What Are the Physical Symptoms of Anxiety?

Types of Anxiety

Anxiety affects nearly 19% of US adults every year. Most of them will experience Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), the most common type of anxiety. However, it is far from the only anxiety disorder. 

Despite every anxiety disorder being different, they all present similar physical anxiety symptoms, which we’ll explore in the next section. 

Types of anxiety that present with physical anxiety symptoms include: 

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive worry and fear about many things, even when there is little or no reason to worry. This type of anxiety can make it challenging to control the anxiety and can lead to physical symptoms like restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and muscle tension.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves recurring obsessions and compulsions that significantly interfere with daily life. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts or urges, while compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts done to alleviate distress or prevent something bad from happening.
• Social Anxiety Disorder, also known as social phobia, is an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or rejected in social situations. People with social anxiety may avoid social interactions, leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
• Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks that involve sudden feelings of intense fear or discomfort. These attacks can be accompanied by physical symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath.
• Phobias involve an intense and irrational fear of specific objects or situations. Common phobias include fear of heights, animals, or flying. Phobias can lead to avoidance behavior and significant distress when faced with a feared object or situation.

Knowing what type of anxiety disorder you have will help you find an effective treatment. Talk with a licensed therapist or doctor to get an official anxiety diagnosis. Or, if you’re just starting to explore anxiety, take an online assessment to see if you score highly in one of these anxiety disorders. 

Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

Experiencing anxiety can bring about a range of physical symptoms that can be distressing and overwhelming. Here is a comprehensive list of physical anxiety symptoms that you may encounter:

• Rapid heartbeat, palpitations
• Sweating, feeling clammy
• Trembling or shaking
• Shortness of breath, chest tightness
• Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or faint
• Nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea
• Muscle tension, stiffness, or pain
• Fatigue, restlessness, difficulty sleeping
• Headaches or migraines
• Changes in appetite, either feeling excessively hungry or having no appetite at all
• Dry mouth, difficulty swallowing
• Frequent urination or bowel movements
• Hot flashes or chills
• Tingling sensations, numbness in the hands or feet
• Chest pain

These physical symptoms of anxiety can occur with or without emotional and cognitive signs. For example, it is possible to experience sudden chest pain and tingling sensations without knowing what caused it or experiencing any distressing thoughts or memories. In this case, you were likely triggered by something unconsciously and your body reacted to try and protect you, even if you were entirely safe.

What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like?

A panic attack is the embodiment of physical anxiety symptoms. It is a surge of anxiety, primarily physical anxiety symptoms. They can come on all at once or out of the blue or can be triggered by something anxiety-provoking. They are common in anxiety disorders, especially Panic Disorder, and PTSD. 

It can feel like you’re dying when you have a panic attack. Although panic attacks will not cause death, they can include some scary symptoms, such as: 

• fear that you’re going to die
• have trouble breathing or feel as if you’re choking
• have numb or tingling sensations in parts of your body
• have chest pain
• feel lightheaded, dizzy, or as if you might pass out
• feel overheated or have chills

You may feel unable to talk or move, even if you want to. It can be a terrifying experience, but they are not deadly. Most panic attacks last only 10 minutes, although a few can last up to 30 minutes. It is possible to learn how to stop a panic attack, which can reduce the duration of a panic attack. 

How Anxiety Affects Your Body

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to danger. In some situations, it is incredibly helpful. All of the physical symptoms of anxiety work together to help you get out of a dangerous situation safely. If you look at stories of people who survived crazy things, you’ll see reports of lifting beyond their strength, running faster than they thought, and, in general, going above and beyond what they thought their body could do. This is the result of anxiety in your body. 

However, when you are safe and there is no danger, all of these defense mechanisms become harmful. Tense muscles start to ache, stress hormones wreak havoc on your internal systems, and quick breathing makes you feel faint. Anxiety as a mental disorder is the flight or fight response activating when there is no danger around. 

Let’s take a look at what anxiety does to your body. When your brain perceives danger: 

• It releases stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol which increases heart rate and breathing.
• You breathe rapidly to get more oxygen to the muscles, prepping them to run or attack.
• Your muscles tense, getting ready for a quick release to move away from danger quickly. 
• Your heart rate increases, causing your blood pressure to go up and produce more energy. 
• Cortisol increases sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream to give nutrients to muscles.

