What is the Real Cause of Anxiety: Understanding and Managing Anxiety in LGBTQ+ Adults
Anxiety is a common and often misunderstood experience. That’s particularly true within the LGBTQ+ community. As a queer adult, you might find that anxiety has a significant impact on your daily life. Understanding the real causes of anxiety is crucial in managing it effectively. That means stronger mental and physical well-being in the long term. This article will explore the root causes of anxiety, with a focus on the unique challenges we face as LGBTQ+ adults.
Understanding the Nature of Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural response to stress or perceived threats. It evolved in our species as an emotional response to tension in the body, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. Everyone has some experience with feeling anxious, myself definitely included. For me, anxiety is a normal part of life, that ebbs and flows depending on what I eat, how much I slept that night, and what needs to get done that day. For many people, anxiety never gets worse than a slight irritation. For the rest of us, anxiety can increase to the point that it be overwhelming. Anxiety can blocking us from day-to-day life. It can mess up our relationships, even get us fired from work or unable to leave the bed in the morning.
Symptoms of Anxiety
These are some of the ways anxiety can show up in the body. Look out for physical symptoms like fast heartbeat, sweating, muscle tension, gripping in the jaw, or dizziness. In terms of emotional symptoms, sometimes anxiety can look like you lose patience quickly. Alternatively, you might get irritated more often or feel restless. Some of us come up against a constant sense of impending doom. If that last one sounds like a lot to handle: it is. Anxiety can feel like the heavy weight of dread. You think that everything will end in disaster. Other thought patterns that are common with anxiety are racing thoughts, difficulty staying focused, and persistent worry.
Sources of Anxiety
Anxiety rarely has a single cause. It is usually the result of an interplay between biological, personal, and environmental factors. For LGBTQ+ people, the unique challenges they face can make anxiety more prevalent and complex to address.
“Personal weakness” is not a source of anxiety. That’s because having more anxiety doesn’t make you weak, or inferior. It’s just a thing that happens, as a result of many different things interacting. No one is doing it on purpose.
Biological Sources of Anxiety
Genetics and Family History
Anxiety often runs in families. This suggests a genetic predisposition. If you have a family history of anxiety, it is more likely that you will develop some symptoms of it yourself.
Brain Structure and Neurotransmitters
Brain chemicals play a significant role in anxiety. Neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are involved in regulating mood and stress levels. Imbalances in these chemicals can contribute to the development of anxiety disorders.
Hormonal Changes
Hormones, which regulate many of functions in the body, can also impact anxiety. For instance, fluctuations in hormones during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause can initiate or worsen anxiety symptoms. For transgender people undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the adjustment to new hormone levels can also influence anxiety a bit.
Internal Sources of Anxiety
Personality Traits
Having certain personality traits can predispose us to anxiety. Those include perfectionism, high sensitivity, and a tendency towards pessimism. That’s because those characteristics often lead to heightened self-criticism and fear of failure. That fuels anxiety over time.
Patterns of Thinking
People with anxiety tend to experience certain patterns of thought. For example, in catastrophic thinking, you expect the worst-case scenario to happen. Or in black-and-white thinking, you interpret things as all good or totally bad. You might find yourself ruminating, or notice your thoughts spiraling out of control.
Environmental Sources of Anxiety
Environment You Grew Up In
The environment in which you were raised impacts your mental health over your lifespan. Experiencing neglect, trauma, or abuse as a kid can increase the risk of developing anxiety later in life. For LGBTQ+ people, growing up in a non-affirming or hostile environment can be particularly damaging. In fact, it can lead to long-term anxiety.
This is supported by research published by the Journal of Psychiatric Research, titled “Differences in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and quality of physical and mental health between transgender and cisgender sexual minorities.” The study is particularly focused on trans and gender non-conforming people. Researchers looked at adverse childhood experiences, such as parental neglect, among 477 people. They found that the adverse childhood experiences people go through explain up to 18% of the likelihood that you develop anxiety.
Discrimination and Stigma
As queer people we experience societal pressures and negative beliefs about our community. Those can show up as homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia. These experiences give rise to a constant state of vigilance and fear, which can easily evolve into chronic anxiety. In addition, the stigma associated with being LGBTQ+ can lead to a lack of support. These factors increase your chances of developing anxiety as well.
Social Isolation
Many LGBTQ+ people experience rejection from family, friends, or society at large. That adds up to some pretty serious loneliness and isolation. A lack of support can heighten anxiety, as well as making it difficult to cope with life's challenges in general.
Strategies for Managing and Reducing Anxiety
If we are going to manage anxiety effectively, we are going to need an integrated approach to address all of these different factors. Options include building a support network to mitigate environmental stressors, getting quality therapy to tackle anxiety issues, and making lifestyle changes to improve physical well-being. That way, we’re accounting for all of the contributing factors.
Building a Support Network
Creating a network of supportive people in your life is essential in managing anxiety. That’s not always easy in this culture. You can read more here about the importance of forming queer community in this article, or about how to build queer friendships in New York City here. Connecting with LGBTQ+ communities and allies who have your back provides emotional support. Online communities, support groups, and local LGBTQ+ organizations are excellent places to start.
Therapy for Anxiety
If anxiety is interfering with your daily life, your relationships, or your ability to function, it’s probably time to get some outside help. Therapy, medication, or a combination of both may be helpful. Therapy, particularly with an LGBTQ+ affirming therapist, is invaluable in managing anxiety. A queer-affirming therapist can provide a safe space to explore your anxiety, develop coping strategies, and work through underlying issues. Now full disclosure, that’s the work I do, so I’m a little biased. If you’re interested in working with me, you can schedule a free 15 minute consultation here.
Types of Therapy Effective for Anxiety
DBT, dialectical behavior therapy, is one type of therapy that can be particularly helpful in treating anxiety. Another type of behavioral therapy, called CBT has some good research support behind it. CBT and DBT both work to help you identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors. DBT adds the component of accepting your thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that align with your values. Other approaches, such as trauma-informed therapy, may be beneficial depending on your needs.
Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Anxiety
In addition to getting help from a therapist or building a supportive network, there are also some lifestyle changes that can help regulate anxiety. Personally, I hate exercising more than just about anything else. So one lifestyle change I can actually stick to is dancing. I love a swing dance or bachata! That’s how I use body movement without having to drag myself to the gym. Other habits to think about changing are irregular sleep habits, ignoring your own needs, and procrastinating on self-care. Developing habits the help regulate your body’s stress response will reduce the amount of anxiety you experience, and how it impacts your overall mental health.
Conclusion
Understanding the real causes of anxiety is the first step toward managing it effectively. For LGBTQ+ individuals, anxiety is often rooted in a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors, amplified by unique societal challenges. By recognizing these causes and seeking appropriate support, you can reduce anxiety and live a fulfilling, authentic life. Remember, anxiety is not a reflection of your worth or strength—it’s a common experience that you can learn to manage with the right tools and support.