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Things That Cause Obsessive Fear or Anxiety

Many things can cause obsessive fear or anxiety, ranging from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to schizophrenia to any number of anxiety disorders. These disorders can come from genetics, substance abuse or a chemical imbalance in the brain. People suffering from such anxiety often will withdraw from the world, have a hard time sleeping and eating and are plagued with unwanted thoughts that they feel they cannot control.

  1. Genetics

    • Many scientists have been researching which genes affect obsessive thoughts. There is no one gene that scientists have found that causes something like OCD, but they have found a contributing gene, as well as glutamate level differences in people suffering obsessive thoughts. As research continues, more genes that bring about the unwanted symptoms could be discovered .

    Substance Abuse

    • Certain drugs add to obsessive thoughts, fears and anxiety. For example, alcohol can increase anxiety levels. Anxiety and alcohol abuse are different problems, but alcohol can make a person predisposed to anxiety more afraid and can even cause panic attacks. Some drugs alter brain chemistry so much that fear and anxiety are side effects in a person already suffering from the obsessive thoughts.

    Chemical Imbalance

    • It has been accepted for some time now that people displaying mental illness symptoms can have an imbalance of the chemistry of their brain. Medicines used to treat such problems increase serotonin or monitor dopamine levels in the brain. These brain chemicals are responsible for keeping us "happy," and too little serotonin can cause depression and anxiety. Too much dopamine can cause delusions and hallucinations, as seen in schizophrenia, and sometimes delusions take the form of obsessive fears and anxiety.

    Way of Thinking

    • Thought disorders like schizophrenia can cause all kinds of obsessions. Some psychotherapists believe that by training the mind through intensive therapy, a person can learn new techniques to be able to think about things a different way. There is some dispute about whether thought disorders are caused by chemicals or behavior, such as a child learning at a young age that snakes are dangerous because she was bitten by one. At a later age, she may obsess about the snakes and be terrified of them only because of how she thinks about them.

    What Creates Anxiety?

    • Anxiety symptoms include panic attacks and irrational fears. It can be caused by any of the listed reasons or seemingly for no reason at all. Panic attacks can be violent, causing a racing heart, trouble breathing and other physical effects like headaches and nausea. People with anxiety can develop anxiety disorder, a crippling illness that can cause withdrawal from society. People may not be able to do what the love any longer.

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