Top reasons that trigger anxiety


This article explains various reasons that trigger anxiety. Triggers vary from one person to another. Some of them are deterioration in physical and mental health, financial issues, negative thinking, unhealthy habits and social addressing.

Introduction

Who does not want to remain calm and composed and keep all the worries away as much as possible? However, it does not happen all the time. We may start our day with so much enthusiasm and positivity but as the day progresses, certain situations and encounters with different people will wipe that smile away from our faces in no time. Some of us can sense anxiety very easily whereas others do not bother much. It means that some of us get triggered easily by various stimuli and as a result feel anxious and stressed out. Triggering points are different for different people. The situation that can make one person anxious might not create any change in the other person and vice versa. It is important to know what is triggering anxious feelings in us. Only then, we can avoid them and stay away from them as much as possible. In the beginning, when we are fighting our anxiety and stress, it is necessary to protect ourselves from such triggers. As resiliency builds up, mental strength builds up and we will be able to overcome these triggers without putting in much effort from our side. This article explains situations that commonly trigger anxiety in people.

Top anxiety triggers

  • Financial issues
    Money is not the most essential thing in the world but still ranks high on the list of priorities. We need money for everything. When we buy something, when we gift someone, we feel good. When we do it with limits keeping in consideration the money we have, we are inviting less trouble for us. When we do it without giving it a thought, we put ourselves in debt. This can trigger anxiety. Purchasing or spending money without giving a thought or loaning money and not being able to pay it back is going to put us in a bad situation. Also, some of us think a lot before spending. We try to pay our bills on time, save a little and spend a little so that we can enjoy our lives as well as keep our future secure. However, certain situations that come unexpectedly can trigger anxiety in us. For example, suffering from a life-threatening health situation, meeting a fatal accident, or facing a natural calamity, all these unfavourable unexpected situations that create fear of money can raise our anxiety levels.

  • Disagreements
    Disagreements can be anything. They can arrive in the form of situations or can result in conflict with other people. When we are attached to our idea of right and wrong, it is obvious that we will easily get triggered when someone disagrees with us. As soon as disagreement happens, our anxiety triggers. We might have thought that a particular situation will turn up in a certain manner. A slight deviation from what we might have planned will trigger our anxiety. When things show up in a manner that we did not plan out will trigger us. Missing our deadlines, not meeting the expectations of others, running late for the office, getting stuck in traffic and every little thing can cause anxiety in us because we had planned our day in some other manner. Disagreement between what we planned and what showed up triggers anxiety. Thus, detachment is the key to happiness. It is not wrong to plan anything but it is wrong to get deeply attached to what we have planned. Those who embrace the flow of life and take things as they come to them are much happier than the ones who allow outer circumstances to trigger them.

  • Deterioration in physical and mental health
    When we are physically healthy, our mental health blooms. When we suffer from physical illness, our mental health deteriorates too. Anxiety is a mental condition and it gets triggered when physical health is not in the best condition. Long-term illness can be a provoking trigger. Also, life-threatening health conditions such as cancer, and AIDS can be very triggering. The more fatal disease is, the more life seems like a battle and every day struggling with various signs and symptoms keeps triggering anxiety attacks. Certain medications can also trigger anxiety. It is because they produce side effects that will make a person feel unwell. Those who are already suffering from some sort of mental trauma have high levels of anxiety. Too much stress can act as a trigger. Emotional blockage and old belief systems and falling into the trap of the same beliefs, again and again, act as a trigger.

  • Negative thinking
    Pessimistic thinking is one of the top reasons to fall prey to anxiety. Every negative thought has a negative repercussion on every cell of the body. Physical as well as mental health gets influenced by the quality of thoughts we produce. Negative thoughts can act as a trigger that can raise anxiety levels. Positive thinking boosts morale. A sense of confidence emerges in a person when he thinks positively. Similarly, negative thinking makes a person creates a feeling of fear, regret, loss, and anger. All these further worsen the situation. Those who think negatively, and speak negatively will end up creating lots of frustration and irritation on the inside and the outside and will end up embracing inaction. It is because they will feel worthless in taking any action. They feel that they are not well accomplished to act or else their any action is not going to do anything good in the world. Thus, their mind acts as a triggering mechanism for them. It is the worst of all the triggers. It is because other triggering points can be avoided in some or the other way. However, it is difficult to run away from the mind. Only when a conscious effort is made to change the thinking pattern, a little relief can be obtained.

