Anxiety is a general term that describes a number of different forms of nervousness or tension that is usually related to some form of outside stress. A person's well being can be mildly or severely affected due to the effects of anxiousness. Some people may have control over their emotions while under stress while others may be consumed by the fear and worries that plague them.

What causes anxiety differs from person to person, but generally the common causes are everyday worries about money, family, and work. Everyone has these kinds of issues to contend with on a daily basis. However, while some people are able to handle the stress that is placed upon them, others have  a hard time. What causes one person to be anxious  may not affect another person at all.

Brain chemistry has been proven to be a factor in triggering nervousness. The brain chemicals seratonin and dopamine have been found to be the cause of mood swings and depression when they are unbalanced. Because  these  brain chemicals can be altered with medication, doctors believe they are treatable kinds of emotional problems.

Some anxiety disorders tend to run in families. If parents are unable to handle stress and experience high levels of nervousness and worry in certain situations, then it is highly likely that the children of those parents will also have these same kinds of problems.  These kinds of hereditary forms of anxiety may be due to parents passing on the physical brain problems with a chemical imbalance.

Children who grow up having been abused or those children who experience a level of low self esteem are candidates for experiencing nervous disorders as they reach adulthood. The environment that a child grows up in weighs heavily on whether or not they grow into stable adults who are able to deal with the stresses of everyday life. A child learns how to deal with life's stresses and everyday problems from their parents. If those parents are anxious when it comes to life's everyday problems, that is the way the child will learn to handle those same kind of problems. Mental disorders can be a vicious cycle in families who have to deal with them, and anxiety disorders are no different.

Adults who have never had issues with worry or nervousness are at risk for developing an emotional disorder if they enter into a stressful situation and end up remaining there for an extended period of time. Such situations as divorce, the loss of a loved one , or having long term pressures at work can lead a perfectly healthy adult right into an anxious state  that could end up being detrimental to that person's well being.

Substance abuse is another cause of nervousness and stress that is uncontrollable. Some drugs actually cause the same side effects that stress would cause on a person who is not abusing drugs. Drugs and alcohol alter the state of mind, therefore helping along disorders that include anxiety. Some people who abuse drugs and alcohol experience high levels of anxiety when they cannot get the drug of their choice. This kind of disorder is termed as withdrawal and can be a horrible experience for those who have to endure it.

Meta Description: Anxiety disorders can occur at times of hard stress and can be debilitating to the person who is experiencing the feelings of anxiety. Most people who have problems with dealing with the pressures of everyday life will experience some sort of anxiety disorder.