Anxiety: When it’s NOT All in Your Head
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety comes in many different forms: stress, worry, unease, sleeplessness, discomfort, etc. Because anxiety is a mental health diagnosis, many people assume anxiety is in your head and affects only your thoughts. However, if you have experienced anxiety yourself or know someone who has a formal diagnosis, you know that anxiety can take on some scary physical symptoms.
More than rambling thoughts, anxiety can cause physical symptoms such as sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pains, and insomnia to list a few. These physical symptoms can be a cause of concern and panic for some people and can even seem detached, or unrelated, to anxiety.
It can be difficult to identify and rationalize physical symptoms of anxiety, but fortunately, treatment can be helpful for identifying triggers and understanding these physical manifestations to better cope and manage.
Before you begin, remember that our professionals are always here to help
Anxiety in Action
The mind is incredibly powerful. This can be a good thing AND a bad thing, especially for people with anxiety. In fact, the mind can trick your body into thinking something is wrong when it actually is not.
This is especially true for people with anxiety. There is a common saying that “thoughts become things” and this can be applied to many different situations and aspects of life, including helping understand the physical manifestations of anxiety.
Your anxiety can cause irregular stress on the body. We already know stress can have physical effects on the body, and this can become amplified by unmanaged anxiety and poor coping.
These are very real reactions and can cause equally real symptoms such as restlessness, weight gain or loss, and strain on your body as it tries to regulate and recover from the influx of cortisone and adrenaline.
On the other hand, sometimes your anxiety can manifest itself in other physical forms. For example, if you find yourself feeling very anxious, you may experience sudden chest pain, sweating, and dizziness as your body tries to regulate and recover from this sudden change in your hormones.
In this case, your body has entered fight or flight mode because your anxiety has convinced your brain that you are in immediate danger. This message gets sent to your body and it responds accordingly. But typically, with anxiety, you are not in immediate physical danger or harm so your body builds up all this adrenaline with nowhere to go.
Enter: your physical symptoms. This is why regulating your anxiety and utilizing coping skills can be so helpful in de-escalating your anxiety and decreasing or combating those physical manifestations.
Answers about Anxiety
Recognizing the physical symptoms of anxiety can help you better cope and manage these symptoms.
It is not uncommon to feel physical manifestations of anxiety and stress, but this can take a toll on your system. If you find yourself having chest pains, experiencing trouble breathing, trouble sleeping, or dizziness to name a few common symptoms, it is important to listen to your body and mind and seek medical attention.
Fortunately, there are some helpful tips you can utilize when anxiety takes a physical toll on you, or share them with a loved one to help them with their anxiety.
First: remind yourself you are okay. If you know and identify your current symptom as a manifestation of your anxiety, focus on some mindfulness and grounding techniques to help you regulate your system and reduce these symptoms. Some examples of useful techniques include:
Controlled breathing. Focusing on deep breaths or paced breathing such as the 4-7-8 breathing technique can have a calming effect on the body and help you regulate your breathing and minimize some of those common physical symptoms of anxiety.
Grounding techniques. A common grounding technique for anxiety is the 5-4-3-2-1 model. You acknowledge 5 things you see around you, 4 things you can touch or feel around you, 3 things you can hear around you, 2 things you smell around you, and 1 thing you can taste. This helps you tune out of your anxiety and into your environment.
Distraction. Sometimes, you just need to get out of your head and focus on a healthy distraction. This could be a fidget toy, a game on your phone, a video, taking a short walk, or simply going to the bathroom and splashing some cold water on your face. This can distract your body emotionally and physically to help regulate your somatic nervous system.
Where Mental and Physical Health Meet
Remember: you are not alone and you can do this. Anxiety is the most common mental illness in America, with over 42.5 million people diagnosed and even more affected by anxiety through a loved one.
Anxiety can be a brutal beast to navigate and manage. Fortunately, you do not have to do it alone. Professionals at LunaJoy can help you identify what causes your anxiety, how to identify physical symptoms of anxiety, healthy coping techniques, treatment, therapy, and support to help you understand and manage your anxiety. Connect with us today to get started!
