What Does Anxiety Feel Like? Why It Happens? Signs & Causes

What are the Symptoms of Anxiety?

Anxiety can show up in various ways, both in your mind and body. Let’s get a quick overview of what symptoms you might experience in your brain and body.

How Does Anxiety Affect the Body?

The most common physical symptoms of anxiety are:

• Rapid heartbeat.
• Shortness of breath.
• Muscle tension.
• Upset stomach.
• Sweating.
• Trembling or shaking.
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness.
• Headaches.
• Rash.
• Trouble sleeping.

When you’re anxious, your body goes into a “fight or flight” mode, releasing stress hormones. If this happens too much or in non-scary situations, it can cause physical symptoms and health problems over time.

Effects of Anxiety on Your Mind

Anxiety can make you constantly dwell on bad experiences, feel disconnected from yourself like you’re watching a movie, and even cause the world around you to seem unreal. It also leads to excessive worrying about future events.

The most common effects of anxiety on your mind:

• Excessive worry.
• Racing thoughts.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Irritability.
• Restlessness.
• Fear or dread.
• Feeling on edge.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Intrusive thoughts.
• Memory issues.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions, each having unique symptoms. However, all anxiety disorders have one thing in common: persistent, excessive fear or worry in circumstances that are not threatening.

Several forms of anxiety disorders exist, including the following:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Excessive worry about everyday situations.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): Fear of social situations and being judged.
• Specific Phobias: Intense fear of particular objects or situations.
• Separation Anxiety Disorder: Extreme fear of being separated from loved ones.
• Panic Disorder: Sudden, intense episodes of fear (panic attacks).
• Agoraphobia: Fear of places or situations that might cause panic.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Intrusive thoughts leading to repetitive behaviors.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Result of a traumatic event, with flashbacks and anxiety.
• Hoarding Disorder: Difficulty discarding possessions, leading to clutter.
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD): Obsession with perceived flaws in physical appearance.

Where Does Anxiety Come From?

Anxiety can arise due to health issues, medication side effects, challenging life situations, or a mix of these. When you see a doctor, they’ll check if your anxiety might be a clue to another health problem.

What Causes Anxiety?

The most common risk factors and causes of anxiety are:

• Medical or mental illness.
• Medication side effects.
• Stressful life events.
• Genetic factors.
• Brain chemistry.
• Personality traits.
• Substance abuse.
• Traumatic experiences.
• Environmental factors.
• Hormonal changes.

Learn More:

• How to Calm Anxiety Attacks? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
• Top 10 Tips on How to Reduce Anxiety Immediately
• Beta Blockers for Anxiety Benefits, Dangers, and Side Effects
• Separation Anxiety in Adults, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
• Does Alcohol Help Anxiety?
• Dangers of Mixing Anxiety Medication and Alcohol
• What is Sleep Anxiety?
• What to Know About Valium for Anxiety
• Alcohol and Anxiety Co-Occurring Disorders
• Mental Health Assessment for Mental Illness Treatment

Can Anxiety Make You Feel Sick?

Your brain and digestive system are bonded, and when your body goes into an anxious state (also called your fight-or-flight response), it triggers some changes, including your digestive system. This can often result in an upset stomach or feeling nauseous.

Other symptoms may include:

• Rapid heartbeat.
• Shortness of breath.
• Sweating.
• Trembling or shaking.
• Upset stomach.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness.
• Muscle tension.
• Fatigue.
• Headaches.
• Trouble sleeping.

How to Stop Feeling Sick From Anxiety?

To beat anxiety, you’ve got to tackle what’s causing it. Many people can take charge of resolving what’s causing their worries and fears. However, talking to your doctor can make a difference if you struggle to face them.

Doctors have various ways to help with anxiety. They might connect you with a therapist or administer medications to ease it. Both therapy and meds work well, and combining them is even more effective. Plus, you usually won’t need them forever—during tough times.

We Level Up Texas Dual Diagnosis Rehab Center for Anxiety and Addiction

Recognizing addiction as a mental disorder has made the connection between substance abuse and anxiety-related issues more complex. Many rehab centers lack awareness of dual-diagnosed conditions, often treating them separately or neglecting diagnosis altogether. Our Texas dual diagnosis center, staffed with trained professionals, offers tandem treatment for higher success rates.

Substance abuse may stem from underlying mental health problems, like anxiety, leading individuals to self-medicate. This self-medication can escalate into dependency and addiction, especially when psychiatric issues are untreated. Even those initially free from psychiatric conditions experimenting with drugs can develop dependencies, and secondary disorders like anxiety may surface.

Untreated dual diagnoses can exacerbate substance abuse, with certain substances triggering recurring psychotic attacks, potentially worsened by stress. Addressing anxiety attacks is crucial not only to uncover the roots of substance abuse but also to the biochemical imbalances associated with physical dependence. Some people may be predisposed to addiction due to specific brain chemical imbalances, making a holistic approach necessary for effective treatment.