Anxiety is an unpleasant mental state that people experience when under stress or pressure. It can range from feeling slightly uncomfortable to feeling extremely anxious, scared and even having panic attacks. Although there are many well-known anxiety symptoms, there are also some anxiety symptoms that often go overlooked. These anxiety symptoms may not be as well known because it can be difficult for people to distinguish whether they are experiencing anxiety-related or stress-related.
What Treatments Are Available?
There are many treatments for anxiety available that you can try besides medications if it works for you. The best treatment is going to be the one that you feel most comfortable with, as well as the one that’s going to work for your particular type/severity of anxiety problem. Here are some things you can do yourself as well as other options:
Supplements
Taking amino acids like Theanine can help reduce stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation. You can also take essential oils (such as lavender, bergamot or sandalwood), magnesium, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids to boost your mood naturally. By taking supplements for the treatment of anxiety, you make your body healthy and boost up the effects of natural treatments. Moreover, some supplements help your body by boosting up serotonin hormones responsible for the treatment of anxiety.
Take Deep Breaths
Deep breathing helps relieve tension in the body and helps calm down anxious feelings. Taking deep breaths also signals to your brain that you’re okay, reducing stress hormones and making it easier to think again. Breathe in for five seconds, hold it for three seconds and exhale for five seconds. Repeat this ten times, and you’ll feel more relaxed and calm (this is known as the 4-7-8 breathing technique).
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that helps relax your muscles by tensing them up and then releasing the tension. This process helps calm both mind and body by putting the body into a relaxed state. Start by making sure you’re comfortable and have about 20 minutes of quiet time to yourself. Start with your toes by pressing them together for five seconds, then slowly exhale as they are released. Work your way up from there until you’ve worked through every group of muscles in your body, including face, shoulders, belly, buttocks, hands, thighs, etc.
Meditation
Meditation is a great way of relieving anxiety symptoms because it leaves you feeling calm and relaxed. It’s also helpful because many people who experience anxiety problems are often anxious about trying new things or trying something they’re not good at. With meditation, though, there is no real “right” or “wrong” way to do it, so you don’t have to worry about being judged either by yourself or others.
Common Overlooked Anxiety Symptoms
People experiencing these symptoms often shrug them off, thinking that it’s just a part of life and nothing can be done about them because it has always been this way. The truth is, while some anxiety symptoms may be due to other factors, some anxiety symptoms are linked to your anxiety.
1. Chronic Fatigue
It is normal to feel fatigued when under a lot of stress, but what if you were always feeling fatigued even when you don’t have any stressful events going on in your life? This may be a sign that you are suffering from anxiety. Anxiety causes the body and mind to function at high alert all of the time (called hyperarousal), causing chronic fatigue that is not relieved by sleep or rest.
2. Frequent Headaches and Migraines
Most of us feel like we’re suffering from a headache and migraine when stressed or anxious. Headaches and migraines may also be another overlooked anxiety symptom. Some people experience headaches or migraines more often than they normally do due to chronic stress and anxiety, which causes the muscles in their neck and head to tighten up (called tension-type headaches). Poor posture can also lead to frequent headaches and migraines and take on stressful jobs with long work hours.
3. Frequent Urination
If you find yourself going to the bathroom often during the day for no reason, this could be an overlooked anxiety symptom called urinary frequency. Anxiety causes a person to feel the need to empty their bladder often, resulting from increased activity from your sympathetic nervous system (which deals with the body’s “fight or flight” responses). The fight or flight response increases blood flow into the muscles and away from other body parts. Such as the stomach and bladder.
4. Frequent Bowel Movements
Anxiety may also cause increased bowel movements in some cases. The fight or flight response decreases blood flow going toward our digestive systems. This causes people to have problems digesting food properly, resulting in stomach aches, cramps, and changes in bowel movements. This symptom is more commonly associated with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). But it can also be an overlooked symptom of anxiety.
5. Hyperarousal Symptoms
Anxiety causes your body to constantly be in the fight or flight response. This may cause you to feel like you’re always on edge and alert. This symptom is also known as hyperarousal. People experiencing this symptom often experience increased heart rate (or sometimes even a racing heartbeat), trouble sleeping, irritability, and over-sensitivity to sound, sight and touch. It may even cause problems focusing because it’s hard for people to think clearly when they are preoccupied with other things going on in their minds due to chronic stress and anxiety.
6 . Overwhelming Fear and Panic
While fear and panic can cause people to feel anxious, fear and panic are anxiety symptoms. Both can cause changes in blood pressure, shakiness/tremors, dry mouth, nausea, and even hot flashes or chills. Fear and panic are just different kinds of anxiety symptoms that people often mistake for something else because they know what it feels like when they’re feeling anxious due to stress or due to another trigger.
Anxiety is a complex mental disorder that will require professional help to solve its cause and provide relief from its symptoms. However, not every person suffering from anxiety needs medication or treatment performed by psychiatrists – many times, all they need is reassurance that what they are experiencing is just anxiety and nothing more.
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