Why Do People Experience Anxiety or Obsessions?

If a person experiences anxiety or obsessions in their life, does it stem from hereditary reasons, is it acquired traits from the environment and society they exist in, or does it have a spiritual and eternal meaning to their problem?

"The place on which you stand is holy ground." Every place and situation in a person's life is linked to their destiny. Any trait or problem a person has is not "just" a problem they suffer from. It is incorrect to think they just need to survive despite the problem; it is part of their growth process!

If a person was, heaven forbid, involved in an accident, there is a message there. Perhaps their reckless driving style is the trait, and indeed, if we delve deeper, we will see they suffer from "reckless driving" in other areas of life too.

Similarly, a person who suffers from anxiety, stress, and obsessions struggles with an excess desire to ensure that life unfolds exactly as they want and expect. They are too fixated and locked on the notion that life must proceed in a specific manner, and only if they are certain they will always be healthy/financially stable/clean/safe, among many other examples of obsessions, will they allow themselves to be calm. They suffer from a lack of a soul trait, a trait of submission, the ability to embrace helplessness, and adapt to situations that are not completely in control.

They must learn to embrace helplessness. As they embrace it, they will gradually live the real life, the life where there is no absolute certainty.

The traits that are mental issues within a person are part of their service to Hashem. Sometimes, their service to Hashem requires professional guidance and assistance because, on their own, they will not succeed in changing their traits in the usual way. But the mental issues are related to a person's traits, to a person's character. Serious mental issues require professional guidance on how to correct the traits, but the correction itself will not be done by the therapist; it is the work of correcting one's own traits.

Despite the difficulty, like in everything, Hashem judges a person by their efforts and investment, not by the result. The person will do their part, from their place. This is the service to Hashem of the person.