What's your view?

Hi all

What, in your view, causes anxiety/phobias?

Do you believe it's a purely psychological problem, a biochemical problem, a combination of the two or do you have your own theory?

I'll be interested to hear your opinion.

Chris

My own personal view is that our fears & worries are locked into our subconsious.

Here's an example. A boy nearly drowns when he's 5-years-old. He panics & freaks out but gets saved & is OK.

He never thinks about it for 50 years. Just has a normal & happy life. One day - when he's 55-years-old - he's watching TV and see's someone drowning.

After literally decades all these horrible feelings come flooding back & he can't go near open water anymore. Why, because his subconscious tells him that he will definitely drown if he goes in for a swim again.

This brings me to social embarassment. That guy had to go to a swimming pool & start swimming again. He freaked out completely & people didn't understand it. But he did get over it, & enjoys swimming now.

Once we confront our anxieties and phobias and freak out or scream or panic & it embarasses us, we just have to say 'Who cares what people think about us. We all make idiots of ourselves sometimes.'

Hi Chris

I would tend to agree. The mind is very complex in the way that it stores our experiences and somewhat unpredictable in the way that it recalls them.

I have spoken to a number of consultant phsychiatrists about what may have triggered my own anxiety and they all put it down to the break-up of my marriage about 10 years ago. I don't know if I agree with them because I don't particularly feel any trauma when I recall the time and I can talk about it honestly and frankly - but I guess they know more than I do. That's why they're psychiatrists and I'm not :)

But the number of people that report increases in their anxiety when they are hung-over for instance would suggest that there are also chemical factors. Don't you agree?

Chris

There probably are chemical factors involved. I've read your posts. I've actually suffered from intense claustrophia, a fear of enclosed spaces, & I know you suffer from agrophopia.

Obviously, I don't know you, & why you're too scared to go outside - when I've actually been too scared to come inside - but I really think that our fears about the outside & inside are actually quite similar.

I've read a lot of literature about it all, & if you contact me, I'm sure I can help you get through it all.

I really did suffer badly from claustrophia, & I'm 32 & finally getting through it. Why not contact me?

I've done the Linden Method. He was agrophobic, but it's just symptons, whether you're suffering from agrophopia or claustropbia, it dosen't matter.

I never suffered from agrophobia, & you've never suffered from claustrophia, but if you PM me I sure I can help you.

kind regards

Chris V, from Devon

PS I'm no expert. I can only tell you what I've been through & how I'm finally getting over it.

Hi Chris

Interesting one. I personally think that my anxiety tends to be more physcological.My main anxiety/phobia is driving. I have to force myself to drive,Im fine locally but the thought of driving more than ten miles for example freak me out(I am the main familly driver and quite often would drive hundred miles each way to the coast for the weekend). I know that my fears are irrational I worry about crashing and at my worst Id be driving along and suddenly I would think "what if I loose control, what if that car looses control what if, what if . ALthough ive witnessed accidents ive been driving for twenty years and havenever had so much as a bump,so it must be 'in my head ' so to speak.

Also though I do think that chemicals and certainly in female cases hormones do make a big difference to levels of anxiety. So perhaps its a bit of both.

I dont think there is a definate answer that is the same for everyone, Just the same as the way one person deals with their anxiety and overcomes it does not mean that it will work for another. Were all individuals just as our anxieties are individual to us. If only there was a blanket cure we'd all be happier i'm sure.

Jayne x

Hey, you females don't have the monopoly on hormones you know :)

I know what you mean about the driving. Mine got so bad that I wouldn't even get in my car. I'm not so bad now but it was exactly as you described it.

Chris

I haven't been able to drive for 6 years. I think it's a case of slowly getting back into the routine of driving and putting yourself outside of your anxiety comfort zone, & when you don't have an accident for a while you'll realise that you probably never will.

I think with anxiety I think it's a case of somehow getting over it.:)

Mine seems to be related to three things, my job (call centre), my father (major muppet) and being alone for long periods of time.

I suppose that is all psychological, but i am learning to deal with it.

Driving actually relaxes me. I find it distracting; it keeps my head away from my own problems.

Mine started with my hormones being unbalanced which triggered alot of mental stuff. I guess it's the chicken before the egg thing. At the time I didn't know what was causing my panic attacks and fear is very powerful. Because I didn't want to take meds I had to do alot of research on my own. I've learned so much about myself through all of this I can almost say it's been a blessing (almost !:)

So for me it was a physical thing that triggered alot of mental stuff. I'm doing things to balance my hormones which is making the mental things go away....

Mine started with my hormones being unbalanced which triggered alot of mental stuff. I guess it's the chicken before the egg thing. At the time I didn't know what was causing my panic attacks and fear is very powerful. Because I didn't want to take meds I had to do alot of research on my own. I've learned so much about myself through all of this I can almost say it's been a blessing (almost !:)

So for me it was a physical thing that triggered alot of mental stuff. I'm doing things to balance my hormones which is making the mental things go away....
Hi there

I think my anxiety has been triggered by the same thing but the doctor won't look into it for me as HE thinks I'm too young to be menopausal but you don't have to be going through the menopause to have unbalanced hormones. I've tried various natural things to bring it back to balance but they have only made things worse. Would love some feedback on what is helping you...thanks...

Sandy