Can Anxiety Kill You?

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 someone's 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

Though anxiety cannot usually cause physical damage, it can make underlying health conditions, such as heart disease, worsen. It can cause rapid heart rate and chest pain, potentially increasing the risk of cardiovascular events like stroke and heart attack. Speaking with a 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

Fear can be an instinctual response to danger or perceived danger. It typically triggers the body's fight-or-flight response, which may help you safeguard yourself in dangerous situations by preparing you to either fight or flee from a potential threat. Fear is usually short-lived and tends to pass once the perceived danger has been eliminated. 

Panic can be an intense fear response that is usually unexpected and overwhelming. In a panic situation, we may feel out of control and unable to think straight or make rational decisions. Panic attacks often occur suddenly and without warning, often leaving us scared and disoriented until they pass. 

Unlike fear or panic, anxiety is not always linked with a specific threat or event. Instead, a more general feeling of unease or worry may persist even when no immediate danger is present. While occasional feelings of anxiety may be normal and healthy, chronic feelings may have lingering effects on our lives if left untreated.

The physical symptoms 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 cause any lasting physical harm in reality.

No matter how intense the 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 its 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 the person better understand their condition and develop effective coping strategies.

Physical symptoms

Anxiety may have many physical side effects, some of which can be easy to spot and others that may be more nuanced. For example, those who experience it regularly may have an increased heart rate, trembling, and sometimes even sweating. They may also feel lightheaded or experience the sensation of butterflies in their stomach.

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 to accomplish daily tasks, but it may also affect 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. 

While panic attacks may have similar symptoms to anxiety, they often involve sudden and intense episodes of fear that peak within minutes. An individual might experience a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, or a fear of losing control or even dying from a panic attack. These episodes may occur unexpectedly or as a reaction to a feared object or situation, and they are not necessarily linked to an identifiable cause.

Recognizing the differences may be helpful for seeking appropriate treatment. While both may have adverse effects on mental well-being and potentially lead to psychological distress, knowing the different symptoms and triggers may help individuals work through their mental health journey more effectively. 

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.

Specific techniques, such as Box Breathing, 4-7-8 Breathing, and Diaphragmatic Breathing, may enable people to tune into their physiological state more effectively and respond more adaptively to difficult situations.

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

Cognitive restructuring techniques may also be effective in managing anxiety by teaching individuals how to challenge negative thoughts that may lead to anxious feelings and replace them with more helpful ones. These techniques are typically used in talk therapy with a mental health professional, and it can be beneficial to get a therapist's help when using them.

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. 

Regular aerobic exercise can also be helpful in managing mental health conditions since it often releases endorphins that can act as natural mood boosters. Exercise can improve psychological well-being over time with consistent practice for at least 20 minutes a day, three times per week. Peer-reviewed studies suggest that exercise may help decrease symptoms of anxiety and major depressive disorder. 

Seeking help

Reaching out for 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.

The convenience of connecting with a therapist from anywhere in the world can make it easier for individuals who lack quality mental health services locally or have difficulty finding time away from work or family obligations.

Online therapy has likely revolutionized the treatment of anxiety disorders, with significant scientific evidence supporting its efficacy. Many studies report that online therapy can be as effective as in-person therapy, and some studies suggest that online therapy may be particularly helpful in treating anxiety and the effects of stress.