How the Body Shows Anxiety

The physical symptoms of anxiety are sometimes the most frustrating. Sure, the constant rumination is no fun either, but more often than not, it's people's bodies that bring them to anxiety therapy. One woman might complain of frequent headaches or nausea. Or a man thinks he has heart problems because of heart palpitations and rapid heart beat. Only after they visit the doctor do they realize that their physical symptoms are due to anxiety. At first, the patient experiences great relief. "I'm not having a heart attack! I don't have a brain tumor!" But that relief is then usually followed by frustration. They feel dismissed. "It's not all in my head!" they say. "Anxiety can't make me feel this bad, can it?"

Absolutely, it can!

Anxiety can cause about any symptom in the book. It can be something as insignificant as a tight neck muscles or something as frightening as an entire body part going numb. (Clearly, any major symptom needs to be checked about by a medical doctor. For more about the phenomenon of primarily physical anxiety, check out this great article from thecut.com)

Physical symptoms due to anxiety, while frustrating, are nothing to be ashamed of. That fast heart rate, that migraine, that tremor is all your body's way of saying, "Pay attention." Pay attention to what though? Maybe it's an unfulfilling job, unreasonable work/life balance, a broken relationship, a past trauma. Oddly enough, it can even be happy stress, like a recent marriage or a baby. Anxiety therapy can help get anxiety under control naturally and get your body feeling great again.