In a 2023 survey, 66% of adults in the United States were anxious about their health. Let's consider this with the 11,800,000 people in Ohio. This means that approximately 7,788,000 Ohioans experience anxiety about their health. Anxiety about one's health does not mean that someone will develop physical conditions. It can be a risk factor for the development of somatic anxiety, though.
Receiving proper treatment for somatic anxiety is the best way to prevent physical conditions from getting worse. At SUN Behavioral Health Columbus, we want to help you understand where these conditions come from and how you can manage them by healing in a supportive environment. Below, we are going to discuss what somatic anxiety is and how you can better manage the symptoms you are experiencing.
Anxiety is a natural response to threats and is a part of how the body reacts to stress. When it occurs occasionally, it is a healthy emotion. However, anxiety can sometimes impact your quality of life when it begins to manifest into persistent symptoms. When someone has an anxiety disorder, anxiety does not go away and often gets worse. There are several types it can manifest into, and each one can come with its unique challenges, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias. Somatic anxiety is one of these types, but it often behaves differently than other forms of anxiety.
Somatic means “relating to the body.” Somatic anxiety refers to when anxiety symptoms manifest physically. This means that anxiety symptoms can be displayed as physical conditions or expressions, such as the development of migraines or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The body creates these physical conditions to indicate that something is wrong, and they require treatment to recover from.
People with this disorder may regularly consult a doctor to figure out what is causing the condition, or they may avoid the doctor. When they avoid their medical team, they may feel as if their doctor will declare it to be “just” their anxiety or that they will be diagnosed with a more severe condition.
All forms of anxiety can have symptoms. Typically, those symptoms are restlessness, excessive worry, irritability, or stomachaches. These symptoms often interfere with the person’s daily life, making work, school, and relationships challenging. These don’t usually develop into physical, diagnosable conditions beyond an anxiety disorder.
This is where somatic anxiety becomes different. During somatic anxiety, the body forms diagnosable conditions that require medical treatment to reverse. When other types of anxiety go away, so do the physical symptoms. With somatic anxiety, this is not always the case. Often, people will need their physical conditions treated alongside their anxiety.
Many things can result in the development of somatic anxiety. One of the main causes is pre-existing generalized anxiety. When you are constantly anxious and leave it untreated, it can worsen and evolve into a subtype of anxiety, such as somatic anxiety.
If someone is constantly worried about their health and paying attention to any possible sign of illness, such as health anxiety, it could contribute to the development of somatic responses.
It is also believed that somatic anxiety could form due to environmental elements such as childhood trauma or lack of awareness of emotional development during childhood. In some cases, it may develop if a parent has the condition.
In a 2020 study, they found that 22.9% of healthcare professionals had somatic anxiety symptoms during the pandemic. During COVID-19, the virus was deeply impacting the healthcare field, as they worked tirelessly to care for people they saw dying from the disease. That also came with worry for their physical health, as they were consistently exposed to that same virus. They were also constantly tested for symptoms and COVID-19, which may have increased their anxiety symptoms. This constant fear over their health could have possibly led to the development of somatic anxiety.
The same can be true for anyone. Constantly being concerned about your health or other things can lead to physical conditions forming due to the stress your body is under.
One of the most significant indications that someone might have somatic anxiety is that they have physical symptoms of pain, fatigue, weakness, or shortness of breath, and these signs can range from mild to severe. They can be related to a medical condition or may not have a clear cause.
Alongside the physical symptoms, there are often psychological symptoms as well. People with this disorder may:
If left untreated, somatic anxiety will get worse with time. This may lead to poor health and difficulty functioning in your daily life. Due to this, it may result in someone having a physical disability. They could also experience concerns with their relationships and work or become unemployed due to the developed physical conditions. In some people, they may develop depression, which could worsen into an increased risk of suicide. They may consistently go to the doctor for health care visits, which results in financial concerns due to their medical bills.
The most effective way to treat and manage somatic anxiety is with proper treatment for both the anxiety and the physical symptoms. This often involves remaining physically active, learning stress management and relaxation, and avoiding alcohol and substances. It also involves working with your healthcare providers as they provide treatment for both the physical and anxiety symptoms. Anxiety treatment requires therapy, medications, or a combination of both.
The most common type of therapy used to treat somatic anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This therapy can help change your thoughts and beliefs surrounding your health and physical symptoms. It can also help you learn how to reduce stress and cope with the physical symptoms you are experiencing.
During CBT, your counselor will teach you how to minimize avoidance of situations and activities due to uncomfortable physical sensations. You will begin to improve daily functioning in your relationships, home life, and work life.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are both medications that are used to treat anxiety and depression. They ease symptoms and make it easier to recover from these conditions. Several medications fall under these categories, and your doctor may combine them to boost their effectiveness. If one doesn’t work, another one might. However, it’s important to remember it can take a few weeks or months to notice an improvement in your symptoms.
For someone with somatic anxiety, feelings of exhaustion and fear are common. Being constantly concerned with your physical health to the point of the body creating conditions can feel overwhelming. If this is your experience, relief is available through proper treatment.
SUN Behavioral Health Columbus offers a no-cost care assessment that connects you with a counselor. They will create a care plan tailored to your needs, considering your symptoms, doctor recommendations, and previous medical history. This care plan may change as you progress through treatment. We are here to help ensure you receive the treatment that gives you the best chance at successfully managing somatic anxiety.
SUN Behavioral Health Columbus Solves Unmet Needs in Columbus, OH. Once you have completed treatment at our facility, our onsite pharmacy will continue to handle your medications. This ensures you will retain access to this valuable resource in your recovery. If you wish to start treatment for somatic anxiety today, call us at 614-706-2786.
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