so how does anxiety cause pain??

[anitaa]

Hi

I just wanted to know before i freak out searching the internet:unsure:

how do you get stabbing pains in chest etc.. if it is just anxiety and is all in your mind? i can understand the breathing/sickness/dizzy and too much adrenaline but how can you cause yourself to have actual pain?:shrug:

can anyone help me out:huh:

thanks xxx

[RealAwful]

what happens is your fight or flight kicks in. back thousands of years ago humans needed fight or flight to protect themselves from attacks from wild animals other humans ect, and we still use it today for some stuff. the anxious person tends to have their flight or fight kick in when it is not really needed so you get the effects of it without using it. think of an animal in the wild and how they respond when they are going to be attacked and thats what your body does.
so what happens is your fight or flight kicks in, so your alertness raises your blood moves away from the skin and your heart pumps harder and faster so that your body can use it to run or fight. your muscles tighten so that you can be quick and nimble your eyes will dilate so that you can see better. your breathing gets deeper so that you can get more oxygen to your blood. but since nothing is wrong you dont need any of this. so pretty much the soreness and pain you feel is the after effects of putting your body on high alert status and tensing your muscles. the dizziness is from you taking in way more oxygen then you really need.

[RealAwful]

the reason you feel pain in the chest and neck area is often because the neck muscles are the first that you tense up, tensing those can cause pain into the chest are as well as shoulder blades and arms

[anx mum]

Really dont now hun but im living proof this happens ive recently had sharp stabbing pains n chest and burning its really scary.

[anitaa]

oh must be stress muscle tensing then, thanks RealAwful:D

Anx mum - Tell me about it it seems when i worry and think about shooting pain i get it, i must have mad mind powers:w00t2:

[Taffy]

I've got really bad pain in my right upper back / shoulder area that is radiating around to my chest, just above my nipple, had it for about a week now. I've already had the HA kick in bit style and diagnosed myself with Lung C! However after a bit of good advice and support from one of the members on here I'm starting to think logically and believe I may have a trapped nerve in my neck / shoulder area brought on by my HA which had been quite bad the past few months.

Its agony tonight!....Anyone else experienced something similar?

[Utility]

Hi Anitaa

Have a read of the symptoms section on the left hand side of the web page. It will explain a lot of what you need to know