Can anxiety cause shaky hands?
Do you ever feel like a leaf in the wind, flapping around uncontrollably? Well, if you suffer from anxiety, then that may be exactly how your hands feel. In fact, shaky hands are one of the most common symptoms of anxiety.
Don’t believe me? Well, keep reading as we delve into this topic and find out what really causes those jittery fingers.
What is Anxiety?
Let’s start by defining what anxiety actually is. To put it simply, anxiety is a feeling of unease caused by worry or fear. It’s our body’s natural response to perceived threats or dangers.
Nowadays, we’re all wired pretty tight due to living in a fast-paced world that demands so much from us on a daily basis. Whether its work-related stress or just trying to catch up with the bills at home; there always seems to be something new for us to panic over every other day. And while mild cases such as these can cause temporary feelings of anxiousness which eventually fade away when circumstances change – chronic cases can lead to some more serious side effects (such as shaking).
So now let’s dive right into our question: How does anxiety cause shaky hands?
The Science behind Shaky Hands
Medical experts say hand tremors occur because nerves misfire between the brain and muscles – causing involuntary movement(s) even in situations where we are supposedly calm . This begs for further pondering: Why do nerves “misfire” during moments where otherwise everything should seem fine and dandy?
Well folks! That magic term you’ve been waiting for all this time has arrived… YUP! You guessed it right…. ANXIETY!
During stressful times, instead of remaining calm; Our body activates fight-or-flight mode which triggers intense physiological reactions revealing two primary responses –running away from danger (flight), or fighting off whatever perceives itself dangerous. This leads to various symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, and shortness of breath.
Now then… what were we talking about? Oh right! When a person experiencing anxiety has shaky hands, it’s often this fight-or-flight response that is responsible for activating the nervous system — and subsequently causing shaking or tremors.
Are There Other Causes of Shaky Hands?
In addition to anxiety disorder(s), there are many other potential culprits for hand tremors including:
- Low blood sugar
- Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland)
- Physical exhaustion
- Parkinson’s Disease
And during drug withdrawals….
But wait! Before you become overly concerned about your own trembling fingers; It’s important to stress that in most cases it’s anxiety or its related disorders behind our shaky hands. So let’s move on shall we?
What Type of Anxiety Causes Shaking Hands
Anxiety-induced hand tremors typically occur during episodes of acute onset anxiety – meaning stressful situations, panic attacks etc. As well, one can experience them unexpectedly – which intensifies feelings of fear leading further down into prolonged periods by creating generalized anxiety.
To be clear however: Mental conditions like GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) don’t always cause visible symptoms; but when they do they happen through excessive worry over issues both real and imagined – Such amounts build upon an emotional strain until reaching feverish heights leaving nothing but quivering clusters within our fingertips!
So if you ever catch yourself being unable to hold a pen without scribbling unreadable words or having difficulty using cutlery properly when out dining with friends/family members; There’s reason enough now not blame your “clumsy-self” since it could just probably be beyond your control due come from something bigger underlying deep tissue somewhere.
Also bear in mind that certain medications designed for treating physical issues may have side effects such as hand-tremors. This brings additional focus to the importance of discussing ALL medications one currently takes with their healthcare provider so that any related issues can be diagnosed and addressed accordingly.
Managing Shaky Hands Caused by Anxiety
If you experience anxiety-induced shaky hands on a regular basis, It’s important to realize that this hindrance is a very common side-effect amongst those affected by similar conditions. The good news however? There are several effective ways to manage such tremors:
1) Medications: Your doctor may prescribe medication such as beta-blockers or benzodiazepines that help regulate your nervous system and ultimately improve hand tremors caused by anxiety.
2) Deep Breathing Exercises: These calm inhalation techniques help slow down rapid breathing while also relaxing nerves within our body; Leading towards natural soothing effects thus reducing chances of experiencing further shaking due nothing less than an unfriendly forced contraction -Nervousness.
3) Mindful Relaxation Techniques: Yoga poses along with acupuncture, massage therapy or aromatherapy scents like lavender oil have all shown to work wonders in helping achieve relaxation thereby letting go off negative thought processes which could really make things worse on its own!
4) Keeping a Journal / Talk Therapy Sessions :Surprisingly enough jotting down what’s causing us mental distress helps release tension from within thereby making individuals calmer mentally – relieving them considerably from hitherto uncontrollable physical manifestations of inner turbulence.
Conclusion
To sum up things briefly; Yes it does happen – Anxiety culminating in shaky hands is more often than not responsible for these annoying tiny vibrations throughout various parts of our bodies; You’re not alone – they can occur anytime anywhere without rhyme nor reason! but there exist treatments available once diagnosed appropriately (eg., deep breathing exercises , cognitive behavioral therapy etc.) so don’t hesitate in seeking professional medical advice if needed.
Remember “One symptom at a time”!!