What causes anxiety?

Anxiety is caused by many things, but the vast majority of it is caused by bad habits. When we first learn to walk, it is quite a difficult mental effort, but as we grow up it becomes so mind-numbingly easy we can do it in our sleep (literally). Like how walking becomes a habit, thinking becomes a habit as well (we don't have the time to consciously think-out all cognition required to function day-to-day). Anxiety is a response to a perceived threat (the word 'perceived' being important). Being that anxiety shows itself externally and internally as a very physical thing (shaking, sweating, racing heart, flushing, etc.), people are too distracted by the sensations of anxiety to realize the actual problem: thoughts with emotional associations (fear or anger, i.e. fight or flight).

For me, my anxiety was caused by the emotion of fear (I had environmental issues at home and school). But, chronic anger is also a cause of anxiety as well. Anxiety, in short, is caused by the belief that a threat exists. Emotionally the only possible responses are to flee or attack the perceived threat (using non-emotional techniques is the only way to override this), and both cause physiological reactions that cause the symptom of anxiety (yes, anxiety is a SYMPTOM, not a problem).

This is a short version of what causes anxiety, if you want to know more about my views on both anxiety and/or how to overcome anxiety, use the search feature at the top of the page or click on the "anxiety" label. Also feel free to leave a comment asking any questions below (anything unrelated to anxiety will not be allowed).