But I'm Not Anxious

 

There is nothing more frustrating than someone telling you: 
"You have anxiety", when it doesn't feel like it.

While it may be true, a person who is truly struggling with anxiety may instead hear:

• I don't believe you
• You are making this up
• You are crazy and acting irrationally
• All your tests have come back normal, you are fine
• You are not sick, you are anxious
• You need to calm down, just relax
• The things you are experiencing are not real
• It's embarrassing that you have come back again for help

A lot of these thoughts stem from not only an ill mindset, but also from poor stigma against mental health. 

Acceptance

The first, and hardest, part about anxiety is acceptance. 

The rough truth about mental health is that you must discover what came first... the chicken or the egg. 

Did anxiety come first, causing a lot of physical turmoil? Or did a physical illness occur first, causing a lot of anxiety? 

There is a long road ahead of trial & error as both the patient and healthcare provider work together to ensure there is nothing life-threatening on a metabolic/physiological level. 

Everything must be ruled out before you can officially say "you have anxiety". This typically happens when several diagnostic test results come back 'normal'. Depending on the patient's symptoms, some diagnostic tests can include:

• Basic & Sophisticated Blood Tests
• Urine Analysis
• Fecal Analysis
• Colonoscopy / Endoscopy
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Allergy Testing
• Electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Cardiac Stress Test
• Vital Signs
• Orthostatic Blood Pressure
• Sleep Study
• Physical Assessment

Patients may be referred to specialists to thoroughly rule/out symptoms. Some include:

• Neurologist
• Cardiologist
• Immunologist
• Gastroenterologist 
• Endocrinologist

Once the healthcare provider has determined that all of the necessary tests have been completed and deemed normal, then a treatment plan specific for mental health will be initiated.

Oftentimes physicians will recommend that patients seek help for anxiety even before all of the tests have been completed, because the process can be lengthy and time-consuming. Plus, anyone who is experiencing scary physical symptoms is highly likely to feel some anxiety anyways!

It can be hard to accept the diagnosis of anxiety when it feels like so much more than a feeling of anxiousness. It feels like your life is at stake! 

This journey can be exhausting and discouraging. While the mind and body are separate systems, they are so intricately intertwined that it can be difficult to distinguish between the two. Stress impacts our thoughts, which can cause inflammation in the brain. Consistent exposure to stress can overwhelm our central nervous system, causing autonomic dysfunction. 

Autonomic Dysfunction

Our autonomic nervous system is what keeps us alive automatically, without us even knowing it! It controls things like our breathing, heart beat, temperature, digestion, and more!

When this doesn't work right, the body can experience a lot of strange sensations that it's not used to:

• Paresthesias (numbness and tingling)
• Tremors
• Heart palpitations
• Increased heart rate
• Panic attacks
• Sleep struggles
• Dizziness
• Hot flashes
• Digestive issues
• Decreased libido
• Urinary problems
• Exercise intolerance
• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
• Neurocardiogenic Syncope (NCS) (Fainting)

There are treatments to help the cause (anxiety), and treatments to help the symptoms. This is something the healthcare provider helps you with. You may be referred to:

• Psychiatrist (to help with mental health medications)
• Therapist or counselor (for therapy)

But I'm Not Anxious

Strangely enough, you may not have any type of stress in your life, and you can still have anxiety. In fact, a true panic attack often has no trigger and happens out of the blue! This is why it is so scary and hard to believe it is "anxiety". 

Think of anxiety as a name of an illness and not a feeling. 

If you are caring for a loved one with anxiety, try not to be offended if they don't believe you when you repeatedly tell them that they are okay. Part of the illness is having health anxiety, and they are not likely to believe anyone (even doctors) until they find a treatment that works for them. This can take time. Don't discredit their beliefs, however irrational they are.

Be sure to have a plan if a crisis occurs (i.e. severe panic attack). Look for a crisis center specific for behavioral health where you live. A crisis center is like an ER for mental health. This can be comforting for a patient with health anxiety, because the staff at crisis centers are also trained to know if a patient should be sent to the ER for medical care, so this is a win-win.

Some phrases that can help a loved one include:

• I believe you
• I know this is scary right now, but I will keep you company if you'd like
• You've gotten through this before, I know you can do it again
• We will get you the help you need
• Let's take this a day at a time
• You are doing the best you can, and that is enough
• Tell me some of the concerns you are having, I'd love to be a listening ear

You're Doing Better Than You Think You Are

Healing is not linear. It takes time, patience and lots of practice to improve mental health. You're not alone! It's 100% normal to not feel anxious, yet still have anxiety. 

Be sure to read my blog post "Anxiety. Depression. Peace" for more insight!