Anxiety Attack Symptoms In Eating Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms In Anorexia

Anxiety attack symptoms are often observed in people with anorexia and other eating disorders. What causes anxiety attacks and their physical symptoms?

Co-existing conditions (like anxiety disorders) and anorexia have been the subject of eating disorder research for several years.

I happen to be one of the many people who experienced anxiety attack symptoms and anorexia at the same time. It's quite tricky to manage, that's for sure!

My therapists believed that people who suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, depression or other related disorders, can have a predisposition to the development of anorexia or bulimia.

In these instances, it's often the anxiety disorder that acts as one of the anorexia triggers, and therefore precedes the eating disorder.

One of the most common types of anxiety disorders experienced by ED sufferers are social anxiety disorders (SAD).

Anxiety Attacks Symptoms In Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Anxiety attack symptoms are experienced as part of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and can have profound effects on the anorexic girl - (or boy). They may even exacerbate the effects of eating disorders.

It's not uncommon for people with anorexia to be afraid of eating in public, or even in front of their own friends and family. Ironically, this is something that eating disorders and social anxiety disorders have in common.

The two are different in their etiology and sometimes behavior, but the basic similarity is there.

Victims of SAD may feel tense, sweaty, dizzy, or sick to their stomach. They may not be able to sit still, feel tired, but not able to sleep.

Those who are also dealing with anorexia may experience anxiety attack symptoms when dining with others because they're anxious and overly cautious about presenting the ideal body image. They fear that they will be judged for eating too much, or being "overweight".

This may lead them to engage in typical anorexic food rituals, such as cutting food into tiny pieces, or moving it around the plate.

What Are The Physical Symptoms Of Anxiety Attacks?

Anxiety attack symptoms can mimic some of the medical complications of eating disorders. Anorexics may not even fully recognize that what they're experiencing are actually physical symptoms of anxiety attacks.

Generally, when someone is experiencing a full-blown "attack", it means that the level of social anxiety has escalated to intense fear and panic. The severity of the symptoms escalates as well.

Each person experiences anxiety attacks differently because there are so many physical, emotional and biological factors at work. Not everyone will feel every symptom.

Symptoms may come out of the blue (sudden onset), or they may gradually increase in severity over the period of time in which the individual is exposed to his/her trigger.

Please note that this is list only includes symptoms that I personally have experienced, or those that I witnessed while in treatment.

• Stomach cramps or nausea
• Dissociation - feeling detached, like you're not really there
• Hyperventilation
• Chest pain
• Feeling light-headed - as if you might pass out
• Trouble catching your breath - a choking sensation
• Loss of control - like you're going insane
• Hot flashes, or feeling cold
• Sudden onset of panic or fear
• Shaking

Thankfully, most anxiety attacks are short-lived (usually no longer than 30 minutes), so anything that you do experience will subside fairly quickly.

- And always remember to mention such symptoms to your doctor!

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