This is a slightly different article for me and this website but anxiety is a subject I often feel I should talk about more often. On one hand I want to so that I might help you if you are feeling some weird shit symptoms and don’t know where to turn, and on the other hand I don’t like to talk about it too much because I am 95% in a good mental state.
A couple of my members have asked me to write a piece on the freakish symptoms anxiety can cause because they have been suffering and had never heard that these things might be down to anxiety.
Anxiety can cause so may physical symptoms, and way more than is often spoken about. You probably already know about numbness, tingling, head aches, stomach issues….but did you know that the odd sensation you have in some part of your body could be down to anxiety?
I’m not a medical professional so if there is something you are really concerned. about you should always get it checked out. Never be afraid to bother your GP 🙂
Anxiety Can Cause Strange Symptoms
From personal experience, anxiety can cause all kinds of strange symptoms. From numbness and muscle weakness to tingling sensations just about anywhere in the body. If you have an odd feeling in your tongue for example, this might be a symptom of anxiety. These strange feelings can vary in intensity. Some days they might feel really intense, and others less so. Some days you might barely notice them and on acutely anxious days you might be consciously aware of them all day long.
I had a particularly bad cold virus about 12 years ago. After it passed I had a lesser sense of smell but I’d often smell things that weren’t there. I was referred to a consultant and I told him ‘It gets much worse when I am stressed’ to which he responded ‘No, that wouldn’t be the case.’ – hmm. What did he know? Stress and anxiety tends to go to your weakest spot first. Any usual issues are amplified and then it shows in other ways. It’s like it works through the list of what it already has on file and then moves on from there!
This Too Shall Pass
Try to think along the lines of temporary. Everything is just that. It will pass. If your over-thinking mind is telling you that you’re stuck with this forever just let it. What we resist persists. If you try and push those thoughts away your mind will come back with them over and over. If however, you say ‘Yeah, it might’ – those thoughts will start to decrease. Acceptance of things that we cannot change in the moment is key. I learnt a very long time ago that fighting anxiety is counter-productive. ‘It is what it is’ is another neutralising phrase. Don’t be frightened to accept what is for now. That doesn’t mean you are going to condemn yourself to this state forever, it simply allows some relief in the moment.
What to Do About Weird Sensations in Your Body Caused by Anxiety
You can try and ignore them but in my experience it’s better to affirm ‘temporary’ when they are bothering you or ‘It is what is is’ – Both will begin to neutralise the feeling.
Hyper Awareness Anxiety
This is when someone might notice all kinds of things about their body that they would otherwise not notice. They might become acutely aware of their body and over analyse the workings of it. They might hone in on things like their heart beat or their breathing and then feel it is wrong in some way.
There might be one thing in particular they begin to obsess about or lots of things. If it’s one thing they may be referred for tests and find nothing is wrong. This does not generally cure them though, as they might feel good for a while but then notice something else. The root cause of the symptoms needs to be addressed.
If you are experiencing any strange feelings or you think you may be suffering from hyper awareness, don’t worry, you are not alone.
It’s important to rule things out. Visit your doctor if something is really upsetting you and get the physical symptom checked.
You may need to ask for help. If your anxiety symptoms (whatever they are) are taking over your life, it’s time to do something about it. You may not want to take medication and that’s definitely a personal choice. For me, if I feel I need some extra help I will take a prescription pill. I won’t rely on it to cure me because a pill can’t do that. What it can do is give you some perspective which then allows you to focus your mind on other things and function at a more stable level. Everyone is different.
You do not have to be perfect.
