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1.1 (D) The Causes of Anxiety

​The Causes of Anxiety
​So, what causes anxiety, and what does anxiety cause?
Let's first look at what causes anxiety.
The number one cause of anxiety, these days, is trauma.
1) Trauma: This is the most logical reason for anxiety in most people. Traumas can cause anxiety, especially if they are held on to for too long. Triggers can develop, from experiences that our mind considers traumatic, and can affect us later in life. (i.e. PTSD) We will be talking more about this later.
But what are some other causes? Here are a few, that we may not think about. Another cause of anxiety could be:
2)   Hormones: This comes from a build up of cortisol levels in the body, making you feel like you are constantly drinking coffee. (Cortisol is considered a steroid, and is the primary stress hormone that gets released when you are stressed.) Cortisol is a stress hormone, or steroid hormone, that is released into the body by our adrenal glands, when a stress occurs. This hormone ramps ups the body in order to help us get through a stress or danger. Basically, it gives us additional energy to help us get through it.
Under normal conditions, the level rises to help you get through a situation, but then will reduce back to normal. But, when we allow ourselves to get worked up over and over again, or we are constantly stressed, the adrenal glands can keep this ramped up energy flowing through your body, which can contribute to anxiety. increased cortisol levels, create a need for additional energy release. This is also seen in people who suffer from PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a more severe form of PMS). The more stress is released into the body, the more cortisol levels can build up. More on that here: -Sniffing Saffron for Hormonal Anxiety and PMS
3)   Magnesium deficiency: Magnesium supports the nervous system. When magnesium levels are low, there is an opportunity for anxiety to build, as the nervous system isn’t as supported as it should be. Stress depletes magnesium levels, so the more stress you are under, the more magnesium will drain from the body.
4)   Too many stressful situations at once: When too many issues seem to hit a person at the same time. Such as: being overworked, fighting with an underlying trauma, overstressed, and getting to the point where one just can’t take anymore additional issues to come up. (i.e. going through a divorce, the kids get into trouble at school, parents need to be cared for.) In these extreme cases, the fear of losing control and/or yourself can easily develop, which can cause anxiety.
5)   Lack of Sleep: Sleep time is our healing time. When we don’t give our bodies the time we need to heal, functioning the next day can be difficult. This causes more stress on the body and mind. For more on sleep issues and concerns: sleep-difficulties
6)   Drug Use and Alcohol: Cocaine, marijuana, and other illegal substances, can cause paranoia and increase anxiety, so staying away from these will attribute to greater success with this program. (Marijuana may seem to help, but, like alcohol, covers up the issues at hand, only to make it worse later on.) For some, usage will actually CAUSE anxiety, so its better the stay away from it altogether.
7)   Stimulants: chocolate, coffee, drugs with phenylalanine, power drinks, etc.. Any caffeine and abundant sugar can ramp up the body. By eliminating these from your diet, you can get the best results.


What Can Anxiety Cause?
​1.  Sleep disruptions and concerns:
2.  Fatigue and exhaustion:
3.  Fears can Strengthen:
4.  Seclusion from Activities
5.  Compulsion
6.   Raised Cortisol Levels
Remember, anxiety is fear based, so, let’s take a little deeper look at all aspects of fear.