Some anxiety can be severe, almost debilitating. Many people live with anxiety that is so pronounced that they cannot leave their home or struggle to maintain their relationships. Anxiety is an overwhelming condition, and some people have very difficult experience with it.
Still, some people have anxiety that is “manageable” despite its symptoms. For example, a person may have a general anxiety throughout most days, but still be able to focus on work, spend time with friends, even enjoy their lives. They still have anxiety, but it is a bit less severe and they’ve generally learned to live with it.
One thing I want to note, however, is that any time you struggle with anxiety – even if you are able to manage it – you should consider seeking professional support. You deserve to live your BEST life, and when anxiety holds you back from that, working with a professional therapist can be an amazing help.
In fact, chronic anxiety – anxiety that you live with for a long period of time, regardless of severity – can be very damaging to your physical and mental health. Many people find that when they have anxiety and panic attacks for an extended period of time, they start to develop symptoms that can be so strange, odd, or uncomfortable, they may start to feel like something is wrong with their health instead, or find that the symptoms are impacting their quality of life.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
Before we begin, let’s talk about the most common symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety itself causes many symptoms that many of us with anxiety are familiar with. These include physical symptoms such as:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Upset stomach
- Muscle tension
- Dizziness
- Faster breathing/hyperventilation
Psychologically, anxiety causes worries, nervousness, and fear. It can make it difficult to concentrate and make you feel irritable, tired, or upset. It may also make it harder to breathe. Those with panic attacks may experience other common symptoms such as:
- Chest pain
- Lightheadedness
- Dissociation
- Feelings of doom
- Chills
It may feel like your heart is pounding out of your chest, and it can even make people feel as though reality has altered.
Chronic Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety puts stress on the body. It can change how your body functions. The longer you live with anxiety, the more you may notice more symptoms or have other symptoms develop – including symptoms that we do not typically associate with anxiety. For example:
- Eye Pain – Anxiety puts pressure on the eyes in many ways. Tension can increase muscle pressure around the eye. When we have anxiety, our eyes dilate, leading to greater light exposure. Some people find that their light headedness also makes their vision more blurry. All of these can cause eye pain, especially when they’re experienced regularly.
- Hypersensitivity/Hyperawareness – Anxiety (especially panic attacks) can make us more sensitive to how we feel. This, in turn, means that things like minor aches, pains, and other issues can feel more pronounced and noticeable. Sensations that we may have not even noticed without anxiety become not only noticeable, but more severe as a result.
- Trouble Walking – Most of us breathe and walk automatically through nothing but our muscle memory. But when we think about breathing or think about walking, we turn an unconscious process into a conscious one. This same hyperawareness can thus cause people to struggle with issues like walking, turning a normally unconscious process (stepping forward) into one where we have to control each movement manually.
- Coughing – Coughing is common with anxiety, caused primarily by hyperventilation. Over time, however, that cough can become a bit more chronic, as the irritation from hyperventilation leads to more easily triggered throat muscles. Similarly, anxiety can lead to acid reflux, which also may cause coughing and irritated throat.
These are only a few examples of symptoms that we do not typically associate with anxiety, but can become more common the longer we struggle with anxiety symptoms.
In addition, our health is often a trigger for further anxiety. When we struggle with these issues, it can make our anxiety worse. This is one of many reasons it is so important to seek help and get the support you need.
Therapist for Anxiety: Audrey Jung
Licensed in Arizona and California and treating clients locally in Chandler, AZ, it is my role to help those struggling with anxiety find relief from their symptoms and more opportunity to live a better life. If you are looking for a therapist that specializes in anxiety, please contact me today to get started.