Overview: Anxiety is not caused by a single factor. Rather several factors may contribute to the development of anxiety. These factors may include biological, environmental stressors and psychological factors.
Biological Factors: Research shows that a contributing factor to anxiety disorders, is an over-activation of the amygdala, the brain mechanism that controls fear responses. This increased activation may lead to an excessive triggering of hormones correlating to the symptoms associated with anxiety
Environmental Stressors: Stressful life events have been shown to contribute to the likelihood an individual will develop anxiety. Chronic stressors in particular, that continually trigger the biological fear response create feelings of being overwhelmed and out of control associated with anxious symptoms. Psychological Factors: Anxious thinking, such as catastrophizing, and excessive attention to nervous feelings, are two prominent psychological factors that have been shown to increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders.