiratory issues and chronic pain issues can all cause a person to feel anxious. The physical manifestations including rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and discomfort can mislead or exacerbate feelings of anxiety. So, it will be important to get medical assessments to understand if there are any underlying conditions that may lead us to adjust our treatment plan. If we are assessing the physical and psychological sides of a problem, that will lead to more accurate diagnosis and treatment that is more effective and tailored to the person, ultimately enhancing overall health and well-being.
6. Uses of Substances
Compounds such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and recreational drugs can dramatically worsen or create symptoms of anxiety. While they may initially provide some degree of immediate relief, they ultimately alter brain chemistry and lead to an increase of nervousness, restlessness, and panic over time. Withdrawal from those compounds, while not clinically defined as a mental health issue, may also produce anxiety-type episodes that can deplete the recovery process. Addressing substance use disorder is a critical component of treating anxiety and plays a key role in the development and continuation of those symptoms. Combining substance use counseling with an anxiety management intervention can yield better and more achievable outcomes than using anxiety management strategies alone.
How Anxiety Manifests
Anxiety can present in various forms and is not uniform for everyone. An example of a physical manifestation might be a racing heart, feeling short of breath, dizziness, excessive sweating, trembling, or upset stomach. On a cognitive level it may show up as constant worry, catastrophizing, racing thoughts, or difficulty concentrating. On an emotional level, an individual may feel tense, fearful, restless, overwhelmed, or irritable. On a behavioral level, anxiety can lead to avoidance of feared situations and use of safety behaviors. Keeping medications on hand “just in case” is an example of a commonly used safety behavior. This is just one example of the many symptoms that one may experience, and reinforces the need for a personalized approach to treatment since what works for one person may not work for another person.
Options for Efficient Anxiety Treatment in NYC
Anxiety can be difficult, but it is treatable with appropriate support. In NYC, there are many competent therapists who offer effective treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which works to identify and modify distorted thought patterns. Exposure therapy works as well, and the goal is to produce gradual reductions in fear responses. Medication can also be helpful, for example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and anti-anxiety agents can be beneficial combined with therapy. Mindfulness techniques also commonly are utilized, including meditation and deep breathing each of which can modulate the nervous system. Lastly, managing anxiety and restoring overall emotional and mental health requires lifestyle changes including regular exercise, healthy sleep patterns, and good nutrition.
Conclusion
When you know what is causing your anxiety, you have the best possible platform for healing. Anxiety can be informed by genetic predispositions, brain chemistry and experiences in life, but anxiety is not an inevitable sentence for your existence. With a combination of therapy, some lifestyle adjustments and most importantly practicing self-compassion, you can learn to cope with anxiety while living a full and connected life. If you or someone you know is struggling don’t sit around and wait, contact anxiety treatment in NYC today. Taking that first brave step is what will put you on the path to peace and empowerment.
Reference
- Begum, Jabeen, and Kristin Mitchell. “Anxiety Disorders: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment.” WebMD, 6 May 2024, https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/anxiety-disorders
- “Anxiety disorders – Symptoms and causes.” Mayo Clinic, 4 May 2018, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961
- “Anxiety Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Types.” Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9536-anxiety-disorders
- “Anxiety – StatPearls.” NCBI,
