Nov 11, 2024
Anxiety is a very common mental health disorder. An estimated 40 million adults (around 19% of the U.S. population) have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include General anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), phobias, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), among others. Although every anxiety disorder is different, they share many common symptoms and traits.
One common set of symptoms is the physical symptoms of anxiety. Over time, anxiety and chronic stress in the body can cause physical health issues. This article will examine what anxiety does to the body and what anxiety feels like in the body.
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
In addition to cognitive symptoms like racing or looping thoughts, stressing about the worst-case scenario, and hypervigilance, anxiety can present itself in many physical ways. The physical symptoms of anxiety can often be misunderstood as a physical health issue. It’s important to receive a proper diagnosis before starting treatment for anxiety or physical health issues.
Physical symptoms of anxiety include:
- Racing Heart: Experiencing palpitations or a fast heartbeat, even in the absence of physical exertion, often accompanied by a sense of unease or dread.
- Shortness of Breath: Feeling breathless or having difficulty breathing, which can contribute to feelings of suffocation or loss of control.
- Tense Muscles: Persistent muscle tension, leading to aches, pains, or a feeling of being constantly "wound up."
- Upset Stomach: Nausea, diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal issues caused by the body's stress response.
- Sweating: Experiencing sudden, unexplained sweating, especially in the palms, underarms, or on the face.
- Trembling or Shaking: Physical shaking or trembling, which can be particularly noticeable in the hands or voice.
- Dizziness: Feeling lightheaded or dizzy, potentially leading to unsteadiness or feelings of faintness.
These physical issues can lead to health problems such as chronic brain fog, insomnia, or fatigue. You may have these physical symptoms without knowing you have anxiety, like when you feel tired for no apparant reason. If you experience these physical symptoms of anxiety frequently, talk to a doctor or therapist about exploring an anxiety diagnosis.
What does anxiety feel like?
Anxiety feels different for everyone. When treating anxiety, it can help to become familiar with what anxiety feels like in your body. Understanding this will help you learn to recognize when you are triggered and take the necessary steps to calm your body down. Also, being able to recognize when you’re feeling anxious can help you stop the anxiety from becoming worse. The physical symptoms of anxiety can lead to more anxiety, as your body becomes convinced there is danger and prepares you to fight.
Common places people feel anxiety include:
- The throat: It can feel like it’s hard to breathe or there’s something squeezing your throat. Some people have described it as a “lump” in their throat.
- The chest: The chest is a common area where people feel anxiety. Their chest may feel tight, aching, or painful. Sometimes sharp pain emanating from the chest can occur. In most cases, the chest pain will pass with the anxiety, but in cases of chronic anxiety, chest pain can last a few days or more.
- The stomach: Another common place to find anxiety is in the stomach or gut area. Anxiety can mess with your gut and stomach and cause all sorts of uncomfortable GI issues, from stomach aches to diarrhea, nausea, and even vomiting.
- The back and shoulders: When we get stressed, our muscles tend to tighten up. Over many hours and days, this can result in chronic back pain.
- The head: Finally, headaches are very common in people who experience anxiety. Sometimes these are tension headaches, caused by holding the neck and shoulder muscles too tightly. Other times these headaches are a result of forgetting to eat or drink water, which can occur if you’re feeling nauseous because of anxiety.
Take a moment to do a body scan. Where is there pain or discomfort in your body? What does it feel like? Are you feeling anxious? Start taking note of how anxiety feels in your body, so you can become aware of anxiety when it arises.
What does anxiety do to the body?
When left undiagnosed, anxiety can cause physical health issues. Anxiety can have both long-term and short-term effects.
Short-term effects of anxiety on the body
In the short term, anxiety can contribute to:
- Loss of libido
- Headaches
- Stomach aches and GI problems
- Increased blood pressure
- Muscle aches and injuries
- Extreme fatigue and brain fog
Most of these symptoms can be easily treated with anxiety therapy.
Long-term effects of anxiety on the body
Long-term effects of anxiety on the body are harder to treat and may take more time to heal from fully. Long-term effects of chronic anxiety include:
- Heart disease
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Weakened Immune System
- Weight gain
- Higher risk of developing arthritis or joint pain
These are just a few of the long-term effects anxiety can have on your body and does not include the mental, emotional, or social effects of anxiety.
Anxiety is a whole-body problem. It affects everything from our thinking to our digestion to how our muscles respond to stimuli. It can lead to major medical concerns and increase your risk of other mental health disorders like depression. (Depression and anxiety are commonly comorbid disorders.)
If you recognize any of these physical symptoms of anxiety in yourself, and physical health treatments aren’t working, you might have an anxiety disorder. Talk to a therapist to receive a diagnosis. Or, if you still aren’t sure therapy is for you, take our anxiety assessment to see how likely it is you have anxiety.
When you’re ready, Lifebulb therapy is here to help you navigate anxiety treatment and start feeling better, physically and mentally.