All of these are great to have when you’re in danger, but when you’re not…the rapid breathing makes you feel dizzy, the racing heart causes chest pain, and those tense muscles cause muscle aches and headaches. Increased sugar in the bloodstream can make you feel lightheaded and high blood pressure is bad for your health. 

Although the physical symptoms of anxiety may have started out as a way to help us escape danger, they have become prevalent in non-dangerous situations, creating mental and physical health issues.

Can You Have Anxiety and Not Know It?

Yes! For people who have less cognitive and emotional symptoms, anxiety can go unnoticed for a long time. People may think they are simply prone to headaches or stomach aches or are an insomniac without understanding the root cause: anxiety.

Can Anxiety cause physical pain?

Yes. Physical pain is a common side effect of anxiety. People describe it as a sharp stabbing pain near the heart or under the ribs, or as a dull ache starting in their center. Although this pain is real, it does not mean something is physically wrong. It is a symptom of anxiety. 

For example, some people with anxiety or ADHD experience Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). People with RSD experience sharp, stabbing pains in their chest or stomach when they experience perceived or real rejection of any kind. This pain can be debilitating for a few seconds or minutes before passing. It is different from a panic attack and may or may not include the presence of anxious thoughts and emotions.

How to stop physical anxiety symptoms

A lot of the advice out there for anxiety involves techniques used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). During CBT you’re taught to acknowledge harmful, anxious thoughts and replace them with true, positive thoughts.

However, if you struggle with the physical symptoms of anxiety, this may not be much help. Instead, focus on calming your physical body. For whatever reason, your brain thinks you are in danger and is amping your body up for a fight or flight. By calming the body you’re telling the brain that everything is okay and it can calm down. 

Calm your body by practicing some of these mindfulness techniques for anxiety: 

Absolutely, here's the explanation of how each of these techniques can help reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, in a bullet format:

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation: By systematically tensing and then relaxing muscle groups, this practice can help alleviate physical tension and tightness, bringing a sense of relaxation and calm to the body. Start in your head and scrunch up all of your face muscles. Hold it for three seconds and then release, letting them relax completely. Now focus on your shoulders: tense them tightly for three seconds and then release. Make sure you’re fully relaxing the muscles before progressing to the next body part. Continue all the way down to your toes. 
• Box Breathing: This deep breathing technique involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again in a rhythmic pattern, promoting a sense of calm and reducing the body's stress response, including lowering heart rate. Inhale for a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of four. Exhale for another four, and then hold for four. 
• Running or Walking: Engaging in physical activity such as running or walking can release endorphins, the body's natural stress-fighting hormones, and provide a healthy outlet for pent-up energy and tension, contributing to a sense of well-being.
• Gentle Yoga or Movement: Incorporating gentle yoga or movement practices, along with breathing exercises and mindfulness, can promote physical relaxation and mental focus, helping to alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
• Meditation: By encouraging a sense of inner calm and training the mind to redirect anxious thoughts, meditation can help reduce physical symptoms of anxiety and create a greater sense of peace and balance within the body.
• Alternative Tapping: Cross your arms so that your left palm is resting below your right collar bone and your right palm is resting below your left collar bone. Tap your left hand and then your right hand in a slow, steady beat. You should feel the thud echo slightly at the base of your throat. (But don’t tap so hard you’re hurting yourself!) This has a similar effect as EMDR, a treatment used for PTSD. By using your left hand to tap the right side of your body (and vice versa) you’re activating your left and then your right side of your brain. This stimulates healing and a calming sensation, bringing the body to peace. 

The next time you’re feeling physical symptoms of anxiety, try one of these calming techniques. Calm your body for a calm mind.

Therapy to stop physical anxiety symptoms

Therapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or mindfulness-based therapy, can be incredibly effective in managing and alleviating physical symptoms of anxiety.

Through therapy, individuals can explore the underlying causes of their anxiety and learn coping mechanisms to address both the emotional and physical aspects of their distress. Therapists work collaboratively with clients to develop personalized strategies to interrupt negative thought patterns, regulate emotions, and reduce physiological responses to stress. 

By focusing on building resilience, developing relaxation techniques, and fostering self-awareness, therapy can help individuals gain a greater sense of control over their physical symptoms and ultimately improve their overall well-being. 

At Lifebulb, we recognize the transformative power of therapy in guiding individuals towards a brighter, more fulfilling life by addressing not only the symptoms but also the root causes of anxiety. Reach out today to connect with one of our highly educated, experienced, and passionate therapists who are dedicated to helping you live your brightest life.

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