Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

Is anxiety something you are born with?

61 Answers
Last Updated: 06/01/2021 at 4:51pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Jennifer Geib, LCSWR

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

1:1 chats (up to 5 days/week). - My therapy is non-judgmental and focuses on emotions and motivation to accomplish your goals or overcome your struggles.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
November 17th, 2014 4:06pm
No , anxiety is gained after time, built up on a fear of something that may happen, and consists of bad thoughts
ListeningJ
April 29th, 2015 3:17pm
I think anxiety is both environmental and inherited. For example, some people are born more introvert than others, naturally. However, some people like myself are made to be so anxious because of their past experiences. For example, I have a dog. When she was a pup, she met a baby Labrador, and the lab got a bit excited and pushed her into a shrub. Since then, she has been afraid of any and all dogs she meets. Just like her, I think people can also be conditioned to be more anxious and nervy in certain situations.
Anonymous
November 16th, 2014 11:11pm
yes. it is something that you have always had but it usually comes by a trigger during puberty but also there is earlier onset.
Savana13
November 19th, 2014 9:26pm
It depends on the person. Some have it as long as they can remember, but sometimes it emerges after trauma, or at adolsecent(like mine).
Ashleighskye
October 14th, 2014 2:33pm
No. Anxiety is something you feel due to experiences and stressors in life. Anxiety is manageable. :)
BrightOrchid
September 30th, 2014 12:34am
I do not think anxiety (or any mental illness) is something a person is born with. Rather, it is something that many people come to experience during their lifetimes. It is accepted within the medical community, however, that those with a family history of anxiety (or any mental illness) have a genetic predisposition to anxiety. In other words, if a parent or grandparent had anxiety, the person will be more likely to experience anxiety due to biological factors (imbalance of hormones, neurotransmitters, and other such chemicals in the brain).
ShannynMayyy
March 24th, 2016 4:03pm
Personally, I think anxiety is something you develop over time, and with experiences. I struggled with anxiety for a while around high school, its tough to overcome, but with time and patience, you'll get there.
MaryP
October 30th, 2014 8:24pm
Not necessarily, but it is something that can develop early in your life, depending on the circumstances of your upbringing.
bouncyMist58
November 14th, 2014 9:45am
I'm really not sure if anxiety is something you are born with or not....it seems like something you might be.
cloudia
September 17th, 2014 8:29am
Anxiety can be something you are born with, through genetics, but it can also be something experienced, through cognitive influence, where anxiety can be caused by faulty thinking processes in the brain, or through behavioural influence, where anxiety is learnt through association.
Anonymous
October 20th, 2014 6:43am
Anxiety runs in my family. I have struggled with it, just like my mom and my grandma. But, I think my anxiety growing up was mainly caused by my abusive father. I feel like if it wasn't for him, I might have not struggled with anxiety.
Jedda
October 29th, 2014 6:45am
I think that anxiety is something we experience when conditions are not right like high stress and extreme pressure.
UniqueLife
June 4th, 2015 7:11am
yeah, it is. anxiety is part of human and every other being's instinct to stay alive and survive the world. it's natural, but the level of anxiety varies.
FrancescaGabrielle
October 23rd, 2014 3:22am
You can be genetically predisposed to be more likely to experience anxiety. So yes, you can sometimes be born with anxiety.
emilycraft
November 6th, 2014 12:41am
I believe that anxiety is something that comes over a period of overwelming stress. You aren't born with it.
Anonymous
September 11th, 2014 1:46am
I personally think that anxiety is developed over time. I got anxiety around the time I was nine. :/
msltoe
September 14th, 2014 4:00pm
Yes. My mom reported that the night I was born, I was startled in my crib by a nurse closing the door.
teddylovebear
September 17th, 2014 3:50pm
Anxiety is what everyone has. It is a defense mechanism in our body, some are moderate, some suffers from anxiety disorder. I personally don't use to have anxiety disorders but society has molded me to one with judgement and harsh criticism, I became afraid of opening up, and sometimes, anxious when I have to be on camera or stand on stage. Fortunately, it is something I acknowledge and am working on getting better at.
UmbraOlim
October 7th, 2014 4:01am
No, anxiety is something shaped by the people around you, your situations, and the emotions encouraged as a child. Some people are more susceptible to it due to conditions or genes, but most of it is influenced by those around them.
simmi1612
October 28th, 2014 10:00am
It's a feeling which is felt by everyone at some point of time in their lives. It's just that diffrent people feel it during different kind of situations .
MorenaJasmine
October 21st, 2014 10:21am
From my experience, anxiety isn't something that you are born with although some may be more prone to developing anxiety, anxiety is a gradual process that often relates to a hidden fear, either from past traumas or present problems.
Bobcott
December 22nd, 2015 3:59am
I've heard that those with anxiety issues and maybe hypochondria often have other family members who've had similar experiences. I cannot verify this statement, but if this is true, then it may be something genetic. Hope this helps :)
Anonymous
July 3rd, 2015 12:29pm
I think it's different for everyone. Some people develop it later in life, and others are born with it, like me. I actually don'tknow if I was, but I've had it for as long as I can remember.
Akatsuya
February 22nd, 2016 6:54am
No. Anxiety can be developed due to traumatic events, or you could have inherited a trait from your parents that makes you prone to anxiety.
zelda7879
May 21st, 2015 11:54pm
Anxiety can be something your born with, though most of the time is caused by the situation you are in, for example tests can give anxiety to certain people.
JumpyGoiaba
July 31st, 2018 11:00am
It depends on a variety of factors. Most people who experience anxiety are already born with a tendency for it, but it's not just genetics that influence it. The overall environment, social context and life experiences can fuel anxiety just as much as genetics. I think it has to do with a bit of everything.
ListenerMike
April 29th, 2015 1:12am
No. You gain anxiety through experiences that you have. You lose anxiety through others' support. Friends, family, and even anonymous listeners help you through any problems.
Anonymous
November 20th, 2014 8:10am
No not at all. Anxiety is very complexed issue. In most cases it triggered by an traumatic expirence.
Simplyilse14
September 11th, 2014 5:16pm
Anxiety has not been with me since I was born. As soon as my family started having issues was when it jump started and then got progressively worse but exercise and reading helped me get through it.
Anonymous
April 30th, 2018 11:36pm
Not necessarily, as you can absolutely develop it at any point in your life. Anxious behaviors can also be inherited.