Dizziness is among the common symptoms of anxiety-related problems. Although it is true that many people tend to feel anxious and do not get dizzy when suffering from this form of discomfort, in psychotherapy consultations it is not uncommon to meet patients for whom one thing is linked to the other in many cases.
In this article we will see a series of guidelines and habits to apply every day to prevent dizziness caused by excessive anxiety.
Why does anxiety dizziness appear?
The exact mechanism by which anxiety leads to dizziness is not fully understood; There are hypotheses to understand the relationship between both phenomena, but it must be taken into account that a large number of psychological and physiological processes are involved in both, as well as individual differences.
On the one hand, it is known that anxiety goes hand in hand with relatively rapid variations in blood pressure (which is logical, because it is an emotion that guides us to adapt quickly to possible dangers or windows of opportunity that we should not miss. reacting story before); These changes can affect the organs responsible for the sense of balance, located in the vestibule of the ear, and also in the parts of the brain that work in coordination with the former.
On the other hand, sudden changes in the energy demand of the nervous system in situations of stress or anxiety can lead to a gap between the resources that the body sends to the brain and those that it needs to function.
Furthermore, it is known that excess stress makes our neurons lose the ability to adapt to the demands of the environment, modifying their interconnection patterns with the rest of nerve cells, both in the brain and in the vestibule area; This can also lead to decompensation in times of anxiety, leading to dizziness.
As we have seen, the chain of events that leads to anxiety to produce the symptom of dizziness is not very clear, but that does not mean that nothing can be done to treat this problem when it significantly damages people's quality of life , or even apply measures to prevent its appearance.
How to prevent these problems?
Many people feel frightened whenever anxiety is coupled with dizziness; however, it must be borne in mind that this phenomenon does not constitute a significant health hazard. In any case, measures can be taken to prevent it from wearing down your quality of life.
This is a summary of several psychological keys that you can apply to your life to prevent anxiety dizziness. However, don't forget that the most effective measure of all is to go to therapy, since this way you will have personalized attention adapted to your case.
1. Eat well
The appearance of dizziness is facilitated by the lack of nutrients available in the blood. To lower your chances of experiencing this form of discomfort, start by eating right.
That does not mean simply not starving, but incorporating foods in your diet in which you have all the necessary vitamins, macronutrients and minerals.
2. Get used to tolerating anxiety
A certain level of stress or anxiety is normal, and in many cases, it is even beneficial. Remember that the problem is the excess of anxiety and the intense symptoms that appear when it accumulates and is not managed well, not the anxiety itself, which helps us adapt to day-to-day challenges and makes it easier for us to learn.
So when you start to feel anxious or anxious, don't try to block that emotion ; That will only give it more strength and make it grow, because you are paying too much attention to it. Just accept and tolerate their presence, and that will open the door for your attention to turn to other more satisfying or stimulating sensations.
3. Learn relaxation techniques
There is an important variety of easy-to-learn relaxation techniques; Some of them are designed for specific moments and last a few minutes, and others last a little longer (around 20 or 25 minutes) and can be incorporated into your schedule to help you regulate anxiety periodically. Mindfulness exercises, for example, are very useful in this regard, as well as Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation (the latter is part of the long ones).
Article Referenced:
- https://www.psychological-consulting.com
- Brandt, T. & Dieterich, M. (2020). Excess anxiety' and 'less anxiety': both depend on vestibular function. Current Opinion in Neurology, 33(1): PP. 136 - 141.
- Furman, JM; Balaban CD & Jacob, RG (2001). Interface between vestibular dysfunction and anxiety: More than just psychogenicity. Otol Neurotol., 22 (3): p. 426-427.
- Saman, Y.; Bamiou, D.E.; Gleeson, M.; Dutia, M.B. (2012). Interactions between Stress and Vestibular Compensation – A Review. Frontiers in Neurology, 3: 116.