  • Unhealthy habits
    Skipping on meals can trigger anxiety. Too much work pressure already creates lots of stress. Thus, if a person skips meals, it can cause a drop in blood sugar and trigger anxiety and frustration in the mind. Those who do not eat at the same time every day and sometimes either end up eating very less and other times end up overeating are also doing too much bad for themselves. Fluctuations in blood glucose levels are stressful to the body and mind and act as triggers to raise anxiety levels. Drinking tea and coffee first thing in the morning and then throughout the day does nothing good to the body. They act as anxiety triggers. Likewise, alcohol can trigger anxiety. Initially, it may lighten the mood but soon a person may become addicted to it and instead of lightning it triggers all sorts of depressive thoughts in a person. Not sleeping adequately and overworking can act as a trigger. Energy drinks can act as an anxiety trigger. Drug addiction can also cause the same triggering feelings where a person feels more vulnerable and anxious than ever.

  • Social addressing
    Sometimes anxiety attacks happen when a person has to address a large social crowd. It is the reason that students get nervous and jittery hands before their speech and within the office premises an employee gets cold hands before a presentation. Talking to a large group of people is not everyone's cup of tea. It can make many people nervous and anxious. Also, sometimes meeting someone without any prior notice can trigger anxiety. Some people are comfortable only with known people and making them receive or talk to a stranger triggers anxiety in them. Certain crowded places can trigger anxiety. Some people cannot use overly crowded buses or trains, or elevators for the same reason. Some people avoid going to places where there will be too many people at the same time in a small area. Some people avoid parties and getting together because they have to mingle with others.

Conclusion

Anxiety does not get triggered without any reason. There is always an underlying reason beneath it. For some, it can be as simple as drinking caffeine and alcohol and for others, it can be addressing a large group of people or hosting a party. Long-term physical illness affects mental health in a variety of ways. It not only creates fear and uncertain thoughts about the future and triggers anxiety but also deteriorates mental health and further worsens anxiety. Unexpected medical bills and fear of not having enough money or losing money can act as triggers. Those who do not sleep well and starve themselves end up having anxiety attacks. Sleep deprivation will easily wear them out. An empty belly will cause a decrease in blood glucose level which will again increase anxiety levels. Substance abuse which can be from alcohol or drugs does not lighten the mood and lead a person to a Trans state but triggers too many emotional traumas and past wounds and make a person more emotionally unstable. It is important to know what triggers anxiety. Those triggers need to be avoided. When a person is successful in doing that, a remarkable improvement can be seen in anxiety levels.


Comments

Author: Venkiteswaran C S04 Apr 2023 Member Level: Silver   Points : 8

In the present day world every one is 'tense' stressed' and sometimes depressed'.

De stressing is a growing field of research and inventions. Lot of studies are conducted, lot of inferences and conclusions and prevention and cure and implemented. Still everyday more and more people become tense, anxious and stressed. This leads to various problems to physical and mental health.

The major three prime factors that keep humans in balance are- Health, Wealth and Well wishers.

If a person is healthy, he is to much extent happy. If a person has health and wealth he is much more happy. If that person is surrounded by well-wishers like good friends and loving family members, then he can be the most happy.

Unfortunately in real world we find that people having all these ideal combination are also tensed and anxious.

One can reduce anxiety to a great extent if:
1. If one can identify the cause of his anxiety
2. knows the remedy to the cause
3.knows that the solution is beyond his control an takes help from one who can solve the problem
4.knows it is beyond his control and then keeps faith in God and prayers to remedy the problem
5. allows time to dal with it and take care of his other priorities and engages himself without allowing lazy time brooding.
6. Never allowing himself to be lonely, but to be with positive people. and in doing positive activities

And finally, as the author concludes the article, as far as possible anxiety causing "triggers need to be avoided"

Author: Umesh Chandra Bhatt27 Apr 2023 Member Level: Gold   Points : 3

Everyone faces anxiety in one's life and again. There are many reasons for that but the result of all is the same as it creates mental disturbance and stress in the person involved. Experts suggest that we should avoid situations and surroundings where chances of getting anxiety increase and the point often told is that we should avoid all those jobs and activities which are not our cup of tea and divert our energies to more creative areas.



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