Certain Life Experiences Can Cause Anxiety Disorders

There are many triggers that can cause anxiety and panic attacks. Some of the triggers include:

• Grief - Death in the family, death of a parent, death of a close friend, spouse
• Financial difficulties - loss of a job, overwhelming debt, problems at work, etc.
• Major trauma - such as:
  • being assaulted or robbed
  • being in an automobile accident
  • being involved in a major natural catastrophe, such as an earthquake, flood, fire and tornado
  • witnessing a violent crime
  • a life-threatening experience
  • childhood trauma/abuse
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• Divorce or leaving an abusive relationship
• Major illness

We can also have a build-up of stress, that can take weeks, months, or even years to reach the boiling point. When stress reaches this level, it can cause anxiety to progress into a significant problem, resulting in a disruption in a person's life.

Not all anxiety triggers come from "bad" events. There can also be "good things" happening that trigger anxiety; for instance, planning a wedding, having a baby or starting a new relationship.

There are also conditions that mimic anxiety disorders, such as hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia and mitral valve prolapse syndrome. That's one of the reasons why it's important to have a professional evaluation.

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