Can Anxiety Kill You? Understanding Mental Health Risks And Symptoms
- For those experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988
- For those experiencing abuse, please contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- For those experiencing substance use, please contact SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
While anxiety can cause some uncomfortable physical symptoms, such as headaches and heart palpitations, there is generally no evidence to suggest that it could end your life. It can be possible to manage anxiety symptoms through breathing techniques, mindfulness exercises, cognitive restructuring strategies, progressive muscle relaxation, regular exercise, and professional help. One way to get the help you deserve may be to match with a licensed therapist through an online therapy platform.
Panic attacks usually do not cause physical damage
The answer to the question of whether anxiety can kill you is generally no. It is a mental health condition that usually does not cause physical damage or disease. You may feel like they’re having a heart attack during panic attacks, or that the constant stress of anxiety may kill you, but it doesn’t typically have the power to physically harm or kill you. Anxiety disorders that progress unaddressed can have long-term effects on your mental and physical health, but they likely won’t cause you serious physical damage in the moment.
Can anxiety kill you? Understanding its impact on mental health and blood pressure
Though anxiety cannot usually cause physical damage, it can make underlying health conditions, such as heart disease, worsen. Anxiety can cause rapid heart rate and chest pain, potentially increasing your risk of cardiovascular events like stroke and heart attack. Speaking with your doctor to properly diagnose any underlying health issues and get the right treatment can be key.
Why anxiety sometimes feels like it can kill you
Fear can be an instinctual response to danger or perceived danger. It typically triggers the body's fight-or-flight response, which may help you safeguard yourself in dangerous situations by preparing you to either fight or flee from a potential threat. Fear is usually short-lived and tends to pass once the perceived danger has been eliminated.
Panic can be an intense fear response that is usually unexpected and overwhelming. In a panic situation, we may feel out of control and unable to think straight or make rational decisions. Panic attacks often occur suddenly and without warning, often leaving us scared and disoriented until they pass.
Unlike fear or panic, anxiety is not always linked with a specific threat or event. Instead, you may feel a more general feeling of unease or worry that may persist even when you are not in immediate danger. While occasional feelings of anxiety may be normal and healthy, chronic feelings may have lingering effects on your life if left untreated.
The physical symptoms of anxiety may be so extreme that they may often seem like they could kill you, but this isn't usually true. It's important to remember that while severe anxiety may seem like it could do damage, it likely won't kill you or cause you any lasting physical harm in reality.
No matter how intense the anxiety sensations are at the time, your body is most likely to eventually return to its normal state once the episode passes.
Common symptoms
Anxiety is a mental health disorder that can affect anyone at any age and takes many forms. While anxiety's exact causes may be unknown, experiences of extreme or frequent worry, restlessness, fearfulness, or intense anticipation of the unknown may indicate underlying symptoms.
If any of these experiences become long-term and interfere with your daily life, an accurate diagnosis from a professional may be required to help you better understand your condition and develop effective coping strategies.
Physical symptoms
Anxiety may have many physical side effects, some of which can be easy to spot and others that may be more nuanced. For example, those who experience it regularly may have an increased heart rate, shortness of breath, trembling, and sometimes even sweating. They may also feel lightheaded or experience the sensation of butterflies in their stomach.
Difficulty concentrating
Anxiety may lead to difficulty concentrating. This often happens when your racing thoughts or feelings of overwhelm cause you to become easily distracted and unable to stay focused on the task at hand. Not only can this make it hard for you to accomplish daily tasks, but it may also affect your work, studies, and relationships.
Cognitive distortions
Common cognitive distortions may include:
- Catastrophizing, or assuming the worst will happen
- Black-and-white thinking, in which things can be judged as either good or bad with no middle ground
- Drawing conclusions with limited evidence
Behavioral changes
Anxiety may cause you to become more withdrawn than usual and make it difficult to engage in tasks you could previously. Behavioral changes may include avoidance of specific people or situations that could cause anxiety and difficulty in making decisions due to a lack of confidence in your ability to handle stressful events.
Anxiety vs. panic attacks
Anxiety and panic attacks are both intense mental and emotional experiences, but they may develop in distinct ways. Anxiety often builds gradually, related to worry about future events or situations, and can often lead to temporary high blood pressure and poor sleep.
While panic attacks may have similar symptoms to anxiety, they often involve sudden and intense episodes of fear that peak within minutes. An individual might experience a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, or a fear of losing control or even dying from a panic attack. These episodes may occur unexpectedly or as a reaction to a feared object or situation, and they are not necessarily linked to an identifiable cause.
