Anxiety is correctly categorized as a mental health condition, but many people don’t realize that anxiety disorders can manifest physically. If you’re tormented by physical symptoms that have no clear cause, it could be anxiety.
At 2nd Chance Treatment Center, with practice locations in Phoenix and Litchfield Park, Arizona, our team of board-certified psychiatrists offers treatments for anxiety, including help managing your condition to prevent physical symptoms.
While anxiety is thought to originate in the areas of your brain related to emotional processing, mental symptoms are often just the tip of the iceberg. Anxiety can make you feel physical symptoms and exacerbate health issues you already have.
And when you’re suffering physically, it can also make your anxiety worse. The vicious cycle can repeat over and over until you get professional help managing your condition.
Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety are subtle. Increases in your heart rate, respiration, and sweat production can all kick in, especially if your anxiety ramps up toward panic attack territory.
You can have tightness in your chest, like you’re having a heart attack, or feel like you’re choking on acid due to gastrointestinal effects. Nausea, dizziness, and fatigue can all be symptoms of subconscious anxiety, as can:
All of these symptoms could have other medical causes, but they can also be caused or worsened by anxiety.
The first step toward dealing with anxiety is to talk to a professional who can properly diagnose your condition and recommend a plan of treatment.
There are several different types of anxiety disorders, including general anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), specific phobias, and more.
There are various ways to manage anxiety disorders. Depending on the type and severity of your anxiety and your potential triggers, your doctor may recommend a combination of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. The first can help manage symptoms, and the second can help teach your brain how to react more appropriately to things that make you anxious.
To learn more about anxiety and how to manage both your mental and physical symptoms, call the 2nd Chance Treatment Center location near you, or make an appointment online.