Can Anxiety Kill You?
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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.
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
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 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 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
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.
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.
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
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.
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 conditions
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.
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 go away?
Panic disorder and anxiety disorders of all types may feel overwhelming—mimicking chronic stress-related symptoms or symptoms one might expect to see with heart attacks or cardiovascular disease.
Coping skills may help many to find freedom from overwhelming symptoms. Some of these include:
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
- Self-care
- Therapy
Symptoms of this disorder (and panic attacks associated with the condition) might be alleviated naturally in some. Sometimes, cognitive behavioral therapy and lifestyle changes might be enough to help those living with the condition find relief. If you’re experiencing panic attacks or untreated symptoms, you may consider speaking with your healthcare practitioner. They may offer you tailored medical advice that may help.
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