Certain life events or experiences can make us more likely to develop problems with anxiety.
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Getting teased or bullied when you’re younger can make you more uncomfortable talking to new people when you’re older. |
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Having a bad experience at the dentist can make you more likely to fear going to the dentist in the future. |
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Things at home may not be so great. Your parents might be fighting a lot. They might be very critical of you or put a lot of pressure on you to do well at school. |
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Sometimes we may witness things that make us anxious. For example, seeing someone almost drown might make you super scared of water. |
A parent who warned you about all the possible dangers in the world may have made you feel like the world is a really scary place and that there is lots to worry about.
Sometimes, if a parent struggles with anxiety we end up learning anxious behaviours from them. For example, maybe your dad seemed anxious talking to unfamiliar people and didn’t invite people over to your house. As a result, you might have learned to be more anxious in social situations.
The reason you have anxiety problems and your best friend doesn’t may be because you haven’t had the same experiences.