Anxiety is well known for being a mental health condition but can also present itself through many real physical symptoms, making it tough for some of us to know that what we are experiencing is actually anxiety.
Sometimes when a physical symptom presents itself, it can feel like something really serious is happening to our body and not knowing what the cause is, can increase our anxiety levels even further.
We all experience anxiety differently and therefore, experience different physical symptoms of anxiety too. Once you find the link and get to know how your body responds to anxiety, it’s easier to recognise that you’re not in serious danger and it can help you manage an anxiety attack before it gets worse.
So what are some of the physical symptoms of anxiety?
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Blushing or overheating
- Stomach feeling like it’s in knots
- Nausea
- Going to the toilet more frequently
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Restlessness
- Breathing Too Fast
- Heart rate increasing
- Palpitations
- Muscles tensing up
- Insomnia or Parasomnias such as sleepwalking, sleep paralysis and night terrors etc.
- Jaw clenching
- Teeth grinding
- Chest pains
- Exhaustion
You may not feel all of the symptoms but feeling even just a few of these can be extremely scary and hard to overcome. When you’re in a full blow anxiety attack, the physical symptoms are overwhelming and sometimes make you feel like you’re dying.
The best way to deal with the physical symptoms of anxiety is to tackle the anxiety itself. Reassure yourself that your physical symptoms are a completely normal response to feeling anxious!
Try these tips to help your anxiety:
40 Ways To Improve Your Anxiety Right Now
5 Ways To Reduce Anxiety When You Have NO Time
12 Things To Remember If You Have Social Anxiety
If you’re struggling with your anxiety, you are welcome to join my anxiety support group.
Good post and I can relate to a lot of these, which is why it frustrates me when people try to see mental and physical illness as separate. My anxiety literally affects me physically. I’ve had everything from sweating and blushing to back pain, stomach pain and feeling sick when I’m anxious and it took a while for me to get even my GP to understand they could be connected.
The going to the toilet one is an interesting one, recently during a mental health course at my work, the course deliverer explained that this is to do with the fight, flight and freeze part of anxiety and going to the toilet is our body’s way of making us lighter on our feet for when we needed to run away from predators and dangerous situations!!
Yes definitely, the physical symptoms can be just as frightening as the anxiety itself. I end up feeling like I’ve lost a fight with a T-Rex after a panic attack! It completely beats you up.