According to Freud, what is a major cause of anxiety disorders?

Freud posited that a significant cause of anxiety disorders stems from internal conflicts, particularly between the id and ego. The id represents the instinctual desires and drives of an individual, while the ego is the rational part that mediates desires with reality. When there is a conflict between these two components, it can lead to feelings of anxiety as the individual struggles to balance their primal urges with societal expectations and personal ethics.

In this theoretical framework, anxiety is a signal of underlying psychological conflicts where the ego is unable to effectively manage the demands of the id. This internal strife can manifest as various anxiety disorders, highlighting the importance of unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts in Freud's psychodynamic theory.