Anxiety is a common mental health issue that affects millions of people around the world. It can manifest in several ways, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Anxiety can cause significant distress and make it difficult to carry out regular duties. But can anxiety kill you?
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal stress response. It is characterized by feelings of anxiety, fear, or apprehension over what might happen in the future. While feeling anxious occasionally can be normal and even helpful (like before an important event), too much anxiety can be overwhelming and disrupt daily life.
What are the types of anxiety disorders?
Anxiety disorders are classified into different types, including:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Characterized by a person’s continual worry about various aspects of their life.
- Panic Disorder: This condition is characterized by sudden and acute panic attacks that can feel similar to heart attacks.
- Social Anxiety Disorder: anxiety of social interactions and being judged by others.
- Specific Phobias: This includes intense fear of specific objects or situations, like heights or spiders.
Understanding these disorders can help people recognize their symptoms and seek help.
Can anxiety kill you?
You can’t die from anxiety. It’s a feeling that comes with physical changes in your body. If anxiety lasts a long time without treatment, it can lead to serious health issues like high blood pressure, a weak immune system, and a higher risk of suicidal thoughts. However, this usually only happens with very high and ongoing anxiety. You can reduce your anxiety and find help before it gets that bad.
Anxiety often takes place when your body perceives a threat, even when there isn’t. This alarm system is designed to keep you safe. When you are in danger, your body prepares to run. Adrenaline is released; your heart beats quicker, and your body prepares to escape. But when anxiety is a problem, your body reacts too strongly to normal situations.
Living with anxiety for a long time can be exhausting. Your body makes more stress hormones than it needs, your heart works harder, and your stomach feels upset. This can make it hard to sleep. You might worry more, find it hard to concentrate, and feel irritable.
What are the physical symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety can cause many physical symptoms, including muscle tension, a fast heartbeat, excessive sweating, and headaches. These symptoms can get worse or better depending on your stress level and environment, but they can make daily life challenging.
Anxiety and Heart Health
There is a connection between anxiety and heart health, but it’s not completely clear how anxiety affects the heart. It can be hard to tell if anxiety is causing heart problems or if depression, which often occurs with anxiety, is the real issue. Some recent studies show little or no direct link between anxiety disorders and heart health, so while they often occur together, it doesn’t mean one causes the other.
Anxiety and Sleep Issues
People with anxiety often struggle with sleep. They feel more activated than others, which can lead to insomnia and sleep problems. Worried about failing to get enough sleep can make it more difficult to fall asleep. People with anxiety may also have more bad dreams and unusual sleep patterns. Studies show a strong connection between sleep and anxiety, but it’s hard to tell if anxiety can kill you in your sleep.
Anxiety and Your Gut
Your brain and gut are closely connected. This means that what happens in your brain can affect your digestion. You might have heard expressions like “butterflies in your stomach,” which show this link. There are different opinions on whether anxiety causes stomach issues or if stomach problems lead to anxiety. Some studies suggest that treating anxiety can help reduce gut problems.
Anxiety and Headaches
Anxiety can lead to migraines, which are severe headaches that often come with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. While anxiety isn’t the only cause of migraines, people with migraines are up to four times more likely to also have anxiety compared to those without migraines.
What happens if you don’t treat anxiety?
If anxiety isn’t treated, it can harm your life and health. When your body constantly releases cortisol and adrenaline due to anxiety, it can create problems. These problems may include:
- Weight loss or weight gain
- High blood pressure
- Increased risk of other mental health issues like depression
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- A higher risk of suicide
- Constant irritability
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty concentrating
- Headaches
- Stomach issues
- Restlessness
- Panic attacks
Can untreated anxiety cause brain damage?
While untreated anxiety won’t necessarily damage your brain, it can change how it works. It may result in reduced activity in crucial parts of the brain that control activities such as memory, attention, and emotions. However, with the right treatment, these brain processes can improve.
Can you die from a panic attack?
