What causes anxiety disorders?
Suppose the fire alarm goes off in your home. You race around frantically to find the fire. Instead, you find that there is no fire--the alarm just isn't working properly.
It's the same with anxiety disorders. Your body mistakenly triggers your alarm system when there is no danger. This may be due to a chemical imbalance in your body. It may also be related to an unconscious memory, to a side effect of a medicine or to an illness.
Source
Generalized Anxiety Disorder by MF Gliatto, M.D. (American Family Physician October 01, 2000, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20001001/1591.html)
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff
Reviewed/Updated: 11/10
Created: 01/96