Why is My Anxiety So Bad?
Anxiety can be caused by a number of factors. Some people may not even experience anxiety until they’re adults, while others may deal with it throughout their lives.
Life experiences, genetics, underlying medical conditions, negative thought patterns, lack of sleep, and stressful situations can all cause anxiety and make it worse.
So if you’re asking yourself, “Why is my anxiety so bad?” lately, take a closer look at the potential causes, contributing factors, and our recommendations for next steps.
Life Experiences and Stress
Stress is well known for making anxiety work. Work pressure. Relationship problems. Financial concerns. Major life events like moving, losing a loved one, divorce, or unemployment can also trigger or worsen both stress and anxiety. This year alone, CNN reported that rising job market anxiety has coincided with relatively stable unemployment, jumping to the highest level it’s ever been.
When your body is exposed to stressful situations, both in the short- and long-term, it can contribute to anxiety and exacerbate how bad it can get. Traumatic events like abuse or neglect can also make anxiety worse.
And when these things build up, or combine with negative thoughts, other lifestyle factors, that’s when you really start to feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Negative Thought Patterns and Behaviors
You’ve heard it before – speak kindly to yourself. Practice self-love. Practice positive thoughts and manifest good things. It’s not just some Instagram-quote nonsense. It’s good advice.
Constant negative self-talk, overthinking, and excessive worrying can increase anxiety and become harmful patterns that are hard to break. Part of managing high-functioning anxiety is also learning how to create healthy coping mechanisms to avoid the negative internal spiral of self-critical thoughts and ruminating over things too much.
Mayo Clinic wrote a great article on managing high-functioning anxiety, and we absolutely recommend checking it out if you relate to this.
Biological Factors
If your mom or dad struggles with anxiety, it’s likely you will too. A family history of anxiety disorders can increase the likelihood that you may also have anxiety. [The National Institute of Mental Health specifically looks at generalized anxiety disorder and genetics here.]
Beyond your genetics, your brain chemistry (which can be influenced by hormones like cortisol and involves certain areas to help regulate emotions and fear), and any underlying medical conditions like thyroid or heart issues can trigger anxiety or make symptoms worse.
Imbalances in your hormones and brain chemistry can contribute to anxiety, and when you’ve crossed everything else off the list, it may be time to look inside (literally) and see if your physical health is making your anxiety worse.
Lifestyle Factors
What you eat. How well you sleep. If you’re moving your body enough. How you live your life can have a big impact on anxiety.
- Not sleeping enough can make anxiety worse
- Eating a poor diet can impact both your physical and mental health, potentially contributing to making your anxiety worse
- Not moving your body enough can create more tension and worsen anxiety
If you drink too much caffeine or alcohol, or use certain drugs and medications, the American Medical Association has found that your anxiety can get worse as a result
What to Do When Your Anxiety is Too Much
If your anxiety is severe or persistent, the very first thing to do is seek help from a mental health professional. This is especially important if your anxiety is interfering with your daily life, causing panic attacks, and you’ve tried self-help strategies and are still struggling to cope.
We also recommend discussing Alpha-Stim® with your therapist or doctor, as it can be used during your therapy sessions, at home, at the office, and multiple times a day. For people struggling with anxiety, this small device has been found to significantly reduce anxiety and enable calm, relaxation, and focus.
Alpha-Stim user Emma recently shared her experience on TrustPilot: “Fantastic device! I’ve suffered with general anxiety and panic attacks along with insomnia for years. The device is portable, easy to use and calms my mind down, allowing me to relax.”
> Get more information about Alpha-Stim here!
> Set up a telehealth appointment here and see if Alpha-Stim is a good option for you.
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