When anxiety makes you feel sick?

Anxiety is a common condition that can be triggered by various factors such as personal experiences, mental health conditions, and physical illnesses. While it is normal for individuals to feel anxious from time to time, experiencing chronic anxiety can lead to several side effects which may affect one’s daily routine. One of the most challenging aspects of anxiety is that it doesn’t discriminate; anyone at any age could experience its symptoms.

Feeling sick when you are anxious is one major issue experienced by many individuals who suffer from the condition. It’s not just psychological but physiological too — you literally start feeling under the weather. Here we will discuss some potential causes for why anxiety makes you feel unwell as well as what actions might help resolve this constant bodily confusion!

Understanding The Connection Between Anxiety And Physical Health

Most people don’t realize how powerful our emotions can be on our bodies physically until they themselves fall ill due to them. For those struggling with an anxiety disorder or similar mental illness, they tend to experience “fight or flight” sensations even when no actual danger exists like if there is a loud noise in your house at night – you get that adrenaline rush and heart palpitations! This sort of response leads your body toward tensions it wasn’t meant to handle over long periods of times — leaving you feeling drained and more vulnerable than usual!

“.. When being barreled over (by feelings/sensations) without consent – belly churning like an amusement park ride – during these times, grounding yourself helps.”

Keeping yourself between scenarios designed specifically for comfort or relaxation isn’t always possible whenever triggers appear out-of-the-blue so I’ve made a list down below of some things within arms reach (figuratively speaking) which could make settling back into calmness easier:

• Turn off social media notifications
• Drink something soothing like lavender tea
• Take deep breaths while holding onto a physical object (like an ice pack, stress ball or even a pet)
• Listen to calming music on your phone

• Try the 5-senses relaxation exercise:

  • Notice five things you can see,
  • Four things you can touch,
  • Three things you could hear if it were quiet enough,
  • Two smells that please/comfort OR two colours that make/induce peace of mind
    …finally ending with one thing to express gratitude towards.

Recognizing what issues tend to trigger anxiety most for individual people is also positively impactful. Once those red flags have been identified then avoidance might ultimately reduce nervous jitters and unfruitful tension in stressful situations.

Why Does Anxiety Make You Feel Sick?

1. Nausea

Very commonly experienced side effect of anxiety attacks –– whether due to social anxieties or phobias, nausea signals mild-to-moderate distress levels while indicating something has spiked inside more noticeable than before [Nerve Control & Nervous System Disorders]. These include problems like acid reflux which are often mistaken as stomach cancer symptoms when triggered by psychological elements.

1. Headaches/Migraines

Tension headaches frequently occur whenever someone closes themselves off leaving hours pass-by in anxious-thought cycles; migraines intensify this along with throwing bowel movements out of whack — leading one down slippery health slope risking further complication like sleep-deprivation depression amongst others [Medscape].

1. Heart Palpitations / Chest Pain

Probably some familiar panic sensations already but noting them serves as defusing mechanisms… basically how healthy/harmless they are helps relieve any additional concern otherwise related solely to heightened anxiety scenarios as part-of-the-pile-on sensation pile described previously; similarly so knowledge about other accompanying phenoms such facial flushing provides reinforcement toward confidence during these moments [National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)]!

1. Fatigue

Anxiety-related weariness often negatively affects one’s daily routine no matter how much people try to battle it with push and shove tactics [American Psychological Association (APA)]. This is because anxiety causes stress hormones such as cortisol, which elevates blood sugar levels, trigger the “fight or flight” response, further contributing to nausea and headache issues.

How Can You Manage Anxiety Symptoms So They Don’t Ruin Your Day?

Fortunately, managing your anxiety symptoms so that they don’t get in the way of life isn’t impossible. Here are few things you can do:

1. Exercise

Endorphins! Endorphins! Everyone knows these are good for us but interestingly enough when trying to gain control over feelings of distress getting a strong release from all that built-up tension can target serotonin-/-norepinephrine-synapse instead of dopamine (which still sparks simply when checking off tasks) – ultimately generating better moods within 24 hours following energetic exercise sessions as well [Michigan State University].

1. Get Enough Sleep

Ensuring oneself catches up on sleep post-anxiety bouts helps in more than just recharging battery cells yet also restore cognitive functioning capabilities related activities important toward overall surmounting perceived stresses seen at hand [for instance reviewing anxious-generating situations; not necessarily evening media sources]. As this article describes: “sleep problems and migraines create kind of circular cycle” referring back earlier description about worsening mental/emotional difficulties due lack proper rest –– making diagnosis/treatment/daily healthy routine formation difficult if not outright impossible [Medical News Today].

1. Mindfulness/Relaxation Techniques

One practical solution for remedying prolonged uneasiness could be establishing some sort relaxation ritual whether instant-one-time-use or repeated-practice till-becomes-habitual: deep breathing techniques / visualization exercises / progressive muscle relaxation strategies / hypnosis apps & CDs… any/combination-of ought make mind drift into positive territory alongside healthy physical pleasures related above [American Psychological Association (APA)].

1. Stop Procrastinating

More often than not, procrastination only amplifies anxiety considering it leaves us with unfinished tasks that linger around in our minds until we accomplish them. Hence, making a checklist of your to-do list and sticking to it is an excellent solution to calming down anxiety levels[Healthline].

Seeking Treatment for Anxiety-Related Illnesses

If symptoms worsen or persist despite lifestyle modifications regular visits with healthcare professionals could help provide the next line of relief –– certified therapist/psychologist ~~/medications from psychiatrist~~ notably effective remedies; remember there’s no one-size-fits-all perfect answer always though so exploration remains key!

In summary:

Although experiencing sickness while being anxious can be challenging, knowing what triggers you have and how best to manage stressors will contribute significantly towards reducing unpleasant side effects. Regular exercise combined with proper sleep and relaxation techniques should be plus possible solutions if left unattended become bigger health problems over time – never let worrying overwhelm yourself unnecessarily because at any point pursuing professional medical assistance helps restore balance again into life as well!