Recognizing symptoms of anxiety disorders for better mental health
Recognizing the differences may be helpful for seeking appropriate treatment. While both may have adverse effects on mental well-being and potentially lead to psychological distress, knowing the different symptoms and triggers may help individuals work through their mental health journey more effectively.
Strategies for managing anxiety
Anxiety can be managed with various coping strategies, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, physical activity, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Identifying what triggers you can help you better understand how to manage it and prepare yourself for difficult situations. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your worries, seeking help from a mental health professional who guides you to develop a management plan can be vital.
Modern science has generally come a long way in providing the understanding and effective treatments for individuals living with anxiety-related concerns.
Breathing techniques
Deep breathing may be a helpful tool for managing nervousness in the body and mind. Research has shown that focusing on and controlling your breath can activate the parasympathetic nervous system to promote feelings of calmness. For example, slowing your breathing rate and lengthening exhalations can assist in calming or quieting racing thoughts.
Specific techniques, such as Box Breathing, 4-7-8 Breathing, and Diaphragmatic Breathing, may enable people to tune into their physiological state more effectively and respond more adaptively to difficult situations.
Science shows that by engaging in these intentional practices, one may become better equipped to manage symptoms of anxiety in both the short term and with recurrent episodes.
Mindfulness exercises
Deep breathing or yoga may reduce mental and physical symptoms by providing a moment of calm throughout the day. When anxiety or fear overwhelms you, you can take a moment to ground yourself in the present moment by taking deep breaths or observing your surroundings. That way, you can train your prefrontal cortex and focus your mind away from anxious thoughts, nervousness, or other symptoms of anxiety.
Cognitive restructuring techniques
Cognitive restructuring techniques may also be effective in managing anxiety by teaching individuals how to challenge negative thoughts that may lead to anxious feelings and replace them with more helpful ones. These techniques are typically used in talk therapy with a mental health professional, and it can be beneficial to get a therapist's help when using them.
Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation techniques can be another excellent way to combat anxiety. These techniques usually involve tensing and relaxing different muscle groups while focusing on your breath, which can reduce physical tension associated with anxious feelings and promote a sense of relaxation throughout the body. This exercise may be particularly helpful in promoting rest and allowing you to get enough sleep, which may help reduce anxiety levels.
Exercise
Regular aerobic exercise can also be helpful in managing mental health conditions since it often releases endorphins that can act as natural mood boosters. Exercise can improve psychological well-being over time with consistent practice for at least 20 minutes a day, three times per week. Peer-reviewed studies suggest that exercise may help decrease symptoms of anxiety and major depressive disorder.
How you can reach out for help
Seeking help from friends or mental health professionals can be a potential way to manage feelings of anxiety. Having someone else listen, provide emotional support, and offer an objective outlook on your worries may give you a better perspective on the situation. A mental health professional can also identify any potential risk factors of other mental health challenges and help manage them.
Online therapy for mental health, anxiety disorders, and symptoms
While in-person therapy may always be a treatment option, online therapy can offer additional flexibility when it comes to scheduling. Fitting an online session into your schedule may be much easier than attending a traditional in-person session.
The convenience of connecting with a therapist from anywhere in the world can make it easier for individuals who lack quality mental health services locally or have difficulty finding time away from work or family obligations.
Online therapy has likely revolutionized the treatment of anxiety disorders, with significant scientific evidence supporting its efficacy. Many studies report that online therapy can be as effective as in-person therapy, and some studies suggest that online therapy may be particularly helpful in treating anxiety and the effects of stress.
Takeaway
Anxiety can come with many symptoms, including uncomfortable physical sensations, trouble concentrating, cognitive distortions, and more. However, there are often plenty of strategies that can help you cope with and manage anxiety symptoms. For example, you might exercise regularly, practice mindfulness, try breathing exercises, engage in progressive muscle relaxation, or work with cognitive restructuring techniques. Another way to effectively treat anxiety may be therapy, which can be completed in person or online.Can social anxiety affect blood pressure, and can it go away?
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, social anxiety affects an estimated population of 15 million American adults. Social anxiety may occur as a result of its own related condition, or it may co-occur with other conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder and depression. Left unchecked, it might lead to a range of uncomfortable physical and psychological symptoms, including panic attacks, a weakened immune system, higher-than-average blood pressure, and chest pain—as you may associate with a heart attack.
