Physical Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress:
Recognizing and Treating the Physical Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress

The physical symptoms of anxiety and stress, unless the person experiencing them has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, can be frightening. Because they surface in such a wide variety of ways, the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress can be mistaken for any number of other minor and critical physical conditions. And many people suffering from them are reluctant to see a doctor, simply because they fear being diagnosed with a serious illness.

Because each of us has a different brain chemistry and physiological makeup, the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress in each of us will differ.

The particular physical symptoms of anxiety and stress affecting someone may have little or nothing to do with the situation causing their stress. Everyone is exposed to many possible stressors every day; our relationships, financial situations, jobs, or health concerns, can all be sources of stress.

So the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress are generic, rather than related to the particular stresses from which they arise. But among the most common physical symptoms of anxiety and stress are:

• Digestive problems, from stomachaches to severe indigestion; undiagnosed anxiety sufferers often think they are developing ulcers. Related physical symptoms of anxiety and stress include either a complete lack of interest in food or a compulsion to overeat. And stress can also cause abdominal weight gain, even in those who eat normally and exercise.

• Anxiety can cause rashes and other abnormal skin conditions, as well as extremely painful ongoing headaches. These are more of the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress which can be attributed to other illnesses, and should be checked out as soon as possible.

• Anxiety and stress disorders can compromise the immune system, leavimg their victims susceptible to any flu bugs, sore throats, or colds to which they are exposed. Stress-induced muscular tension can create chronically sore backs, leading to a host of other physical problems.

• Finally, one of the worst physical symptoms of anxiety and stress is their ability either to rob their sufferers of sleep or have them unable to keep their eyes open. Either state, if not alleviated, will eventually interfere with the anxiety victim’s capacity to perform the simplest daily tasks.

The physical symptoms of anxiety and stress, because they are so broad-based, can completely compromise the quality of a person’s life. So it is essential that they be correctly diagnosed and that the appropriate drug and behavioral therapy be prescribed to eliminate both them, and the causes of the anxiety disorder underlying them.

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