Above all, it is useful to remember that anxiety is a normal emotion, which appears when one feels threatened or in danger. It becomes harmful and problematic when it manifests itself in excess of the actual threat or persists for a long time, thus interfering with the daily activities and functioning of the person.

The causes of anxiety disorders are not fully understood. They involve genetic, physiological and environmental factors.

Thus, we know that a person is more at risk of presenting anxiety disorders if someone in his family suffers from it. Being a woman is also recognized as a risk factor for anxiety disorder.

Having experienced stressful or traumatic events, especially in childhood, or the presence of another psychiatric disorder (bipolar disorder, for example) can also promote anxiety disorders.

Finally, we know that the occurrence of an anxiety disorder is linked, among other things, to physiological disturbances in the brain, in particular in certain neurotransmitters, these substances which serve as messengers for nerve impulses from one neuron to the next. ‘other. Specifically, GABA (the main inhibitor of all overreactions of neurons), norepinephrine and serotonin are involved⁵. Drug treatments for anxiety disorders act precisely on the regulation of these neurotransmitters. Cortisol (the stress hormone) also plays a role.