Originally posted on https://www.lakeviewhealth.com/blog/can-anxiety-cause-pain/

Can anxiety cause pain? Many people who struggle or know someone who struggles with anxiety often ask this question. The reason is that the symptoms of anxiety can become extreme. Before learning the answer to this question, they have to learn more about mental health through an anxiety disorder treatment center in Jacksonville, FL.

The Difference Between Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders

Everyone needs to know that not all anxiety is the same. At its core, anxiety is the body’s reaction to stress. It’s normal for people to feel anxious from time to time. Just because they experience a bit of anxiety doesn’t mean that they have an anxiety disorder, though.

For example, let’s say that someone has a big work presentation in front of the whole office. This kind of event is enough to cause anyone a bit of anxiety. After the event passes, the anxious feelings should go away.

What if the worry, fear, and nervousness never goes away or lasts for long periods? What if the anxiety seems to come out of nowhere? Can anxiety cause pain as well? When constant worry and physical symptoms interfere with people’s daily lives, they usually have anxiety disorders.

These mental health illnesses are pretty common. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental conditions. In fact, over 40 million adults in the United States alone suffer from anxiety disorders every year.

Can Anxiety Cause Pain?

Anxiety doesn’t just cause mental and emotional symptoms. People can experience physical anxiety symptoms too. Because of that, the answer to can anxiety cause pain is yes.

To understand why anxiety can cause physical symptoms, people have to understand the anatomy of anxiety. Experts believe that anxious feelings stem from the amygdala, which is the area of the brain that governs intense emotions.

When people experience stress, neurotransmitters send signals to the sympathetic nervous system. Then, the body diverts blood flow from the abdominal organs up to the brain. Also, stress causes the heart to race and breathing to accelerate. The purpose is to prepare the body to confront whatever crisis has triggered anxiety.

However, putting the body on high alert like this has drawbacks. The extra flow of blood to the head can cause lightheadedness or headaches. It can even cause nausea. In some people, nausea is so intense that it leads to physical cramps and fatigue.

Because of that, there are physical anxiety symptoms that people should watch out for. In most cases, the physical symptoms aren’t anything to worry about. For people with anxiety disorders, though, the symptoms can be troublesome.

Sometimes, the symptoms lead to substance abuse. The reason is that the drugs help people alleviate some of their symptoms. Unfortunately, they have to continue to abuse drugs in order to get this relief, which leads to addiction.

Let Us Treat Your Anxiety and Substance Abuse Problems

Are you looking for a dual diagnosis treatment center that can help? At Lakeview Health, we offer mental health and substance abuse treatment. We can help you determine can anxiety cause pain in your situation. A few of the programs that we offer include:

• Medical detox program
• Residential treatment program
• Partial hospitalization program
• Intensive outpatient rehab
• Aftercare program

Don’t let anxiety cause you pain or drive you to abuse drugs. Learn more about can anxiety cause pain. Contact Lakeview Health at 866.704.7692 for more information about how we can help you overcome anxiety.