While slightly different from panic disorder, this disorder may mimic many of the same symptoms and might bring on a panic attack in its own right. Since most panic attacks mimic heart attack symptoms, this may lead to lasting fear and aversion to social situations for many. That being said, social anxiety may completely go away—as can panic disorder, GAD, and other types of mental health conditions (known previously as mental disorders). The healing process might be expedited with close support from one’s therapist and physician.
What are five coping skills for anxiety disorder?
Panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and anxiety disorders of all types may feel debilitating and overwhelming. Panic attacks may mimic chronic stress-related symptoms or symptoms one might expect to see with heart attacks or cardiovascular disease.
Panic attacks, excessive sweating, and other symptoms of anxiety can feel overwhelming. Coping skills may help many find freedom from overwhelming anxiety or panic attack symptoms. Some of these include:
Exercise
Meditation
Mindfulness
Self-care
Therapy
Can social anxiety be cured naturally?
Social anxiety affects between 5% and 10% of the global population. Symptoms of this disorder (and panic attacks associated with the condition) might be alleviated naturally in some. Helpful strategies, such as breathing exercises, meditation, physical exercise, relaxation techniques, and a balanced diet, may help improve symptoms. Sometimes, cognitive behavioral therapy and lifestyle changes might be enough to help those living with the condition identify and reframe negative thoughts and behaviors and find relief. If you’re diagnosed with social anxiety and have experienced panic attacks or untreated symptoms, you may consider speaking with your healthcare practitioner, who may create a personalized treatment plan. They may help provide you with tailored medical advice that can improve your current status.
Can anxiety kill you?
A person experiencing panic attacks and other severe anxiety symptoms may feel like they are dying. Anxiety itself cannot kill you, but it can cause physical symptoms that may feel dangerous, like a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, or chest pain. Patients with panic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder, may feel that they are losing control, having a heart attack, or are on the verge of death. Although the symptoms can be overwhelming, they are not usually life-threatening. Although lifestyle modifications may help, anxiety usually does not resolve on its own and often requires treatment (psychotherapy and/or medication) from a mental health expert. Untreated cases may result in the severity of symptoms, which can be debilitating and impact an individual’s quality of life.
Though anxiety cannot directly cause death, untreated anxiety may entail an increased risk of serious problems, such as heart disease and suicide. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the US. Research from 2011 shows that people with high levels of anxiety have an increased risk of heart disease, including sudden cardiac death. Anxiety is also associated with other medical conditions, such as digestive issues. During anxiety and panic attacks, increased stomach acid can be part of the body’s stress response, resulting in an increased risk of digestive problems.
What do anxiety attacks feel like?
Specific sensations associated with an anxiety attack vary from person to person. However, anxiety attacks generally involve a sudden surge of fear, along with physical symptoms, such as a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and an intense fear of impending doom or even death. Risk factors for anxiety attacks may include genetics, trauma, environmental factors, and personality traits.
Untreated anxiety symptoms can become risk factors for serious medical conditions and show comorbidity with other mental health disorders, such as depression. If you or someone close to you is experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, treatment is possible. Mental health professionals may give an accurate diagnosis, help you gain a better understanding of your condition, and support you in managing your symptoms and improving your overall quality of life.
How bad can anxiety get?
Anxiety disorder is a widespread concern in the general population. According to the World Health Organization, about 4% of the world's population is currently experiencing anxiety disorders.
The symptoms of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and other anxiety disorders can significantly impact physical and mental well-being. Panic attacks and other symptoms can interfere with daily life. For many patients, the severity of panic attacks may even make them feel as if they are dying. Anxiety can negatively affect work and relationships; symptoms can decrease the ability to enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
Chronic anxiety and panic attacks can be linked to medical conditions. Research shows the association between anxiety disorders and heart disease. The same research also concludes that the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders are essential. Anxiety disorders may also be risk factors for stroke, hypertension, and gastrointestinal problems.
Patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders (e.g., panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety) are at risk for comorbidity with other mental health conditions, such as depression and substance use disorder. An article in the American Journal of Psychiatry mentions that anxiety disorders highly co-occur with one another as well as with other mental health disorders.
The severity of anxiety may also lead to suicidal ideation. One 2013 study shows the association of panic disorder with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. There are treatments for anxiety, and the severity of symptoms may also be prevented. Early diagnosis and treatment through psychotherapy or medication may help improve thinking patterns and behaviors and increase an individual’s overall quality of life.
Who has the highest death anxiety?
Thanatophobia is characterized by an extreme fear of death or the dying process in such a way that makes functioning in day-to-day life a challenge. According to the American Psychological Association, fear is focused on the death of oneself or loved ones.
