Family history of anxiety: does anxiety run in families?

The NHS describes generalised anxiety disorder as a common mental health condition where you often feel very anxious about lots of different things. The main symptom is feelings of stress or worry that affect daily life and are difficult to control. Most people feel anxious sometimes; the NHS says it is more likely to be GAD if you feel anxious most of the time and it affects your everyday life.

There are also other types of anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder and phobias, and the NHS notes it is common to have more than one at the same time.

According to the NHS, GAD does not usually have an obvious cause, but some things can increase your chances of having it. These include having another anxiety disorder, a history of stressful or traumatic experiences, a painful long-term health condition, a history of drug or alcohol misuse, and having close relatives with anxiety disorders, depression or other mental health conditions.

NHS inform puts the genetic link plainly. It says the exact cause is not fully understood and that a combination of factors is likely to play a role, including the genes you inherit from your parents, and that you are more likely to develop GAD if a close relative has it. It also lists overactivity in areas of the brain involved in emotions and behaviour, and an imbalance of the brain chemicals serotonin and noradrenaline.

Family patterns can reflect shared genes, shared environments or both. Growing up with an anxious parent can shape how you learn to respond to stress, and the sources used here do not separate these effects.

Both sources point beyond family history. A history of stressful or traumatic experiences, such as domestic violence, child abuse or bullying, is listed, as is living with a painful long-term health condition such as arthritis and a history of drug or alcohol misuse. NHS inform notes that many people develop GAD for no obvious reason.

The NHS says other symptoms of GAD may include difficulty sleeping, feeling restless, irritable or finding it difficult to concentrate, getting tired easily, feeling tense, stomach problems, a more noticeable or unusual heartbeat (palpitations), feeling lightheaded or dizzy, and low mood or depression.

NHS inform adds a sense of dread, feeling constantly on edge, trembling or shaking, dry mouth, excessive sweating, shortness of breath, headache and pins and needles, and says symptoms may cause someone to withdraw from social contact to avoid feelings of worry and dread.

The NHS says a GP will ask questions about your worries and physical symptoms. A GP may diagnose GAD if you have the typical symptoms and you often worry about a wide range of things, anxiety is affecting your daily life, you are finding it hard to control your feelings, and you have felt anxious a lot of the time for at least 6 months.

It advises being honest even if it is hard to talk about your emotions, because this helps the GP to diagnose or rule out an anxiety disorder. Mention if anxiety runs in your family.

The main treatments a GP may offer are talking therapies, usually cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), medicines that treat anxiety, usually a type of antidepressant called an SSRI, and referral to a community mental health team. A GP will usually advise trying talking therapies before prescribing medicine or referring to a specialist.

Things the NHS suggests you try yourself include talking about your feelings, self-help therapies, calming breathing exercises, yoga or pilates, getting enough sleep, regular exercise and a healthy diet with regular meals. It advises not avoiding situations that make you anxious but slowly building up time in them, and not using alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve anxiety, or drinking lots of caffeine.

If you are in crisis, the NHS says support is available and that a mental health emergency should be treated as seriously as a physical one. Call 999 or go to A&E if you need immediate help.