Frequent Anxiety Heartburn

Part 2 - An attitude of healthy living and the right
treatment for heartburn

When you are at your weakest emotionally is when you are prone to turn to food for solace. There are many people in the world, just like you, who suffer from anxiety attacks and the symptoms that come with it.

It's difficult to imagine how unpleasant this situation can be for someone who is struck by uncontrollable fear of some situation that, to them, seems beyond control. The natural reaction, when the adrenaline is running through your veins, is to become confrontational or flee to some safe haven. This has been our reaction since the beginning of time, but when it occurs with frequency it looses its benefit.

For some that safe haven is food. Some foods are especially comforting. Alcohol, one of the most reached fo,r has a way of making things worse. At least we might recognize it if we were in a more rational frame of mind. Chocolate is another longtime favorite. Recognized for a chemical that trips the pleasure transmitters in our brain, chocolate is one of good and bad foods.

To deal with anxiety you first have to identify the symptoms:
On an emotional level they often include:
Feelings of nervousness
Feeling of foreboding
Agitated
Feeling overwhelmed
Panic
Fear

The body reacts to these condition in various ways, depending on the severity and duration of the event. So it's not unusual to have physical symptoms like:
Lightheadedness, Diarrhea or nausea. Any one of these would be unpleasant by themselves but these, as well as sweats and other symptoms, can occur in tandem.

Other symptoms include:
Dizziness
Pale complexion
Tightness in the chest
Tenseness in the neck and shoulders
Difficulty breathing
Tingling sensation

Other common causes of anxiety are specific phobias like:
Snakes
Insects
Using public bathrooms
Flying
Public speaking
Elevators
Heights
...and the list goes on.

When any of these things occur in a strong enough dose, the mind and body change out of it's normal mode into something far different. For some, this can lead to emotional eating. Emotional eating is commonly associated with overeating, which in turn, often leads to weight problems and heartburn.

Chronic heartburn, itself, can be a serious problem. For some reason people often dismiss the idea that anxiety could be the cause of digestive problems. But our bodies and brains are interconnected. Each influencing the other. Therefore it makes good sense to explore the possibilities of relaxation as a way to deal with anxiety and heartburn.

Many have found meditation, tai chi and other methods as a way to solve this problem. Relaxing the body is a way get helpful hormones released into the brain and body. Hormones that relax the body and reduce the production of chemicals like adrenaline and steroids that make us want to binge on potato chips and ice cream.

Both anxiety and heartburn are serious conditions. Anyone who suspects they have these conditions should seek evaluation from a medical person.

For more on this topic: Frequent Anxiety Heartburn