Breathing is fast, heartbeat is racing, shoulders feel bunched up, and you can feel the beginning of a headache. This is not a viral infection; it is anxiety expressing itself physically in your body. Today, we live in an epidemic of anxiety. Life has so many more parameters today, which we want to meet in a single lifetime. The result is that we get anxious. While most people think anxiety is just a state of mind, to be felt by the mind and handled by it, it is not. However, as an epidemic, anxiety has crossed the set borders now. Today, anxiety has a clear physical expression. It is a full-body experience.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Vaishaly Bharambe, founder of VB Anatomy, medical educator, and counsellor, shared symptoms that indicate anxiety.
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What is anxiety?
“It is a situation in which we perceive a threat. It can be external, where the body or mind may be harmed by an external source,” said Dr Vaishaly. It can be internal, where our own abilities or perceived inabilities are being tested by circumstances.
How does anxiety show up in the body?
According to Dr Vaishaly, the first area that shows physical expression of anxiety is the heart and chest. The quickened pulse, the tightness of the chest are primary expressions. The respiratory rate rises, and there is a possibility of dizziness. This is followed by the likely affection of the gut. The gut is especially sensitive to stress.
Why does this happen?
Dr Vaishaly highlighted that in case of anxiety, much of the blood is rerouted to the muscles, to prepare the body for both fight and flight. This results in slowing down the functioning of the gut with possible nausea, bloating, and even increased visits to the bathroom.
The muscles that were getting this increased blood supply get bunched up, hyper alert to the possibility of any action needed to protect the body. This can result in early neck pain and back stiffness. Thus, physical expression of anxiety is the body’s way of preparing the being for action towards protection from harm.
But why are we enumerating these symptoms today? This is because we are living with chronic neck aches, backaches, difficulty in breathing, and not only do we live with these, we also push working on solving these issues to tomorrow.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
