You’re Prone to Anxiety If You Can Remember These 5 Things from Your Childhood

We all have worries about our lives, but anxiety is something entirely different. It can be referred to as an extreme state of perpetual worry. There could be many things that may have helped in developing anxiety in you – but childhood is one of your formative years. You could pretty much tell that your childhood impacts and shapes the way you think and lead your life. However, it doesn’t really mean that if you have experienced something as a child, you’ll definitely have anxiety. But there’s always a chance of developing it. So, if you can recall having gone through any of these during your childhood, you might be prone to anxiety:

1. Bullying is terrible

We know bullying is wrong, but the effect of bullying is never really stated quite explicitly. In JAMA Psychiatry, a study conducted in 2013 showed that kids developed certain mental conditions in young adulthood if they were bullied during their younger phase. But shockingly enough, even the bullies developed certain conditions. Anxiety, depression and panic attacks were some of the common ones. Of course, not every bullied person or bullies will have developed these issues, but it creates a very vulnerable position for them.

2. Anxious parents

Parenthood is difficult, especially because you can unknowingly influence your kids in different ways. Child Mind Institute published an article making this issue lucid. When kids notice that their parents are extremely worried or anxious about something, they’ll start exhibiting that anxiety in similar situations, unconsciously copying their parents’ traits. Of course, they are imitating, but this imitation will slowly become their way of life. It may be that you have not been affected by it, but the fact remains that anxious parents can develop anxiety in their children.

3. Not taking the risks

Life is full of risks and it’s the childhood sports and activities which prepares us for it. But if we have overprotective parents, they’d not allow their children to play such risky games. They don’t want them to get hurt in any way. This overprotectiveness creates a lot of problems for children. An Evolutionary Psychology article suggests – there are certain sports which are risky but they will ultimately help you deal with situations that might become potentially dangerous. Lack of childhood preparation will make these situations really anxiety-inducing for an adult.

4. When things get really stressful

Stress makes your body go through terrible things. But stress is not only an adult thing. Even children experience a significant amount of stress. A post released online by Alvarado Parkway Institute mentions how long-term exposure to stress can induce anxiety. Now imagine if you were growing up in an extremely stressful situation. Chances are you’re going to develop anxiety more than any other child growing up in a less stressful household.

5. There was no affection from your parents

As children we need love – a lot of it. And if you have not received enough affection in your childhood, you’re probably experiencing the lack of it now. A study by University of Notre Dame showed that adults who have reported to not have received enough affection when they were kids were likely to be more anxious than those who had lived in households filled with affection.

There could be so many aspects that could lead to your anxiety. Human minds are complicated but psychologists are trying their best to come up with new discoveries. If you find any of the above factors matching with your life experiences and could be affecting the way you live, don’t hesitate to contact a therapist ASAP!