Physical symptoms of anxiety/depression

[AmZ]

I was wondering how anxiety (and depression) can affect someone physically...

I've noticed big things such as when washing my hair, LOTS is falling out which is unusual. Also it just stays knotted, whatever I do, it's in a crazy mess which is unusual also. Looks like my hair has gone a bit mad also. And dandruff, like really bad which nothing can stop it also, as good a product I buy and use, it doesn't take it away.

One of the things I have which I wonder about is feeling really faint and light headed all the time. Can that be something that can be caused physically from anxiety? and why? Obviously, if you're sitting there having a panic attack so aren't breathing properly, then it's understandable that you can feel light headed etc, but I'm talking, like all the time, just sitting at work and feeling dizzy.. without at least an outward feeling of anxiety at the time. Not seeming to have something on my mind at the time.

Should I be therefore admitting here that I basically AM feeling anxious 24/7 and that's why I feel faint all the time?! I guess if that is the case, then it just means that I need to sort this out with my psychologist seeing that I can't seem to control it myself?

 

[Andy]

There are a lot of physical symptoms to both anxiety and depression. Hair loss could be anything from stress to a serious illness. Have you had your thyroid checked recently? Quite a few medications will cause an increase in hair loss. I know anti depressants do and some anticonvulsants, but your taking Clonazepam if I remember correctly so that shouldn't be an issue. There are other medications that cause it as well if your on anything else so you may want to look into that, birth control is another one.
Feeling dizzy and or light headed could be a physical symptom of anxiety as well but it also could be low blood sugar or many other illnesses. If your feeling that way all the time I would wonder if it wasn't something else that needs checking.

If your having a lot of physical symptoms that are bothersome, it is best to go to your medical doctor to have anything ruled out before you just assume it is from anxiety. It's better to do that than find out later on that it is something serious that could have been dealt with sooner. If there is nothing serious wrong then at least you know for sure.

 

[AmZ]

Thx for the reply.

I haven't had my thyroid checked but the hair loss I am guessing is due to anxiety/depression - as it's been in the last few days only. Unless it's a coincidence, I'll keep an eye on it. THX.

I haven't taken the Clonazepam - I only took it once on the first day it was given to me - anyway, about that -- That had weird side affects within itself and not much else. Mouth chattering uncontrollably (!), walking down the street with my hand over my face! For now I'm not on any meds, I want to try my best to control everything before I take meds. It's just the first 4-5 hours of the day which seem to be a problem for me ( feeling v faint, whole back and body aching, no appetite and feeling weak, etc), and in all honesty, I was close to taking them Fri morning and today, but I hope that I can avoid them.

Concerning the possibility of feeling faint from other medical problems... This is how the whole thing started as I blamed the physical problems on just a physical problem/s. Then it ended up being ALL mental.. But anyway, at least I got a medical check up and everything came back fine - I did blood tests which asides from my white blood cell count being a little low, the list of the other 50 things or whatever came back all normal, and in fact a perfect level of all things. I did a urine test, and xrays and an ultrasound on my stomach also, and all was fine. So I can pretty much count out medical problems as of now. (What is checked by the way concerning checking the thyroid? Maybe it was something that could have shown up on the blood test results anyway?).

It may be partly because of low sugar levels and lack of eating as to why I feel faint - But before feeling bad mentally, I ate the same amounts sometimes and never had the light headed and faint feelings. I guess it's at least partly the anxiety without me being aware of it maybe adding on there still being weak as not eating much in the last 2 weeks... It's like I need to get my strength back from having a "virus" that actually wasn't there in the first place!

I just need to really get the thoughts which are so far back in my mind, to the front of my mind. I maybe can feel the anxiety for 5 minutes in a day, whereas I am really having bad physical feelings all day long. Somehow the physical and mental side is not adding up so I can't even try to control the anxiety because I can't even see that it's there!

 

[Andy]

Anemia can make you feel lightheaded. Again if it was just a little low then I'm not sure it would make you lightheaded all day though. Thyroid will check to make sure it's functioning properly, whether your getting enough or to little of the horomone. If your Dr. ordered a thyroid test then it will be in the results, but you will have to ask him/her that.
This is why I would suggest you find out about the physical first. If your not feeling anxiety (aside from 5 minutes) then the physical is more than likely-just that, physical.

I don't know, it's up to you where you go.
Personally I would go to a medical doctor for physical stuff, especially since physical and mental can mask each other and the physical is a lot more dangerous than the mental (unless of course you are suicidal) if you had to put them in order of larger importance than the other. That's just my personal opinion.

If you think it's the anxiety then go to your psychiatrist or psychologist. Only you can make that decision. :2thumbs:

 

[AmZ]

I used to be anemic actually (about 10 years ago, when I was 15), and when I had started to get these physical symptoms such as my hair falling out and feeling exhausted and lethargic, I was wondering if I had the same problem again. But the blood test results for my iron levels came back great. The min and max recommended was something like 150 min and 450 max or something like that, mine was 325.

As much as I'd like to think that my physical problems are being caused by a medical problem, I already did this for 2 weeks and then, at least what was checked, everything came back fine. Maybe there are other things like the thyroid, but I'm nearly out of options

On the other hand, it is still a bit weird to have all of these symptoms from what has been diagnosed as 'mild anxiety and depression'. Maybe it's just worse than I realize.

That's what happens when you go back and forth for two weeks between being told by a psychiatrist that I should take the clonazepam for the rest of my life "with no worries" (after talking to him for less than 5 minutes) and then to a medical doctor who was worried there was another problem, but didn't question my mental state at all, said that I have a virus, then said a stomach disease or allergy, then back to a virus once all results had come back as OK.

That's what I call the most confusing 2 weeks of my life!!!

 

[Andy]

I imagine it is stressful for you. I think your right, you probably should just go back to your psychologist if you've explored all options. Hopefully he/she will get you on the right track.:2thumbs:

 

[AmZ]

Thanks ;-)

Yes, I hope that it's just more the stress of what has happened which is where the anxiety part comes from. I know that there is anxiety within me from before, but from what I can see and understand of my own mind, I really don't think that it was so much that I would end up feeling like this. At least I hope not, because it's the first time I've had something like this and to think that I maybe this sensitive to a bit of anxiety and in feeling slightly down (very mild depression) is a scary thought...

I really see myself as a perceptive and level headed person and am still in shock that I didn't realize it was anxiety causing all of these symptoms.

Can thoughts really be that far back in someone's mind that they don't know they are even there!?

Even yesterday for example, I was feeling better but I laid there not sleeping until 6am... and what happened whilst I was laying there for all of those hours? Nothing. I felt no anxiety and my mind felt totally blank. If anything I felt really relaxed... but of course, there is no other reason for me not falling asleep all night asides from having something going on mentally. There was no physical reason for that happening.

I hope that the psychologist will be able to help me with these things. The only thing I want to do is understand and recognize all of the thoughts in my head. Or at least to recognize them to start with!