When someone’s life becomes overrun by anxiety, it makes even the simplest of tasks difficult to perform. Anxiety and panic attacks can cause someone to have difficulty on the job, at school, and in their personal relationships. As well, some of the symptoms of anxiety may appear to be purely medical in nature. Can having an anxiety disorder cause physical symptoms that plague a person because they don’t know the source of them? Renewal Oasis explores what anxiety feels like and how it can cause a person to experience troublesome medical issues.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety is caused by different factors. Sometimes it occurs as a result of experiencing temporary or ongoing stressful situations or having unresolved trauma from the past. Certain medical conditions, including a chemical imbalance in the brain, can contribute to developing anxiety. Some people become anxious as a result of having a substance use disorder. Attending an anxiety treatment program can uncover the source of a person’s symptoms. As a result, they can learn to heal past unresolved issues and address ongoing stressors in the person’s life.
What Does Anxiety Feel Like?
Anxiety feels like something a person cannot control or get out from under. Symptoms that anxiety can cause include shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, numbness, sweating, and a fear of losing consciousness. Many people feel at least some level of anxiety most of the time, while others find it cycles up and down. Anxiety can also cause people to have panic attacks from time to time or on a regular basis.
How Can You Tell if Shortness of Breath is From Anxiety?
Shortness of breath from feeling anxiety usually comes with other physical symptoms. The person may also feel sweaty and shaky, have a dry mouth, and feel an overwhelming sense of panic. Once the anxiety passes, their breathing will become normal again.
Can Anxiety Cause Chest Pain?
Anxiety can cause chest pain because the emotion causes the brain to produce a rush of adrenaline and cortisone in a person. When this occurs, their heart rate and blood pressure increase, which can cause chest pains.
Can Anxiety Cause High Blood Pressure?
Yes, anxiety can cause a spike in a person’s blood pressure when they are feeling anxious or having a panic attack. A rise in blood pressure that comes from anxiety will be temporary, rather than a long-term medical problem.
How to Tell if Nausea is From Anxiety
When a person experiences anxiety, they often become nauseated. This is because the human digestive system contains a large number of nerves that can be affected by anxious feelings. When someone feels anxiety, the body releases hormones and chemicals that may result in the person feeling nauseous for a short period.
Can Anxiety Cause Dizziness?
Yes, a person can experience dizziness as a result of having anxiety. This is because anxiety can affect a person’s blood pressure or cause them to hyperventilate. Either of these can cause a person to feel dizzy.
Can Anxiety Cause Diarrhea?
Many people are surprised to find out that yes, anxiety can cause diarrhea. A person’s brain and intestinal system are correlated in many ways. When someone experiences anxiety, it can cause intestinal cramping, which then can lead to diarrhea.
How Can I Calm an Anxiety Attack?
Despite how chaotic an anxiety attack feels, there are options a person can use to help calm themselves down. Many types of deep breathing exercises help people gain control of their shallow breathing, which helps alleviate other medical symptoms and lowers their anxiety. Many people find success using grounding techniques to remind themselves to stay in the present. Muscle relaxation techniques can also prove effective, as can focusing on performing a singular simple task while waiting for the panic to pass. Each person needs to remember that panic attacks are always temporary. As devastating as they may feel while they happen, they usually end within a few minutes, rather than spiraling out of control for long periods of time.
Contact Renewal Oasis About Treating Anxiety
Do you have an anxiety disorder and recognize that you suffer from some of the physical symptoms that this challenging mental health disorder can bring on? Renewal Oasis Behavioral Health provides residential mental health treatment for people who struggle with anxiety disorders. Our dedicated staff leads you through different types of therapy that help you reshape how you feel and react to triggering situations. You learn to anticipate and minimize symptoms of anxiety and feel more in control. We also provide access to a host of prescription medications that help quiet the anxiety in your mind and ease your symptoms.
For more information about how we can help you conquer anxiety, contact us today. Life gets easier when you find the right help for your specific mental health needs.
