What Causes Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety or stress is a fact of life that carries both good and bad aspects. The stress experienced by a rock climber, a race-car driver, or a stage performer may be exhilarating and life-enhancing. But, for many people, stress means a state of almost continuous, and unwanted, tension and apprehension that may eventually lead to chronic anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, and illness. Fortunately, by monitoring stress levels and taking effective action early, these problems can usually be avoided.

The way in which you respond to stress depends partly on personality, partly on experience, and partly on the duration and kind of anxiety involved. Psychiatrists learned during World War II that combat troops could respond with courage and enthusiasm for several months, but after that even the toughest became battle-weary. The same is true m everyday life. A demanding job or a challenging sport may be stimulating at first, but, if the pressures are unrelenting, the individual may eventually begin to suffer. Ideally, the anxiety produced by stress should be a temporary condition that arises for a specific reason and subsides when the difficulty has been resolved. It is only when feelings of anxiety persist and come to dominate a person's life that they gradually become the cause of illness.

In the US, financial and work-related problems are the most frequently cited causes of stress and anxiety, particularly among higher income groups. Two thirds of visits to a doctor are believed to be stress-related.

Causes of Stress and Anxiety

1. Stress at work
2. Change of job
3. Fear of unemployment
4. Family relationships
5. Separation and divorce
6. Sexual problems
7. Family illness
8. Accidents
9. Bereavement
10. A crying baby or problem child
11. Child care
12. Home mortgage and upkeep
13. Insurance
14. Moving
15. Taxes
16. Medical insurance
17. College tuition

One way of measuring your anxiety level is to count the number of important life events or changes that you have undergone recently. High on the list of stressful events are bereavement, job changes or a promotion, any serious illness in the family, moving, marital difficulties, financial problems, or the imminent birth of a child. Most people can cope with one or two changes of this type without much problem - but three different stressful events may make life difficult, while four or more are generally more than anyone can cope with effectively.

Another method is to be aware of physical clues. Our bodies are designed to respond to stress and anxiety physically rather than mentally - a reaction known as the "fight or flight" response. This means that the human animal's reaction to a threat is either to fight or to run away. The preparation for these physical responses is for the heart to beat faster, the muscles to tense, the hair to stand on end, and the skin to sweat. If the threat is mental or emotional rather than physical, these same responses occur, but are inappropriate. Sweating palms and a rapid heart rate are not much help when you are required to give a speech.

In time, chronic anxiety may cause bodily changes associated with stress to become more or less fixed. Symptoms such as frequent headaches, palpitations, indigestion, backache, and aggravated skin conditions are possible results. If you find you are suffering many physical symptoms that defy obvious medical explanation, it could be that you are suffering from too much stress.