What to do with physical symptoms of anxiety

The physical symptoms of anxiety can be alleviated through relaxation training, cognitive behavioral adjustment, regular exercise, medication intervention, psychological therapy, and other methods. The somatic symptoms of anxiety are usually caused by long-term stress, neurotransmitter imbalances, traumatic experiences, chronic diseases, genetic predisposition, and other factors.

1. Relaxation training

Abdominal breathing can reduce palpitations and muscle tension by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and repeated daily can lower cortisol levels. Progressive muscle relaxation involves a contraction relaxation cycle targeting specific body parts, suitable for relieving body stiffness before bedtime. Meditation guided audio can help break the vicious cycle of catastrophizing thinking and physical symptoms.

2. Cognitive Behavioral Adjustment

Record the physical sensations and corresponding thoughts during anxiety attacks, and identify incorrect attributions such as hand numbness caused by hyperventilation. Behavioral experiments verify the actual consequences of fear scenes through controllable exposure, reducing excessive vigilance towards bodily signals. The mind record table can quantitatively evaluate the correlation between physical symptoms and real risks.

3. Regular exercise

Aerobic exercise three times a week can increase the concentration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and improve the stress regulation ability of the nervous system. Yoga combined with postures and breath control has a significant relieving effect on functional gastrointestinal discomfort. The secretion of endorphins produced by group exercise can block the transmission of pain signals.

4. Drug intervention

SSRI drugs such as paroxetine can regulate the function of the serotonin system and alleviate chronic pain associated with generalized anxiety. Propranolol is suitable for palpitations and tremors caused by situational anxiety, by blocking beta receptors to reduce physical response intensity. Long term use of benzodiazepines may lead to decreased muscle coordination.

5. Psychotherapy

Acceptance commitment therapy helps patients coexist with uncomfortable physical sensations and reduce secondary anxiety caused by symptom confrontation. Body focused therapy identifies physiological response patterns corresponding to emotions through body scanning. Sharing symptom experiences in group therapy can reduce shame and establish adaptive coping strategies. Maintaining 7 hours of sleep per day can help stabilize autonomic nervous system function, and limiting caffeine intake in the afternoon can prevent worsening palpitations. Adding magnesium rich foods such as pumpkin seeds and spinach to the diet can regulate nerve and muscle excitability. Establishing a symptom diary to track the correlation between physical reactions and emotional events, and carrying records during medical treatment can help doctors determine the focus of intervention. Heat therapy methods such as soaking feet in warm water can divert attention from discomfort in the body through temperature stimulation.