Mental Health And Emotional Pain: How Anguish Affects You

Anguish is a term that can describe the experience of intense emotional pain, going beyond discomfort or upset and instead involving severe distress. A person may experience anguish due to profound loss or trauma, and it might often feel all-encompassing and overwhelming. While it may feel impossible to overcome in the moment, there are strategies that may offer comfort as you move through this experience. Below is an overview of the experience of mental anguish, its causes and impacts, and ways you can support yourself or reach out for support in coping with difficult feelings.

What is anguish?

Anguish is a term used for being in severe pain—usually mentally or emotionally, though it may sometimes be used for physical pain as well. The term “anguish” comes from the Latin angustia, meaning “narrowness,” which reflects how the pain of anguish can feel powerfully constricting. This feeling can be a natural response to deeply distressing situations, such as going through a tumultuous divorce or losing a loved one. If not eventually processed and addressed, however, it has the potential to lead to mental and even physical health complications.

A key characteristic of anguish may be its intensity. Typically, anguish goes beyond everyday stress or mild sadness. Instead, it’s usually a type of deep pain and emotional suffering triggered by traumatic situations. Such feelings can leave a lasting impression on a person and tend to require strong social and/or professional support to move through.

Common causes of anguish

In many cases, feelings of anguish are caused by a distressing life event. The type of situation that causes anguish may vary depending on the person, but a few common causes include:

• Severe relationship conflict
• A serious illness in oneself, a family member, or another loved one
• The loss of a loved one
• Separation from a loved one
• Experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as war, assault, or abuse

Anguish often arises in response to some form of loss, whether it’s the literal loss of a loved one or a loss of one’s sense of safety. Many people find it helpful to seek mental health support when experiencing this emotion, as an in-person or online therapist can help you process negative feelings and rebuild a sense of trust and safety.

How anguish can affect mental health

Experiencing anguish can be mentally and emotionally distressing, often significantly impacting overall well-being and leading to other symptoms. For example, a person might experience cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms like:

• Self-blame
• Loneliness
• Trouble paying attention
• Self-loathing
• Irritability
• Withdrawal 

Mental health conditions that may be linked to anguish

It may be possible for strong feelings of anguish to contribute to the development of a mental illness like an anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or depression. Research suggests that anguish can be a marker of vulnerability for depression specifically, which could also put a person at higher risk of severe symptoms like suicidal ideation. If you’re experiencing self-harming thoughts or behaviors, seek immediate support.

How anguish can affect physical health

Strong feelings like anguish may also impact physical well-being. For example, research links emotions like anguish to decreased appetite, and poor eating habits could lead to low energy, unintended weight loss, and malnutrition. Also, sleep disruption may be common in someone experiencing anguish or emotional trauma, which could lead to fatigue and other health impacts. 

Finally, simply being under the constant stress of emotional turmoil could affect various body systems. It may cause muscle tension, digestive issues, and headaches and potentially also increase a person’s risk of certain types of physical illness over time. For someone who already has an illness, physical injuries, or chronic pain, the stress of ongoing anguish might worsen their pain and slow recovery.

How anguish can affect daily functioning

Persistently feeling an intensely painful emotion like deep anguish can make it hard to function in daily life. The difficulty concentrating and lack of motivation it can cause may make it hard to do one’s job or even go to work at all, which could lead to financial instability. Trouble with decision-making could even make basic self-care—like choosing what to buy at the grocery store or cook for dinner—difficult. 

When a person is feeling anguish, they might also be tempted to withdraw socially. They may:

• Feel that no one understands what they’re going through
• Lack the energy for socializing
• Have trouble being “in the moment” with others because of their strong emotions
• Not want to “bring down” the emotions or experience of others with their pain

This withdrawal may contribute to loneliness and weakened relationships, which could further negatively affect overall well-being. 

