Biological, Psychological And Environmental Causes Of Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are on the rise in our country, because of the multifarious etiological influences surrounding this mental illness, anxiety is often misdiagnosed: are we causing an anxiety epidemic? The interconnection of the biological, psychological and environmental influences of this disorder is often debated, questioning the true origin; is anxiety predetermined by our genetic makeup or do social and cognitive influences shape the severity of the disease. I believe all these factors play an equally import role because, their influences are mutually dependent in the etiology and development of this maladaptive disorder (Oltmanns, 2015).
First let us examine the biological factors at work, according to Oltmanns anxiety is a beneficial …show more content…
According to Kendler, Eaves, Loken, Pedersen, Middeldorp, Reynolds and Gardner early emotional childhood stress, such as neglect and abuse can have a negative effect later in life (2011). This early child adversity can be triggered by a future high stress event causing negative emotions (fear), which lead to anxiety and depression. The conditioning of fear is another environmental factor influencing social anxiety, this includes any conditioning or modeled fearful behavior. According to Oltmanns this anxiety can manifest just after one exposure to a learning trial such as witnessing a parent’s anxiety or experiencing a traumatic event (2015). All these environmental factors can lead to depression and anxiety, which share similar symptoms, both leading to social and occupational impairments, therefore anxiety can share characteristics with other mood and mental disorders perpetuating the misdiagnose of anxiety disorders (Oltmanns, …show more content…
These cultural expectations can have a negative effect on cognitive vulnerability, such as self-esteem and personality traits, leading to depression and anxiety (Oltmanns, 2015). These social expectations and past traumatic experiences during childhood, can cause internal impulses that effect our anxiety. These cognitive factors play and import role when dealing with feelings of lack of control and attention to threat schemes. According to Oltmanns anxiety is a perception of control, if a person feels like they are helpless and have no control over future events, this triggers negative thoughts about the “what if” schemes leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of fearful expectations