Different Ways Anxiety Can Affect the Body
Anxiety is a very common emotion (for lack of a better word) that thousands of people experience each day. This mental block can affect each individual in several different ways. Aside from the harm it does to your mind, anxiety takes a huge toll on your physical body. It is important for people who DON’T experience anxiety to learn about the impact that anxiety has on people and for everyone to acknowledge the different effects it can have on other people, out of respect for the people that struggle with it frequently.
For many, anxiety can cause chest tightness and trouble breathing. When you feel like your chest is being squeezed or like your throat is closing in on you, it becomes borderline impossible to casually continue on with your daily activities. This becomes especially difficult when your mind convinces you that you cannot possibly breathe, in that moment, immediately making it much harder to take a deep breath. Panic can quickly intensify from these thoughts and feelings if you don’t yet have effective coping mechanisms. Acquiring different breathing techniques can help with this, along with learning how to talk yourself down from the overwhelming panic.
“Knots in your stomach” is a term that is loosely used for common nervousness, but with anxiety it can actually be a pretty accurate description of how you feel. Anxiety can cause severe nausea, queasiness, stomach aches, digestive issues and more. Nervousness can multiply if you begin to think about the potential embarrassment of getting sick in public. The feeling of an upset stomach often causes more discomfort and unhappiness which just adds to the anxiety. Nobody likes having a stomach ache, so a stomach ache on top of internal panic is obviously not an ideal combination.
People who deal with anxiety may also suffer from exhaustion every day. It doesn’t matter how much you sleep, if your brain is constantly wired up, constantly over thinking, it affects you just the same as if you were constantly moving without ever resting. Not to mention the fact that even while sleeping, your brain can still be running wild with anxiety and you might wake up feeling like you stayed up all night long.
A rapid heartbeat is also a physical symptom of anxiety. Feeling like your heart is beating out of your chest can easily enhance your uncertainty and unease. During a panic attack, it is easy to convince yourself that you are experiencing more serious health complications based on the symptoms that your body is developing. Slowing your heart rate back to its resting BPM is more complicated than it sounds. Calming your anxiety symptoms takes a lot of awareness, a lot of self control, and a lot of practice.
Other physical symptoms of anxiety can include sweating, headaches, insomnia, shakiness, muscle tension, pain, etc. People (and their body’s) cope in all different ways which is entirely okay. People hold their stress in different parts of their bodies, whether it be their upper back, stomach, or wherever else, anxiety does harm your body as well as your mind. It’s not just in your head, don’t let anyone discredit what you go through. Your feelings are valid and you’re allowed to have them. It is important, though, that you work to manage your mental health and create an internal environment that is healthy and safe for you to live in.
Never assume anything about anyone. You have no idea what other people are dealing with. Because of this, you might as well treat everyone as if they are fragile, just in case. You cannot possibly guess what subjects may be sensitive to any specific person. Don’t get mad at someone for being a “worry-wart” because they may be working through something much more than that. Every person that experiences anxiety is exactly where they are supposed to be in their journey of mental health management. Some people need to be at their lowest point for a little while in order to figure out how to help themselves. Just because someone you know may seem care-free, you cannot assume that they haven’t been working tiredless to get to that point. Mental health is a constant effort.
Wherever you may be in your healing process, know that I am proud of you and that you are loved by many. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. You’re on the path that was made for you. Everything is going to work out!
Resources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/physical-symptoms-of-anxiety#symptoms
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/effects-on-body#1
