Childhood Stress & Adult Anxiety

Interesting studies continue to appear on the root causes of anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). A new report from the Stanford University Medical Center has concluded that extreme stress during childhood that creates post-traumatic stress disorder can lead to brain changes that may increase anxiety and reduce the capacity to cope with stress later in life. Research of this type has not been done with GAD, but many people with GAD report experiencing significant stress in childhood. This raises questions about whether this process may be influential in GAD development.