Anxiety is known for being one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health problems plaguing most adults worldwide. There are over 275 million individuals worldwide that are affected by anxiety. But even though there are so many anxiety cases worldwide, many experts are still quite baffled and not entirely sure about the leading cause of anxiety disorders.
What Are Some Triggers to Anxiety?
Some experts would postulate that the cause of anxiety will usually rely on various factors, including the patient’s chemistry, genetic makeup, certain past life events, and general personality.
One theory hypothesized that anxiety is evolutionary and is the main factor by our progenitors in keeping themselves alert and awake, especially those guarding their general living spaces against predators at night. Anxiety kicks in the fight-and-flight response, which keeps most of these tribesmen alert and battle-ready.
In more contemporary times, anxiety is still a real and major pressing concern for mental disorders. While there’s no problem worrying about certain things, especially if it’s about work, some individuals become anxious for no apparent reason.
A variety of different factors can trigger anxiety. When a person is triggered, they tend to experience anxiety or panic attacks, causing adrenaline rushes and nervousness. While there are cases of anxiety attacks that can be personally managed, panic attacks are more severe and are not usually that easy to manage. Still, it’s essential to know some triggers when addressing these types of disorders.
Some triggers of anxiety include:
- Social situations – Most individuals with social anxiety can easily be triggered by most social cases that involve a lot of interaction with others. That includes parties and a lot of public speaking events. Sometimes, meeting new people can cause panic attacks.
- Fear of being in large groups – This is usually called agoraphobia and is generally characterized by a fear of being in crowds where escape seems impossible. Sometimes, the fear of being in large groups is also related to being in tight spaces where it’s hard for you to escape the current situation. In more extreme cases, merely living in the house can trigger this type of fear.
- Past life events and trauma – Lastly, most people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will often get easily triggered by someone that will remind them of their trauma. For the most part, individuals who served in wars or worked in law enforcement agencies who have seen combat will have anxiety triggers related to loud noises. Loud bangs are often associated with gunfire and can cause adrenaline rushes.
The same can be said for victims of domestic abuse. Seeing certain scenes of abuse on television or discussing such topics can bring back memories of abuse.
How Do You Overcome Social Anxiety?
Since anxiety a tough nut to crack, we must know some fundamental ways of overcoming anxiety, especially social anxiety, that might undermine our confidence when we’re talking to people. So what are some key ways of overcoming it? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Professional Help
Another great way of overcoming anxiety and triggers to it is by having professional help regarding the matter. In most cases, building confidence and overcoming your social anxiety can be an arduous process that will take time. There are leadership training events known for helping build confidence while helping you grow in terms of your career.
Practicing Mindfulness
Being mindful of yourself and your current situation effectively manages both your stress and anxiety. Most of the time, you have to “unhook” your thoughts from those causing you to worry. Instead of focusing on the “what-ifs,” it’s better to focus on what you can do for yourself.
Writing Down Your Thoughts
Lastly, you must document what has been causing you distress of pain. Getting down to what has been causing you anxiety is an excellent way of meeting the problem head-on. Solving problems is better than having to avoid them. A more mature response is to acknowledge that you do have specific issues that you need to solve.
Even though a therapist can help provide professional supervision, it’s crucial to write down what has been causing you distress.
There are near-endless ways of countering the effects of anxiety. A variety of different factors can trigger anxiety. Still, it’s essential to be mindful of yourself and remember that most things aren’t as bleak as it seems. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can ensure that you’re effectively unhooking your thoughts from things that are trivial to you.
When in doubt, there are always professionals who are ready to help you with this matter. Having professional help can ensure that you will have more time to do all the things you want while also giving you the right amount of supervision.
