So why am I like this?

So why am I like this? Several things are thought to factor into the development of anxiety disorders including heredity, brain chemistry, personality, and life experiences. Evidence exists showing that anxiety disorders run in families and that is no exception in my case as many people in my family suffer from some type of anxiety or depression. The thing is that a genetic factor may be present but it is likely activated by environment or life experience. I could give you some of the fancy explanations revolving around some of the brain chemistry thought to raise anxiety levels including the neurotransmitters that are involved and how they malfunction but that stuff is just boring and well...resemble school too much. Just know that brain chemistry seems to play a significant role in anxiety disorders. Personality might also be a culprit and this is where it feels a little personal and makes me anxious to share because I am vulnerable when I admit this part. Studies have shown that low self-esteem and lack of coping skills may make a person more likely to develop an anxiety disorder. And here is the ironic thing, when anxiety disorders start when you are a child-the anxiety disorder leads to poor self-esteem in some cases. Interesting huh? Which came first the chicken or the egg? And that leads us to life experiences, which are linked to anxiety disorders. These life experiences could include abuse, violence, poverty, etc. I am sure if I thought long and hard about what life experiences could have led to my anxiety I could think of a thing or two or twelve but the purpose of this blog is not to point fingers because that would be counter-productive. I believe that at some point in everyone's life they have to stop pointing fingers and just accept that this is the life they were given and deal with it. If I had to pinpoint something definitive that could have contributed to my anxiety it would be that I lost my dad at a very young age and the ensuing life changes were not easy...nobody's fault just not easy.

Once we get through all the what, how, why...blah blah blah I will start to focus on what it is really like to live with anxiety. So bear with me for the first few blog posts and we will get into the "dirt" later. :)