Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Causes and Risk Factors There is no singular cause of generalized anxiety disorder that has been identified. Evidence has shown that multiple factors are usually at play, influencing the development of GAD. Some of the common factors include things like genetic predisposition, brain chemistry, family background, social influence, and life experiences. Brain Structure The limbic system is a collection of brain structures that, among other functions, is involved in the regulation of many of our basic emotional reactions. Although it is generally under the control of the "thinking" part of our brain, it can respond to stimuli on its own as well. Genetics...