What is the cause of anxiety, the cause of anxiety attack, or the cause of anxiety disorder?

Many people believe that anxiety is the CAUSE of how they feel, is something they HAVE, or is an illness or disease that is CAUSING their physical and psychological symptoms.

Many also believe that they may HAVE anxiety for the rest of their lives, or that it can only be treated by medication. Some doctors and medical professionals also believe this, and unfortunately, tell their patients, as well.

Some drug manufacturers would also like us to believe that anxiety is a disease. They spend a great deal of effort and money trying to convince us of this.

Unfortunately, beliefs like these are inaccurate. The truth is, anxiety is NOT a disease or the REASON for how we feel. Anxiety is a BYPRODUCT or RESULT of how we think and behave. Essentially, the thinking patterns and behaviors we’ve learned and use CAUSE us anxiety.

Encarta World Dictionary defines anxiety as:

1. nervousness or agitation, often about something that is going to happen
2. a subject or concern that causes worry
3. the strong wish to do a particular thing, especially if the wish is unnecessarily or unhealthily strong
4. a state of intense apprehension or fear of real or imagined danger.

From these definitions, it becomes clear that anxiety is NOT a disease inside of us that causes us to think and act this way. BECAUSE we think and act in these ways, anxiety results.

Anxiety is produced from how we’ve learned to think (the thought processes that we choose to generate) and behave (the actions that we choose to use) in certain situations and circumstances.

That’s why anxiety is not a cause or disease, it’s a result. Anxiety is CAUSED by behaviors that are unhealthy (a disorder in our behaviors: a behavioral disorder).

Since unhealthy thought processes and behaviors are learned, those who work to replace unhealthy behaviors with healthier behaviors, reduce and eventually eliminate their anxiety, and the resulting condition. That’s why anxiety IS reversible with a high success rate of over 90% (the remaining percentage represents those who choose not to do the work required to change unhealthy behaviors, don’t have access to the right information or help, or choose to remain ill because their illness is providing some benefit to them, such as compassion, love, comfort, or an excuse not to behave appropriately).

IF anxiety were a CAUSE or BIOLOGICAL DISEASE, we wouldn’t see such a high success rate simply by changing anxiety-provoking behaviors (studies show that cognitive strategies provide lasting anxiety relief, far above that of medication therapy that has a high rebound rate). For example, if you were to break a bone, the bone wouldn’t instantly heal by changing a behavior. That’s because the body requires sufficient time to repair the bone. With anxiety, you can have an instant positive effect simply by changing one or more behaviors.

All of us CAN learn healthier behaviors. When we do, anxiety disappears. Again, anxiety IS a result, NOT a cause. When you change the cause (behaviors), you get a different result (reduced or no anxiety).

Having said this, there IS a biological component to anxiety. However, this biological component is largely a result of anxious behaviors too, not the CAUSE of them.

Yes, anxiety is caused by a behavioral disorder (use of unhealthy behaviors).
And yes, not only is it possible to fully recover from anxiety, anxiety has a very high recovery rate of over 90%.

Those who diligently apply the right strategies get better. If you feel your full recovery is blocked or has stalled, the help of an anxiety coach can be invaluable. They are trained to uncover the reasons for continued anxiety. They can help you identify the unhealthy behaviors blocking your progress, and can help you learn and apply healthier behaviors that can eliminate your anxiety.

Anxiety is ONLY long-term when the right approaches aren’t learned or applied. When they are learned AND applied, anyone can eliminate their anxiety…and for good!

There is good reason to be hopeful and optimistic. Nine out of ten people will fully recover with the right help. And, it could be ten out of ten if the remaining percentage of people were to access the right help and apply what they learn.

The good news is, anyone can recover. We see it happen day after day!

NOTE: This information applies to those who have been diagnosed with an anxiety or a behavioral depressive disorder. It is not entirely applicable to those who have an underlying medical condition causing their anxiety-like symptoms. However, cognitive strategies CAN have a positive benefit here as well.

For more information about anxiety symptoms, see our Anxiety Symptoms section.

NOTE: The Member's area of our website contains a more comprehensive section on anxiety symptoms, including completed descriptions, why they occur, and tips on how to get rid of them.