Can Anxiety Be The Reason For A Strange Feeling In The Head? Let’s Find Out!!
Like any other mental health disorder, symptoms of anxiety show up cognitively, emotionally, and physically. This extremely common mental health disorder can be linked to symptoms that might span the entire body, like:
- Heart palpitations
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Weakness
- Stomach issues
Usually, people suffering from anxiety disorders also experience a variety of symptoms that affect the way they feel in their heads. These might include:
- Headaches
- Brain fog
- Dissociation
- Pressure
Therefore, if you have these strange feelings in your head, it might be due to anxiety.
HOW AND WHY DOES ANXIETY AFFECT THE HEAD?
All of us experiences stress and anxiety at one point or another in our lives. However, if anxiety becomes so overwhelming that it starts to affect everyday life, it might turn into a mental health disorder.
There are many types of anxiety, like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social Anxiety Disorder, etc.
All of these might be influenced by a person’s genetics or his/her situational environment, which can include their upbringing and lifestyle choices.
These mental health disorders can co-occur with other conditions like depression, which can compound the symptoms.
Anxiety disorders like the ones mentioned above can also be a result of chemical imbalances in the brain and the body. Connections have been found by scientists between anxiety and physical, emotional, and cognitive sensations that affect the head.
Following are some ways anxiety can affect your brain:
- Constant worrying
- Rumination
- Negative self-talk
- Obsessive and racing thoughts
It needs to be mentioned here that experts have agreed that more studies need to be done on the topic and that they have also found a link between anxiety and migraine headaches.
Researchers say that those who suffer from anxiety have issues controlling their worries which trigger migraines and other kinds of headaches.
HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE
It is the physical symptoms of anxiety that might cause strange feelings in the head. Symptoms affecting the body’s circulatory system, such as heart palpitations and spikes in blood pressure, cause feelings in the head like:
- A sensation of choking
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Sweating on the face
- Fainting
Some other symptoms include:
- Migraine headaches
- Lack of connection with reality
- Depersonalisation
- Insomnia
- Racing thoughts
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Obsessive thoughts and rumination
- Ringing in the ears
- Pressure in the head
- Numbness in the head
- Pain in the head
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN KNOW WHETHER IT IS ANXIETY
As we have seen earlier, there are many types of anxiety. Any of these anxiety disorders might lead to a strange feeling in your head. There is a chance that you might have anxiety if these peculiar feelings are accompanied by the following:
- Quick breathing rate
- Excessive sweating
- Hot flashes
- Dry mouth
- Fast heartbeat
- Dry mouth
- Blushing
- Shaking
- Hair loss
TREATMENTS
In order to get rid of the underlying cause of the strange feelings in the head, you must treat the underlying issues. These sensations and symptoms of anxiety might be symptoms of other mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Identifying the underlying cause will assist you in seeking the correct treatment.
If anxiety is the main cause, you should remember that you can recover from it and that treatment and support are available.
The best treatment plan includes talk therapy and anti-anxiety and antidepressant medication. You can also manage anxiety with the help of:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Therapy animals
- Exercise
- Art therapies like drawing and music.
WHEN SHOULD YOU SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP?
Whenever you feel that you have an anxiety disorder or if the strange feelings in your head do not go away over a certain period, it is best to seek professional help from a certified mental health professional. You should do the same if the strange feelings in your head interfere with your regular life.
It would also be best to schedule an appointment with a medical professional if there is an onset of physical symptoms, even if you think they are due to your mental health condition.
FINALLY…
Anxiety manifests itself in different ways throughout the body, including the head. It is a treatable condition, and in time and with your effort, you can easily overcome the symptoms.