Is Anxiety Genetic and do I just have to live with It?

This question comes up in therapy sometimes because some people notice almost everyone in their family is anxious and they aren’t sure if there’s anything that can do to really change that.

The research on anxiety shows there can be a genetic component - and they have identified a few gene markers that may be responsible, but it isn’t quite that simple.  A huge part of why anxiety looks genetic and looks like it runs in families is the behavior of anxious people is contagious to some extent.  Much anxiety and “worry” is learned. If your parent handles their anxiety poorly and displays poor coping mechanisms, this is probably going to make it difficult to learn good coping skills yourself. So although you may have inherited some genetic components that may make you more susceptible to anxiety, it’s also very likely you learned how to manage your anxiety from your parents and if they didn’t know how to handle anxiety well, you probably don’t either. If on the other hand your parent had good coping techniques, you might have learned some healthy habits and you may experience anxiety to a lesser degree than you might have otherwise.

So where does it leave you if you were born with a propensity for anxiety AND you had poor models for how to handle it?

It’s never too late to change the way you manage your anxiety! Your nervous system is something that actually does respond to interventions, and you can learn to regulate yourself when you feel anxious.  Learning these skills and doing this consistently over time leads to a better nervous system response, which means to some degree you can actually heal your anxiety.

So, the great news is you don’t have to just “live with it” and most therapists can help you develop coping mechanisms that will really make a difference.

If you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, reach out to professionals in medical mental health services.