Dan's Blog

Podcast: Why Does Anxiety Make You Avoid Things?

When you’re anxious about doing something, avoiding it can seem like the easiest and most helpful option.

You don’t go to the social event. You put off making the phone call. You avoid driving somewhere. Or you find another way of making sure you don’t have to deal with whatever is making you anxious.

And usually something happens immediately afterwards.

You feel a sense of relief. Not doing the thing that was making you feel anxious makes you feel immediately better. At least for a while anyway.

In this episode of the Dan Regan Hypnotherapy Podcast, in association with Spotted in Ely, I look at why that feeling of relief is so important, and how avoidance can gradually become part of the pattern that keeps anxiety going.

I also share some of my own experience of anxiety and avoidance and explain why overcoming avoidance doesn’t necessarily mean forcing yourself straight into doing the thing that frightens you most.

Listen to the episode below:

The Biggest Misunderstandings About Anxiety

If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety, you’ve probably been given plenty of advice. Some of it is helpful, but some of it is based on misunderstandings about anxiety that can actually make it feel even more frightening and difficult to manage.

One thing I’ve noticed after working with hundreds of people with anxiety over the years is that many people aren’t just battling anxiety itself, they’re battling what they believe anxiety means. They worry they’re losing control of their thoughts, that the physical symptoms mean something is seriously wrong, or that their anxiety will never get better.

When those misunderstandings about anxiety begin to change, anxiety often starts to lose much of its power. It becomes much easier to recognise what is actually happening so that you can make positive changes towards feeling better.

That doesn’t mean anxiety disappears overnight, but understanding what’s really happening often becomes the foundation for lasting change. Many people tell me that simply making sense of their anxiety leaves them feeling calmer and more hopeful.

Can Anxiety Cause Tingling?

Have you ever noticed tingling in your hands, feet or face when you’re feeling anxious? It can feel strange, unsettling and sometimes frightening. Many people immediately wonder whether something serious is happening to their body. So can anxiety cause tingling?

Many people I work with in Ely, Newmarket and online are surprised to discover that tingling is a common physical symptom of anxiety. It often appears alongside symptoms such as a racing heart, dizziness, breathlessness or chest tightness. Because it can arrive suddenly and without an obvious explanation, it’s easy to assume there must be something medically wrong.

For some people, the tingling comes during a panic attack. For others, it appears during periods of prolonged stress or worry. You may notice it in your fingertips, around your mouth, in your arms or even your legs. The more you focus on it and worry, the stronger it can seem to become.

Like many physical symptoms of anxiety, tingling can become something you start worrying about. You notice every slight change in sensation and begin wondering what it means. That extra anxiety can make the tingling feel even more noticeable.

Can anxiety cause tingling? Yes, it certainly can.

Let’s look at why it happens and, more importantly, what you can do to reduce it.

Can Anxiety Make You Feel Sick?

Have you ever felt so anxious that your stomach seemed to turn over? You lose your appetite, feel nauseous or as though you might be sick. Perhaps you even start worrying that you’ve picked up a bug or that something is seriously wrong with you. So can anxiety make you feel sick?

Many people I work with in Ely, Newmarket and online are surprised by just how much anxiety can affect the digestive system. Feeling sick is one of the most common physical symptoms of anxiety, yet because it feels so unpleasant, it often creates even more worry.

When anxiety strikes, your body changes the way it functions. Your breathing alters, your muscles tense, your heart beats faster and your digestive system begins behaving differently. For some people that means butterflies in the stomach. For others it’s nausea, loss of appetite or a constant unsettled feeling. You can start to dread that feeling in your stomach, and that anxiety can lead to it happening more.

Feeling sick can become particularly distressing because it can make eating difficult and can leave you worrying about being sick in front of other people. Some people begin avoiding eating out, restaurants, social occasions or travelling because they fear the nausea might suddenly become worse. Many clients have told me they avoid eating all day in case they are sick. Others describe feeling tense and hot while trying to pretend they’re enjoying a meal in front of other people.

Can anxiety make you feel sick? Yes, it certainly can.

Why Anxiety Can Feel Worse During Hot Weather

As I write this, another heatwave is hitting the UK, following on from the one a couple of weeks ago. Every summer I notice the same pattern: many people find their anxiety feels noticeably worse during hot weather.

Hot weather doesn’t cause anxiety. But it can definitely make anxiety feel much worse.

Many of the body’s completely normal responses to heat, such as a faster heartbeat, sweating, feeling light-headed, feeling flushed or becoming a little breathless, are almost identical to the physical sensations people experience during anxiety and panic attacks.

If you’ve struggled with anxiety before, it’s very easy for your mind to mistake one for the other.

Before long, you can find yourself worrying that your anxiety is returning or that something is wrong with you.

In my work as an anxiety therapist in Ely, this is something I hear every summer. People tell me that they had been coping well until the hot weather arrived, only to find themselves feeling anxious again seemingly out of nowhere.

The encouraging news is that understanding what’s happening often makes the whole experience much less frightening.