Anguish in a legal context

The term anguish may sometimes appear in a legal context, potentially impacting the outcome of a case. This situation is relatively common in legal scenarios, which points to the intensity of the feeling of anguish: It can be so severe that a person may be eligible for compensation or legal redress.

For example, in a case where the plaintiff is trying to prove that negligence on the defendant’s part led to harm, they may need to prove that they experienced anguish as a result of the defendant’s lack of action. To do this, the plaintiff’s lawyer may show evidence like medical records, diary entries, and witness testimonies that show that symptoms of anguish were present.

Coping strategies for feelings of anguish

To minimize the effects of anguish on your overall well-being, it can help to try healthy coping strategies for this feeling. While anguish can make it hard to have the motivation to care for yourself, even small, positive actions can be helpful.

Use grounding techniques

Grounding techniques may help you feel more balanced when emotions like anguish feel overwhelming. Some examples of these techniques include:

• Trying deep breathing exercises like box breathing
• Reconnecting with your senses, such as by naming something you can hear, something you can see, something you can touch, and something you can smell
• Engaging in progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and then relaxing each muscle group one by one
• Taking a mindful moment in nature, whether it’s walking through the park or stepping outside to feel the sun on your face

Practice self-care

Building a gentle routine of soothing and supportive activities may help you move through an experience of anguish. It might include things like doing yoga to wind down before bed, planning simple but nutritious meals for yourself, journaling regularly, and taking daily walks for exercise. 

If you’re struggling to care for yourself during this period, you might consider reaching out for help. For instance, you could ask a friend to take regular walks with you or request that a family member help you prepare some nutritious meals.

Reach out for support from others

Social support can be a key part of helping feelings of anguish decrease over time. In addition to helping with practical tasks like making meals, friends and family may offer a listening ear to help you feel heard and supported in what you’re feeling. 

Connecting with a support group related to what you’ve experienced might be beneficial too, as you may find it nourishing to connect with others who understand what you’ve been through. Finally, working with an in-person or online therapist may be helpful too, as discussed below.

Signs it may be time to seek professional support

In general, you can feel empowered to reach out to a mental health professional at any time. Even if you’re not showing signs of a diagnosable condition, a therapist may provide support.

That said, connecting with a therapist may be especially important if you’re experiencing symptoms of a condition like depression, anxiety, or PTSD, or are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide. It may also be advisable to seek care if nothing helps reduce your feelings of anguish or if you’re experiencing worsening symptoms even after a significant time has passed. Persistent distress might indicate complicated grief, a serious but typically treatable condition.

Treatment options for anguish and related symptoms

Reaching out to a mental health professional, like a therapist, is usually recommended for someone looking for help with anguish and related symptoms. A therapist may create a safe space where you can share and process intense or complicated feelings. They may also provide guidance on healthy ways to cope with this type of emotional experience. 

If you’re experiencing signs of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or another condition as a result of your anguish, a therapist may provide treatment. Talk therapy is often a key part of treatment for mental health conditions like these, along with healthy lifestyle changes. Medication may also be recommended in some cases. Never start, stop, or change any medication without consulting your doctor first.

Finding support through BetterHelp

If you’re experiencing strong feelings like anguish, taking the time to research and reach out to in-person therapists in your area may seem like an overwhelming task. Even commuting to in-person appointments may feel impossible on days when this emotion is especially strong. In cases like these, seeking professional support through online therapy instead may be more convenient.

With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, finding a therapist can be as easy as filling out a questionnaire about your needs and preferences in a provider. From there, BetterHelp can match you with a therapist accordingly. If that provider isn’t a good fit, you can request to switch any time, for no additional cost, in just a few clicks. 

The flexibility and effectiveness of online therapy

Once you’ve been matched, you can meet with your therapist remotely, via phone, video, or live chat, without having to leave home. This option can make online therapy a flexible and convenient way to receive the emotional support and care you may need. Also, a growing body of research indicates that online therapy may often be as effective as in-person therapy for addressing various mental health conditions, including the anguish that may be associated with grief.