No reason for anxiety?
Does anyone wonder why they are so anxious or if they have any past social trauma that they can’t remember that causes them to feel this way? I have the lowest self esteem, awful social anxiety, yet I can’t understand why? I had very loving parents growing up and still do. Why do I criticize myself so much? I feel like I would remember why I’ve always been anxious but there’s nothing that I remember in my childhood to cause This. Does this mean maybe it can be a chemical imbalance as well? is it possible to be overly self critical as a child form nothing? Surely something had to have caused my low self esteem, or maybe I was just born socially anxious?
Hi Bunny!
I'm sorry you're experiencing anxiety and low self-esteem. It must be frustrating not knowing the cause
There are a number of factors that can play a role in the development of anxiety: chemical imbalance, environmental factors, genetics and certain physical conditions like thyroid disorders. Also, sometimes our brain can make us forget past trauma as a way to protect us, but that could be the cause of your anxiety.
It sounds like you have a great relationship with your parents - have you thought about discussing your anxiety with them? They may be able to tell you if mental health illnesses run in the family, or if you experienced a traumatic event in your childhood
I wish you the best of luck in finding the cause of your anxiety! ❤
Hello @indigoBunny8496,
i worked with a therapist who helped me identify anxiety tiggers, which was very helpful. She also taught me that I am not my anxiety. Instead, I see anxiety that visits me from time to time. My thought life was a major source of anxiety. Negative thoughts breed negative thoughts, which can tigger stress hormones to be released in the body, causing uncomfortable symptoms. I suffered from some pretty severe physical symptoms caused by anxiety. Just like negativity breeds negativity, anxiety can breed more anxiety, and more stress hormones can be released, causing more anxiety and more negative thoughts. It can be a downhill spiral. What I did was start to replace my negative thoughts with positive affirmations. I kept them on my phone and recited them daily. My screensaver on my phone has one of my favorite pictures with one of my favorite affirmations. My therapist also had me stop when I felt anxious, acknowledge it, and then go do something productive. She then had be go back later and reflect on the possible causes for the anxiety. I have the tendency to “overthink” things and I can also be a perfectionist. These are two areas that I am working on. Also, the more I focused on positive thoughts and people, I found more joy in my life and started to forget about the anxiety that was visiting me. I also found my physical symptoms decreasing, reversing the downhill spiral. You can heal from anxiety. I really like the work of Dr. Claire Weekes. She has a very interesting take on recovering from anxiety. Her books are available on Amazon, if you’re interested in learning more.
I can totally relate to being self-critical, but I felt my mental health was more important than judging myself (and others) all the time. Don’t give up; you will get better. Just a couple of months ago I could barely leave my house because of anxiety. Today, I am a paid consultant, and in about 2 hours, I’ll be presenting to a group of people. Work on your thought life; find a good therapist, and surround yourself with positivity. For me, and more importantly, I turned to God for healing and used this season of my life grow spiritually.
Cheers to health, wellness and spiritual growth! 🤗