Friday, January 2, 2009

Common Physical Symptoms Of Anxiety

By Jason H. Lee

Many people are often unaware that physical symptoms of anxiety do exist. They think of anxiety as a wholly emotional reaction, but in reality this couldn't be farther from the truth. Many people who suffer from anxiety often recount how the physical symptoms of anxiety become prominent first and then trigger an increased emotional reaction.

Anxiety symptoms are generally classified into two types. There is emotional anxiety occurring during an emotionally stressful time, and seemingly unrelated physical symptoms like general pain in the body that may not be easily linked to the anxiety.

Emotional anxiety is often followed by physical symptoms of anxiety, which can be identified by most people as reactions they have felt in the past. A common situation that causes anxiety is the fear of speaking in public. Strong physical symptoms of anxiety are felt in response to this, even in those who are accustomed to speaking in public on a regular basis.

People can be taught to recognize the physical symptoms of anxiety by thinking of the example of the anxiety they may feel when speaking to an audience. Anxiety will follow a predictable pattern of nervousness, which increases in intensity as the stressful situation is encountered.

Emotional recognition of an anxiety attack may be delayed due to the physical symptoms of anxiety. Patients may have a difficult time recognizing the attack if they are focused on a physical symptoms. For example, a person having an anxiety attack may develop chest pain and admit themselves to the hospital and undergo routine testing for a heart condition before ever showing other symptoms of anxiety. Like every emergency room patient with chest pains, the anxiety patient receives a full workup, but often no physical cause is found. The physician will interview the patient to determine if lifestyle factors are the cause, and may uncover such causes as a high-stress job, emotional abandonment due to divorce, or other difficult personal issues that require stress management to keep the patient healthy.

Patients may respond to high levels of stress by experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety such as chest pains, even though they may feel as though they are in control of a challenging situation in life. Anxiety can be the cause of such physical symptoms as an upset stomach, shortness of breath, wobbly legs, the shakes, increased heart rate, tightness in the chest, vomiting, and other digestive discomforts.

You do not have to fear that anxiety will take control of your life. There a several effective ways to control anxiety and lead a normal life. Indeed, medication is not the only option to alleviate the physical symptoms of anxiety. There are techniques that can be learned and even natural remedies to dealing with anxiety attacks. Talk to your doctor about your options so that you can choose what is right for you.

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