Anxiety attacks, often known as panic attacks, can be terrifying. A panic attack, no matter how strong or frightening it feels, cannot kill you. Common symptoms of a panic attack include:
- Fast or pounding heartbeat
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling like you’re choking
- Chest discomfort
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Numbness or tingling
- A feeling of detachment
- Fear of losing control or dying
Panic attacks normally last 5 to 20 minutes. The symptoms may resemble those of a heart attack, although they are not life-threatening.
What to do when you’re having a panic attack?
If you realize you’re having a panic attack, the best thing to do is to ground yourself. Here are some techniques you can try:
- 5-4-3-2-1 Method: Concentrate on your senses by listing five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one item you can taste. This can help you get back into the present moment.
- Deep breathing exercises. Inhale via your nose and exhale through your mouth. If you can, lie down and concentrate on the rise and fall of your belly while breathing.
- Temperature Change: Try holding an ice pack to your face, splashing cold water on your face, or taking a cold shower to help calm your body.
- Reassure Yourself: Remind yourself that although this feels terrible, it won’t harm you. Remind yourself that you have survived this before and can do it again.
What are the treatments available for anxiety disorder?
Anxiety can disrupt your life, but you don’t have to let it control you. Here are some effective treatment options to consider:
Therapy
Various therapies can help manage anxiety, and choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Here are some common types:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This systematic therapy aims to change harmful thought patterns and actions. It frequently includes homework tasks to promote learning.
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): A more structured form of CBT, DBT helps improve emotion regulation and distress tolerance through specific modules.
- Exposure Therapy: A type of CBT, this therapy involves gradually facing your anxiety triggers to reduce fear over time. It helps you learn that you can manage your anxiety.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT encourages you to live a meaningful life despite difficult emotions. It focuses on accepting feelings rather than fighting them.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: This less structured therapy explores past experiences to gain insight into current anxiety symptoms. It can be beneficial alongside CBT to understand the roots of your anxiety.
Medication
Medication can effectively reduce anxiety symptoms, but it’s usually not an instant solution. It’s most beneficial when combined with therapy. Common medications include:
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): These drugs help balance serotonin levels in the brain and are commonly recommended for moderate to severe anxiety.
- Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs): SNRIs, like SSRIs, target both serotonin and norepinephrine to help reduce anxiety.
- Benzodiazepines: These drugs provide immediate relief from anxiety symptoms, but they are not recommended for long-term usage due to the danger of addiction.
If you decide to take medication, work with a qualified healthcare provider to find the right option and dosage. It’s essential to take medication consistently and track your symptoms and side effects. This information will help your provider adjust your treatment as needed.
How to cope with an anxiety disorder?
There are many ways to cope with anxiety, and some methods work better for the short term than the long term. Long-term coping often involves changing how you think, often with help from a therapist. Here are some ways to cope:
Challenge Your Thoughts
Ask yourself what evidence you have for or against your anxious thoughts. Consider what you would tell a friend who had these thoughts.
Fidget Toys
Keep your hands busy to help reduce anxious energy.
Use Your Senses
Engage your senses to calm yourself:
- Touch: Feel your feet on the ground and notice the air around you.
- Smell: Light a favorite candle or take a scented bath.
- Taste: Chew gum or enjoy your favorite dessert.
- See: Look at happy photos or watch a favorite show.
- Hear: Listen to music you love or some calming background noise.
Practice Mindfulness
Focus on being present and let your thoughts pass without dwelling on them. You might try a meditation app for guidance.
Schedule Worry Time
Set aside 5-10 minutes a day to worry, which can help keep it from taking over your day.
Exercise
Moving your body can improve your mood by increasing feel-good chemicals in your brain.
Have Fun
Do something playful like blowing bubbles or coloring to bring some joy into your day.
Severe anxiety can’t kill you, but it can affect your health.
Anxiety is a frequent problem that many individuals face and can interrupt their daily lives.
Remember that you do not have to let anxiety control you. With the correct assistance, treatment, and coping strategies, you may regain control of your life and feel better. Seeking treatment is a vital step toward achieving comfort and calm.