Can extreme tiredness be a symptom of anxiety? Why are anxiety and fatigue related? Discover the reasons behind extreme anxiety exhaustion.
He extreme tiredness and anxiety they can go hand in hand. The reason why anxiety fatigue is experienced is precisely because this disorder can decrease or increase our body’s energy levels, resulting in physical and mental exhaustion. Normally, tiredness and anxiety tend to sap the energy of those who experience it throughout the day, but it can also happen after suffering an anxiety attack.
Why does extreme fatigue occur due to anxiety?
People who feel anxious very often or who suffer from an anxiety disorder often experience tiredness and fatigue that can interfere with their daily lives. But how anxiety and fatigue Are they related? These are the main reasons why this disorder involves symptoms of tiredness and sleep in those who suffer from it.
- The post-anxiety ‘coke’: This refers to the shock that people feel after running out of adrenaline. To this type of physical exhaustion It is called adrenal fatigue and it occurs because when we feel anxious, our body is in threat mode, which means that it is activated to respond to the imminent danger that we perceive. By putting ourselves in this ‘mode’ our body is flooded with energy to help us respond in this situation, which implies a lot of waste of resources and therefore a feeling of extreme exhaustion if it is maintained frequently.
- Muscle tension: The symptoms of tiredness and fatigue due to anxiety may be related to the muscle tension involved in this type of disorder. When a person remains in a constant state of alert, our body reacts with permanent muscle tension, which causes our body’s energy to also be exhausted sooner. Furthermore, this fatigue and muscle pain can occur permanently in those who suffer from an anxiety disorder.
- Mental fatigue: Anxiety can cause mental fatigue Because people who experience this disorder maintain a hyperactive brain as well as a constant flow of obsessive thoughts about worries. In the same way that happens with our muscles if we strain our brain, we can also experience extreme fatigue.
- Coping mechanism: Sometimes you can experience tiredness and fatigue due as a coping mechanism. This happens because our body can use physical exhaustion to avoid experiencing severe stress.
- Sleeping problems: Many people with anxiety and stress can have serious problems sleeping. This can be caused both by anxiety and its physical symptoms and by intrusive thoughts that interfere with the lives of people who suffer from it.
- Depression: Anxiety is also related to depression. This disorder is also related to physical and mental exhaustion
These are the main reasons why anxiety and extreme fatigue They are so related. If you feel identified with most of the symptoms described, it is important that you consult with a mental health professional.
Anxiety and fatigue: How do they affect our body?
When a person experiences anxiety, that is, they have a feeling of fear, dread or apprehension, it causes our body to release a torrent of hormones that prepare us to trigger a fight or flight response. This results in the following physical symptoms.
- Fast heart rate
- Chest pain
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Dry mouth
- Muscle tension
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
Due to the surge of hormones and the intensity of anxiety-related symptoms, it is completely normal for people to end up with a extreme exhaustion due.
How does chronic fatigue from anxiety affect you?
He anxiety exhaustion If experienced chronically, it can trigger a series of physical and mental consequences for the person who suffers from it. In fact, research has shown that when an individual is exposed to long-term anxiety or stress, it can have the following effects:
- Damage your memory
- Affect your judgment and making good decisions
- Lead to mood disorders
- Suppress your immune system
- Cause heart problems
- Chronic discomfort in the gastrointestinal system
- sexual dysfunction
In addition to all this, anxiety and its physical and psychological symptoms They are linked to chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition that makes people feel tired no matter how much rest they get.
How to deal with anxiety exhaustion?
There are a series of tips that you can take into account if you are experiencing too much anxiety or stress. Psychologists highlight the following:
- Exercise regularly: Exercise can reduce feeling of anxiety in addition to promoting healthy and restful sleep.
- To meditate: Relaxation techniques such as meditation and mindfulness are also effective in calming our mind and attenuating the mood. excessive tiredness which is experienced due to the intrusive thoughts caused by anxiety.
- Opt for a healthier diet: Changing your diet and adding unprocessed whole foods as well as lean proteins, fruits and vegetables can give you more sustained energy. If you choose foods with a high fat and sugar content, these are more associated with high levels of anxiety.
- Talk to a therapist: A psychologist can help you identify those triggers of anxiety and thus provide you with tools to weaken all the symptoms related to this disorder, including exhaustion or extreme tiredness
These are some of the tips you can follow to combat anxiety exhaustion Despite this, these symptoms will not disappear on their own if you do not start working within yourself to end this disorder.