The 2017 “Survey of American Fears” conducted by Chapman University shows that 39.7% and 20.3% of the population surveyed are “afraid or very afraid” of “people I love dying” and “dying,” respectively. Symptoms of death anxiety may include sweating, shortness of breath, chest pain, excessive worry, and bodily tension.
Factors such as health conditions, demographics, perceived control over life, and life expectancy may affect a person’s beliefs about death and fear of death. Some studies suggest that gender can be one of the predictors of death anxiety. In a 1989 study, women scored higher than men in affective fear of death.
Fear of death may also be common for patients with advanced cancer and family caregivers of advanced cancer patients. Using the Death and Dying Distress Scale, a study with 60 adult cancer outpatients showed the association between advanced cancer and fear of death. According to this study, what worried them the most was the impact on their loved ones. They were less worried about dying alone or dying suddenly.
While it can be normal to feel concerned about the unknown, such as mortality, it can be a problem if what you feel leads to the point that it is already causing you distress in your day-to-day life. Breathing exercises, meditation, and grounding exercises may help.
Reach out to a mental health professional to help you gain a better understanding of your thinking patterns and behaviors and receive the necessary treatment to address the issues. A common treatment is psychotherapy.
What triggers anxiety?
Various factors can trigger panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and other anxiety disorders. Risk factors for developing anxiety may include stress, medical conditions, genetics, trauma, and sleep problems. Other risk factors might include public performances, conflict, and financial concerns. If you have an anxiety diagnosis or are prone to experiencing panic attacks, keeping a journal may help identify your triggers. You may also seek support from a trusted friend, family member, or therapist to identify your triggers.
Identifying risk factors of your anxiety can help you understand the potential anxiety-inducing situations, which can be essential in developing healthy coping mechanisms to lessen the manifestations of anxiety and panic attacks. Anxiety disorders are treatable, and symptoms such as panic attacks are manageable. Often, psychotherapy and/or medication can help.
What's it like to live with severe anxiety?
Severe anxiety is not a diagnosis; it is a symptom that may be associated with panic disorders, phobias, or other anxiety disorders. How people experience symptoms of anxiety disorder (e.g., social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, separation anxiety, etc.) can vary.
Living with severe anxiety can be a challenge that is debilitating and distressing. Extreme anxiety can cause rapid heart rate, excessive sweating, sleep issues, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, and other physical symptoms. It may also affect one mentally/emotionally, making way for such symptoms as panic attacks, irritability, and social withdrawal.
Normal levels of anxiety are not necessarily bad. However, when anxiety becomes extreme to the point that it is already affecting your daily life, there is a risk that work, relationships, and overall quality of life may be negatively affected. In severe cases, it may result in suicidal ideation and behaviors and create a risk of serious medical conditions.
Although self-help strategies such as breathing exercises, meditation, eating nutritious foods, and a regular sleep schedule can be helpful means to relax and decrease stress and panic attacks, some cases require psychotherapy and/or medication to improve. Help is often available for people with an anxiety disorder diagnosis. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with panic disorder or any other form of anxiety disorder, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may help.
What is a mental breakdown?
A mental breakdown refers to a period of intense mental health crisis. The phrase “nervous breakdown” is not a medical term nor an official diagnosis. It is instead a colloquial term used to describe an experience characterized by intense stress, anxiety, or depression to a point that prevents an individual from coping with daily life’s challenges.
Several risk factors that may trigger a breakdown include major life changes, a sudden tragedy, a family history of anxiety disorders, burnout, divorce, and severe medical conditions. Common symptoms include withdrawal, mood changes, strong nervous feelings, intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, and suicidal ideation or tendencies.
The breaking point and ability to tolerate stress and various other factors may vary from person to person. A nutritious diet, breathing exercises, meditation, adequate sleep, and other self-help strategies may help alleviate symptoms. However, these are not an adequate substitute for professional mental health assistance.
Recognizing and addressing mental health issues earlier may help achieve better outcomes. According to the American Psychiatric Association, early preventive measures may help lessen or delay symptoms, lower the risk of hospitalization, and improve outcomes. A nervous breakdown, though not recognized as a medical diagnosis, can be a symptom of an underlying condition.
Thanks for the feedback!
- Previous Article
- Next Article
- Alternative Remedies For Treating Depression
- Control Your Thoughts: Finding Relief From Trouble Or Worry Through Famous Anxiety Quotes
- The Signs Of Separation Anxiety Disorder In Children
- What Is Social Anxiety? Exploring Social Anxiety Disorder And Mental Health
- How Do You Treat Anxiety Naturally? 10 Mindfulness Tips