Anxiety chest pain: causes and how to relieve it

Pressure and stress to which we submit ourselves on a day-to-day basis can generate both emotional and physical discomfort, which contribute to the wear and tear of our body and mental fatigue.

When this turns into anxiety, we are dragged into a spiral of despair and lack of motivation to face the routine, avoid performance in our work and reduce concern for our own wellness.

When this anxiety worsens, it can lead to other major health problems such as coronary heart disease, changes in blood pressure or accumulation of muscle tension. But above all, it is possible that this is the origin of the development of some mental disorders such as specific or generalized anxiety, panic attacks and even depression.

So, In this article we will tell you everything you need to know about anxiety, the problems it causes, why your chest hurts when you are anxious and how to solve it.

What is anxiety?

In theory, the anxiety responds to a natural adaptation mechanism that we all possess, which keeps us alert to difficulties and provides the body energy enough to be attentive to all possible scenarios that may compromise us and how we can solve them.

In general, this feeling diminishes when we have solved that problem that afflicts us, leaving the body exhausted and with a feeling of satisfaction. But anxiety is not just an adaptation mechanism, it is It can also be classified as a personality trait, a symptom of some disease or a mental disorder.

Anxiety disorders

Anxiety becomes a personality disorder when it manifests itself in a constant, intense or excessive way, the Discomforts are aggravated throughout the body and affect different areas of a person's development (intimate, interpersonal, work, social or academic). Another way to recognize this disorder is when there are short but repetitive episodes of extreme anxiety, panic attacks, or paralyzing, uncontrollable fears that prevent you from having a routine adequate.

Anxiety disorders can be found in DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) such as the following.

1. Generalized anxiety

Anxiety that occurs at any time and for any situation is known, it can also occur in the opposite case, that anxiety occurs for no apparent reason during the day.

2. Specific anxiety

In the opposite case, there is the anxiety you may feel about something in particular, usually in facing that situation or fear solving it.

3. Separation anxiety

It occurs in young children, when they have excessive and sometimes senseless anxiety, being under the situation of separation from their parents or the withdrawal of a figure close to them.

4. Selective mutism

It also happens in children and is characterized by an inability to speak in situations that are very complicated for them and that they prefer to avoid.

5. Panic or panic disorder

It consists of short but repetitive and constant episodes of fear, phobia or maximum anxiety. Manifesting through shortness of breath or pounding palpitations and a fear of recurrence.

It is an anxiety caused by the fear of being exposed in open places and where the person feels ashamed, afraid, trapped or suffocated. So they try to avoid them.

7. Social anxiety

Also known as social phobia, it refers to the levels of anxiety caused by rejection or fear of facing social situations and people because they are thought to cause harm.

8. Specific phobias

It refers to the extreme and sometimes irrational fear of something specific, such as an animal or a situation that you prefer to avoid. And whose exposure to it causes anxiety.

9. Anxiety due to illness

In this the symptoms of anxiety (exhaustion, physical discomfort, mental exhaustion, palpitations, exhaustion or shortness of breath) is actually caused by an illness.

Why does your chest hurt when you are anxious?

One of the most characteristic and perceptible symptoms of anxiety is its manifestation in physical discomfort, where chest pain is the most common and is accompanied by a feeling of suffocation, chest tightness, hyperventilation, palpitations, dizziness, excessive tiredness and pressure in the head. Being a noticeable and annoying problem for the person experiencing it, has it ever happened to you?

Ways to recognize anxiety chest pain

This chest pain is due to a somatization of anxiety (i.e. its externalization) and usually manifests itself during a panic or stressful situation. People who experience it often describe it as a stabbing pain that spreads throughout the torso.

It is a pain that can last several minutes but does not last beyond it and appears from the beginning of the state of anxiety to its end, where it decreases. It does not increase or stop if we do different exercises, efforts or physical techniques.

Many tend to confuse this difficulty with a cardiovascular problem. But you can differentiate it because the latter is characterized by pain in a certain point of the chest and the arm, while, due to anxiety, it extends throughout the torso and a specific area is not identified sore.

What Causes Anxiety Chest Pain?

As we have already mentioned, it is due to a somatization caused by an episode of anxiety. That is to say, it is the way in which the organism manifests that there is an overwhelming problem for the person that is affecting them at a general level.

But in themselves, these discomforts appear in themselves, by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, due to high adrenaline and cortisol releases. Bringing the body to a state of high and constant energy to react to any stimulus that causes concern.

With this activation, plus the uncontrollable sensation of continuous anxiety, they generate considerable muscle tension, which is the cause of physical pain. Therefore, chest pain is about the pressure and muscle tension of the torso, as well as the rest of the body.

Ways to relieve and decrease anxiety

It is very common for people to have anxiety at certain times in life or panic attacks mild in the face of a very overwhelming and stressful situation. But, there are some people who can suffer constant anxiety from any adversity in their routine.

Therefore, it is important to mention some ways to relieve and reduce anxiety in everyday life.

It is always advisable to attend psychological therapy when you have constant feelings of insecurity or mistrust in your problem-solving skills, when stress is overwhelming you and you cannot handle it or is causing difficulties in your performance and relations.

In psychotherapeutic work, the specialist will give you the best tools to rebuild your confidence, reinforce your self-esteem, having alternatives to resolve any conflict appropriately and activities to rejoin the normal.

2. Pharmacotherapy

This is carried out when the person is immersed in a serious anxiety disorder that affects all areas of her life and cannot control it. The treatment is carried out by a psychiatrist and works in conjunction with a psychotherapist to find adaptation tools.

Anxiolytic drugs are indicated that decrease brain excitement and contribute to the relaxation of the body.

3. Breathing work

This is ideal for calming the symptoms of pain and pressure in the chest, since it manages to relax the muscles and clear the mind of worries. These techniques can be found on the web, be directed by your therapist or through the practice of activities such as meditation, Taichi or yoga.

Always look for activities that reduce the stress of your day to day, that you can enjoy, that help nourish your brain and distract you. You can opt for physical exercises, learn a new skill, meet up with friends, walk your dog, or take a break with a hot cup of tea.

5. Training habits

With these habits you can train your mind to solve different difficulties and so you can see that you have the ability to face any obstacle and find a resolution if you are in focus. For this you can get used to reading mystery novels, looking for mathematical problems to solve or downloading mental agility games.

6. Get informed

It is very important that you are aware of the problem that is causing you discomfort and difficulties in your daily life, so that you can solve it effectively. Therefore, find all the necessary information about anxiety and pay attention to the situations in your life that trigger it. This way you can have control over your anxiety.

Of course, avoid overinformation. Focus only on having a global vision of your problem, but do not go beyond what is necessary because that can activate a new state of anxiety.

7. Use creative tools

To resolve all those conflicts or problems that seem to exceed you, you must think 'outside the box' since sometimes the solution requires creativity so why not use creative tools? such as concept maps, mind maps, dada poems, breakdowns, a solution notebook, drawings, writing down your problems, etc.

Being in control of your anxiety only depends on you and the effort to free yourself from the pressures.