Dizzy due to anxiety?

[16andanxious]

Hello,

Please read my whole post, I would love to hear your experiences and advice.

I've had Generalized Anxiety and Panic Attacks since I was 13. I have good and bad periods, sometimes I'll go months anxiety-free and other times (like right now) I hit bad periods.

I've always worried about my health, more so when I'm in an anxious period. I'm emetophobic (afraid of vomiting) which is the root of my anxiety along with losing control.

But in the last week I've started having dizziness. At first it was just a bit of brain fog but in the last few days I feel constantly dizzy/vertigo/unsteady (they are all pretty much the same thing).

This worries me a lot as I feel like I have no control over it whatsoever. It really scares me. Like a lot. Also, dizziness is often related with throwing up, I think? The last time I vomited was about 5-6 years ago.

So can anxiety really be the root of my recent dizziness? It seems like such a physical symptom that should have an explanation.

What can I do to cope?

I'm 16 year old male going to highschool. I need to be able to focus in class and get my homework done which is pretty much impossible when i feel like I'm constantly moving.

I appreciate any responses with your similar experiences and any advice that you may have.

Thanks in advance.

[C-K-J]

Hey bud, I've been experiencing dizziness a lot lately .. and recently I feel like my had is swaying back and forth or unsteady. It's kinda freaking me out but just trying to accept it as anxiety! I Sound pretty similar to you .

[16andanxious in reply to C-K-J]

Thank you for the reply!

Yes that is exactly what I'm talking about. A uncontrollable swaying feeling that is sometimes worse than others.

What do you do to cope?

How do you focus at work/school?

[Beevee in reply to 16andanxious]

Hi 16andanxious

The way to cope is to carry on with going to school and concentrating on your school work as best you can

The reason why anxiety hangs around is because you are trying to control it, trying to stop yourself from feeling the symptoms that anxiety is presenting itself. The control you think you have is an illusion. They are not under your control and never have been. It is your attempts to control the symptoms that have been keeping the anxiety alive because you are adding extra fear to the fear that is already there. You start to recover when you make the decision to learn to let go and stop trying to fix yourself which allows your mind and nervous system (which has been sensitised by your constant battle with the symptoms) the space it needs to get better. At the moment, you are getting in the way of this natural healing process trying to control it so step aside and give up the fight.

Best wishes

Beevee

[16andanxious in reply to Beevee]

Thanks you for the advice. I fully understand letting go and I am able to do this sometimes and avoid panic attacks. Its a process though! What do you mean by "the natural healing process"?

[Beevee in reply to 16andanxious]

If you break a bone, suffer with flu or graze your leg, what do you do to fix it and make yourself better? The answer (as I think you know) is absolutely nothing, apart from rest.

Your body does it all for you without you having to do very much. Sure, you might feel sore or a bit rough for a while but you put it to the back of your mind and carry on with your day. This is what I mean by the natural healing process. Good old Mother Nature. Recovering from anxiety works in exactly the same way, if you give up trying to control your anxiety.

Sticking with the grazed knee metaphor, people stay in the anxiety cycle because they constantly pick at the grazed knee, trying to worry it better, demanding that it gets better straight away. It just doesn't work like that but that is what an anxiety sufferer does with their symptoms which, although scary, are completely harmless.

Does this make sense?

[16andanxious in reply to Beevee]

Yes that was a great analogy. Thank you again!

[C-K-J in reply to 16andanxious]

Exactly what Beevee said! I talked to him the other day about it . Lol . Just let go and live your life no matter how you feel from the symptoms (: it can only get better eventually from there

[fib4 in reply to C-K-J]

it could be an inner ear infection too that affects balance and causes dizziness. maybe a trip to the doc could check that out for you also low blood sugar and anemia could faction in. again have a doc check it out

[WAF38]

16andanxious .. Have you seen a doctor?

I do very deep breathing while allowing myself to to relax especially the shoulders. Keep deep breathing, breath in through your nose, purse your lips and blow out slowing. Allows focus on relaxation while deep breathing. Good Luck....hugs from a grandma

[16andanxious in reply to WAF38]

Thank you! No I haven't seen a doctor about the dizziness but I do see a psychologist regularly about my anxiety.

[Agora1 in reply to 16andanxious]

Hi 16andanxious, I'm glad you are seeing a psychologist regarding your anxiety. I agree with WAF38 advice in doing the deep breathing relaxation. Getting dizzy with anxiety usually has to do with our over breathing/hyperventilation because of the anxious state we are in. Dehydration also plays a part in this as well. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can lessen that feeling especially if this has to do with anxiety. If your doctor does not know about the recent dizziness you are experiencing, it might not be a bad idea to check with him about an inner ear problem. Reading over your post, you describe this feeling as vertigo which is not the same as the light headed off balance feeling of anxiety. I wish you well in finding the answer to how you have been feeling most recently. Rule out any physical causes is wise. My best to you.

[16andanxious in reply to Agora1]

Thank you, that is a good idea.

[MindfulMartina]

Hi 16andanxious. Dizziness might be brought about by so many things that to pinpoint the real reason for yours you'll need to take a step backward and look at when it happens most and by deduction and trial and error you might bring about the necessary changes. One particular culprit can be your laptop, computer or mobile phone screen. Symptoms of dizziness, sensory overload like being overwhelmed in a grocery store or dept. store and vertigo or feeling like vomiting . I have a terrible time with computer monitors making me dizzy or giving me a headache spending a lot of time on the internet or mobile phone. Not all LCD monitors are flicker-free since a lot of them use PWM which essentially means they FLICKER AT LOW BRIGHTNESS. So lowering the brightness might actually make it worse.The other culprit can be lack of sleep Other actions I think that can helped are taking a break from computers, laptops and mobile phones an hour before going to bed and instead do activities that use another part of the brain like playing some music controlling blood pressure and being well rested. the most difficult as a student is to go to bed by 11.30pm as often as possible and doing breathing Mindfully and be thankful for the day to relax before getting to sleep and maximize sleep gain.

Hope this help! Best wishes.

[16andanxious in reply to MindfulMartina]

Thanks you for the reply. I appreciate the advice.

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I get this a lot buddy! Try and drink water it helps a but... have you visited ent?