
Do you ever feel like you’re completely unable to manage your anxiety? That every day is a battle against racing thoughts, tightness in your chest, or an overall feeling of unease? If so, know that you’re not alone. Anxiety can be incredibly challenging to cope with, both mentally and physically, but there are ways to manage your anxiety! In this blog post, we’re diving into the physical symptoms of anxiety and our tips on relieving them.
Anxiety Impacts Many Areas of Your Life
Anxiety can present itself in many different ways. Some people may struggle with social anxiety, which makes it difficult to attend parties or socialize with others. If you struggle with social anxiety, you might believe that everyone notices the “weird” thing you are doing or think that you’re socially awkward. Some people may even avoid social situations altogether so they don’t have to deal with their social anxiety. Or maybe you feel calm during social situations, but later you find yourself ruminating on past situations, dwelling on what you could have done differently.
Others may feel extremely confident socially, but experience panic attacks in other situations that trigger their anxiety. For example, many people deal with severe anxiety when having to give a presentation or get on a plane. They might feel nauseous, jittery, or dizzy when confronted with these situations. All of these scenarios can make day-to-day life incredibly challenging to manage. Especially if you don’t realize that what you’re experiencing is anxiety.
Mental vs. Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
When people think of anxiety, they usually think of how anxiety affects our thoughts and feelings. Anxiety often causes people to overthink or worry about the worst case scenario. It’s certainly true that anxiety affects our thoughts and feelings, but it’s important to know that anxiety can also cause physical symptoms. For some people, anxiety can actually be more present through physical symptoms instead of through anxious thoughts and feelings. Since anxiety affects both the mind and body, it’s important to be aware of both the mental and physical symptoms. That way, you can better manage your anxiety and get the help you need.
What are Physical Symptoms of Anxiety?
Everyone experiences anxiety differently, so not everyone will experience the same symptoms. Anxiety can also cause a wide range of physical symptoms, so you may experience more than one symptom at a time. However, some of the most common physical symptoms of anxiety include:
- Chest pain or tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Increased heart rate
- Stomach issues like diarrhea, constipation, or nausea
- Sweating
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Feeling tense or jittery
- Trouble sleeping
Anxiety or a Physical Illness? Sometimes it’s Difficult to Tell
Now, you may notice that many of these symptoms can also occur if you’re dealing with a physical illness. That’s why you may want to consult a doctor to rule out any other potential health issues if you have these symptoms. It’s actually really common for people to visit the doctor for a physical complaint like the ones listed above, get a full examination and then be referred to a therapist. And that’s ok. If you are at all in doubt, it’s always a good idea to go talk to a medical professional to rule out a physical reason for your symptoms. However, once you’ve ruled out other health issues, you can begin to explore anxiety as a potential cause.
There are many different anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and panic disorder. You’ll want to see a professional in order to assess whether you have an anxiety disorder. Though it’s worth noting that even if you don’t have an anxiety disorder, you can still feel anxious from time to time. Essentially, any time symptoms of anxiety are impacting your daily life or your ability to do the things that are important to you, it’s time for help from a professional. So, whether you have an anxiety disorder or you just have the occassional anxious feelings, there are ways you can manage your anxiety.
Tips for Managing Anxiety
If anxiety is the cause of your physical symptoms, there are several things you can do to find relief. Some tips for managing your anxiety symptoms include:
- Deep breathing – Deep breathing can help reduce many of the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as shortness of breath and increased heart rate.
- Relaxation techniques – Relaxation techniques, like progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery, can help you become less jittery and tense. If you have trouble sleeping, you can also use relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep at night.
- Grounding techniques – Grounding techniques can help you stay present and grounded when you feel overwhelmed by anxiety. One grounding technique is to focus on your five senses by naming five things you see, four things you can feel, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you can taste.
- Counseling– Counseling is a great resource for treating anxiety. A counselor can help you understand your anxiety and develop coping skills to manage your symptoms of anxiety.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, remember that you don’t have to struggle alone. There are things you can do to manage your anxiety and find relief from your physical symptoms. If you need more support, you can reach out to a counselor that specializes in anxiety treatment.
Begin Anxiety Counseling in Roswell, Georgia
If you’re tired of avoiding parties, public speaking, or any other situation that triggers your anxiety, counseling can help! Our anxiety therapists can help you understand your anxiety and develop coping skills to manage your symptoms of anxiety. Reach out to schedule an anxiety counseling session in our Roswell, Georgia office. We’ll help you get the tools you need to manage your anxiety and live a happier, more fulfilling life.
To start managing your anxiety, you can follow these simple steps:
- Contact Wellview Counseling to learn more about our services and schedule your initial appointment
- Meet with one of our trained anxiety therapists
- Learn how to manage your anxiety and start feeling more fulfilled in your life!
Additional Services Offered at Wellview Counseling
We know that you’re a complex person, and you may be struggling with more than anxiety. Our caring therapists are trained to treat a range of mental health concerns to help you heal and grow. Our team offers counseling for depression, trauma and PSTD, and chronic illness. If you believe that you may be dealing with postpartum anxiety or depression, we also have counselors who are trained to help. Our therapists work with children, teens, and young adults, so we can help your child or teen as well. Mental health is so important, and our counselors can support you through your mental health journey.