Physical effects of anxiety - loss of appetite?

[ac1991]

Hey everyone

Lately I have been quite stressed and anxious about a lot of things. Since this time, I have probably not been taking care of myself the way I usually would because I'm not in the best mental state. I have been feeling full as if theres jelly in my stomach and it wont digest, which makes moving around hard. I wake up in the middle of the night with this sick, anxious feeling and a nervous butterfly feeling in my stomach. I still get hungry, and I will eat small amounts, but maybe 40 minutes after eating the feeling in my stomach returns. I am also having pains in my chest and stomach and unable to sleep. Slightly dizzy too. Does this sound like anxiety symptoms? Any tips?

[Hope_for_the_best]

The symptoms you described sound like anxiety, but I would suggest that you consult your GP to rule out other possible causes. The chest pain and discomfort after eating could also be symptoms of GRED or other digestive disorders. If your stomach is hurting, it makes sense that you don't sleep well. This is definitely the first thing I would suggest. It is also a good idea to talk to a counsellor to address your stress. In the meantime, make sure that you still eat regularly to ensure normal functioning. Dizziness could mean a low blood glucose level. Eat healthy and choose food that is easy to digest.

Get well soon.

[ac1991]

thankyou Hope.for.the.best,

I will do that as soon as possible. My dad has always felt everything in his stomach when stressed or anxious, so im thinking maybe its that. I just hate not knowing why I feel this way. Thanks for your help. All your theories make sense.

[Hope_for_the_best]

It is well-established that stress and anxiety can affect digestion. Imagine you are in an emergency, the last thing your body wishes to do is digestion, so there is less energy diverted to it and you feel as if your food is not being digested. It is a normal reaction to stressful situation (I get that too), but it is important to address your stress so this does not get into the way of normal functioning.