‍Why You Have Anxiety

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Knock, knock. It’s anxiety, back again. Sometimes it’s manageable; other times, it breaks down the door.

Anxiety, that feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, is something we’ve all faced. For some, it’s a minor inconvenience; for others, it’s a persistent burden.

In small doses, anxiety is useful. It’s our body’s built-in warning system, triggering the fight-or-flight response. Whether escaping a bear in a National Park or meeting a tight deadline, anxiety fuels survival and motivation. In prehistoric times, a little worry helped humans secure food and shelter.

However, chronic anxiety is harmful. Constant worry activates the sympathetic nervous system (our fight-or-flight response), shutting down functions not essential for immediate survival. This includes digestion, restful sleep, clear thinking, and even hormonal balance. Over time, anxiety can lead to stomachaches, headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure, and chronic pain.

When the body is constantly on high alert, it misses out on the restorative work of the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms and restores balance. As a result, we lose out on healthy digestion, restorative sleep, and even proper circulation—all of which play a role in overall well-being.

Certain lifestyle habits can worsen anxiety. Shallow breathing, lack of exercise, poor sleep, and an unhealthy diet all create a body more vulnerable to stress. Each of these deficiencies limits our ability to handle life’s challenges, making anxiety more likely to spiral out of control.

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Chronic Pain and Anxiety

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For people with chronic pain, anxiety is often part of the equation. Pain leads to muscle tension, sleep disturbances, and emotional distress—all symptoms of anxiety. The connection between chronic pain and anxiety is a vicious cycle. Anxiety amplifies the perception of pain, while pain increases anxiety, creating a feedback loop.

Persistent anxiety can intensify the experience of pain, as stress hormones make the brain less adaptable and reinforce old pain pathways. Reduced blood flow caused by anxiety-induced blood vessel constriction can also lead to muscle tension and spasms, worsening chronic pain conditions.

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Anxiety and the Fear Avoidance Cycle

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Pain can trick the brain into believing the body is in danger. This catastrophizing mindset often leads to avoidance of activity, sparking the Fear Avoidance Cycle. 

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Avoiding movement causes deconditioning, which leads to more pain, greater anxiety, and further inactivity. Breaking this cycle is essential. 

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Treating Anxiety and Chronic Pain

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The good news? Addressing anxiety can improve chronic pain, and vice versa. For many, treating the pain successfully leads to decreased anxiety. But for others whose pain has not been easily treated, it may be time to start targeting the anxiety with the hope that decreasing the anxiety will also decrease the pain.

Here are some strategies to consider:

• Counseling: Anxiety is often tied to memories, even subconscious ones. Counseling can help uncover and reframe these patterns.
• Diaphragmatic Breathing: Diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic system, relieving muscle tension and promoting relaxation.
• Movement and Exercise: Yoga, Tai Chi, and other therapeutic activities improve circulation, release endorphins, and support restorative sleep, all of which reduce anxiety.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Reframing automatic negative thoughts through CBT can help break anxious thinking patterns and the fear-avoidance cycle.

Anxiety and chronic pain feed off each other, but with the right tools and support from professionals like chronic pain specialists at Override Health, you can target anxiety and pain simultaneously.