Dr. Andrea Zorbas, founder of Therapy Now SF, introduces the San Francisco therapist practice.
Anxiety is more easily recognized by its effects on our emotional wellbeing and is linked to symptoms such as: racing or obsessive thinking, constant worry, indecision, and jumping to the worst-case scenario. However, it can be hard to recognize how anxiety effects our physical bodies.
Anxiety does not only live in the mind.
As the mind and body are closely connected, emotional turmoil often manifests in physical symptoms such as upset stomach, dizziness, fatigue, increased heart rate, and panic attacks, among others.
Physical manifestations of anxiety can be disconcerting and lead people to worry about whether their physical health is in danger which, in turn, exacerbates the emotional symptoms of anxiety. Recognizing the connection between your anxiety and physical and emotional symptoms is the first step towards healing.
Below are some examples which illustrate possible physical manifestations of anxiety. The symptoms have been underlined, and anxiety triggers are listed below each example.
Example 1
You are preparing to give an important presentation at work and really want to do a good job. The CEO will be in attendance and you’re hoping to make a good impression. You’ve been working hard and, as presentation day approaches, you notice that every time you go to edit your presentation your heart starts to beat faster, maybe your hands get shaky and you start to feel dizzy. Or, when you walk past the conference room where your presentation will take place you notice your stomach cramps and suddenly you feel nauseas. For some reason, every time you pass the CEOs office or see them in the hallway you suddenly get hot start to sweat. You’re confused because you feel in good health at any other time in the day and worry there might be something physically wrong with you.
Triggers of anxiety here include: working on the presentation, the conference room where presentation will take place, seeing the CEO and their office.
Example 2
You’ve been having some relationship troubles with your partner and you’re worried they might be seeing someone else. Over time you start to notice that whenever you watch a tv show where someone is being unfaithful it’s suddenly hard to take a full, deep breath and you feel a tightness in your chest. When you see your partner checking messages on their phone a wave of panic washes over you and you get cold and worry that they might be messaging a new love interest. At night, you have a hard time sleeping and find yourself creating endless scenarios in your mind (rumination) where you find out your partner has been cheating or imagining the day they finally break up with you.
Triggers of anxiety here include: witnessing infidelity in the media, message alerts on your partner’s phone and perceiving them as being secretive about the messages.
If you’d like to learn more about physical and emotional manifestations of anxiety and speak to a professional in the Bay Area about how to manage them, contact us at Therapy Now SF to book a free consultation.
According to the American Psychological Association anxiety is “characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes”.
With as simple of a definition as the one above, you might be thinking, “Everyone must have anxiety then!” And the truth of the matter is, everyone does- At varying degrees and varying times throughout life. Anxiety can be a normal reaction to stress, uncertainty, life changes (present or anticipated), relationship troubles, pressure at work, and many other common challenges which arise in life.
Anxiety is the brain and body’s response to a perceived threat.
To learn more about perceived threat read our post titled “Why do we get anxious?”
What are symptoms of anxiety?
There are two categories of anxiety symptoms
Mental/emotional symptoms:
Obsessive thinking (known as rumination)
Excessive worry
Intrusive thoughts
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty making decisions
Excessive self-doubt, self-criticism
Feeling of impending doom
Desire to avoid certain social or physical situations
Feeling powerless
Physical symptoms:
Rapid heartrate
Feeling shaky or tingling sensations in body
Dizziness
Stomach cramps, nausea or diarrhea
Tightness in chest
Feeling short of breath or unable to take a full breath
Hot or cold flashes, sweating
Feeling wound up and/or restless
Difficulty sleeping
Feeling fatigued or weak
How do I know if I need to see a professional about my anxiety?
As mentioned above, everyone experiences symptoms of anxiety from time to time related to stressors and transition, and usually anxious symptoms dissipate after the stressful event has passed.
However, you may want to consider seeking professional help if:
Your symptoms persist for more than a 5 to 6 weeks after the stressful event
Your fears and worries become generalized to broader situations (i.e. Instead of being anxious about your upcoming work presentation, you now become anxious when thinking about or attending work in general)
The severity of symptoms begins to impair your ability to function or carry out day-to-day responsibilities
A therapist can work with you to identify the cause of your anxiety and learn strategies to manage mental/emotional and physical symptoms through evidence-based methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, and EMDR among others.
If you’d like to learn more about how therapy can help and speak to a professional in the Bay Area, contact us at Therapy Now SF to book a free consultation.
Anxiety is the brain and body’s response to a perceived threat. Though you are not actually in danger, your brain and body are telling you it’s time to seek safety.
There are 2 types of perceived threat which anxiety reacts to:
1. Physical harm: Your mind/body registers “threat” of physical injury or death
When your mind/body registers a threat to physical harm it activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS begins a chain of reactions where the heart begins to beat faster and sends blood flow to legs and arms, breathing becomes shallower and your mind zeros in on the perceived threat to prepare the body to either run to safety or fight in self-defense. Or, if you become overwhelmed with fear you may freeze and become stuck.
Common examples of anxiety concerning physical harm: fear of heights, fear of flying or driving, fear of enclosed spaces, fear of being in crowded spaces.
2. Existential or social harm: Your mind registers threat of disapproval or rejection by peers or loved-ones, loss of social status, or damage to reputation.
With existential or social anxiety, though there is no threat of physical harm, your mind still engages the sympathetic nervous system in an attempt to “protect” you. This can be confusing because, in the absence of a physical threat, it can be hard to understand what is causing your body to react.
Common examples of anxiety related to existential/social harm: fear of public speaking, general social anxiety.
What are triggers?
Triggers are reminders or cues connected to the perceived threat, which elicit a stress response in the body and sets in motion a combination of physical and mental/emotional symptoms which indicate “it is time to seek safety!”
When managing anxiety, it is crucial to identify your triggers and the symptoms they cause, to begin the process of calming your mind/body by distinguishing between perceived and actual threat.
For more information on anxiety symptoms, read our blog titled “What is anxiety?”
How can therapy help?
If you find that your anxiety becomes persistent and begins to interfere with your day-to-day life, a therapist can offer a compassionate and non-judgmental space for you to talk about the challenges you face. A therapist will help you identify your triggers and work collaboratively with you to determine the best and most effective coping strategies to fit your lifestyle.
If you’d like to learn more about how therapy can help and speak to a professional in the Bay Area, contact us at Therapy Now SF to book a free consultation.