Episode 269: Anxiety Bytes: How Do Anxiety Symptoms Become Chronic?
Join Kelli and Erica as they answer a question from one of our lovely listeners about how anxiety symptoms becomes chronic.
To tune into the episode, listen on iTunes or Spotify.
Transcript
00:00.00
kelliwalkercoaching
Hey guys welcome to not another anxiety show I'm your host Kelly Walker and joining me today is my co-host from coaching from abroad dotcom Erica Latham hey girl in all her glory. So you agreed you'd start us off on a joke today because I didn't have a corny.
00:10.94
erica
In all her glory I ah well first of all, you just said we got to do this anxiety weight it's because I have 17% left on my battery.
00:19.64
kelliwalkercoaching
You know, meet and greet line to share. Oh. It's so bad my phone and my laptop have been at like 5 % all week It's been that kind of week like you know.
00:30.43
erica
Ah. Ah, ah, it's honestly it's that point of the year where it's like I I am litter I my soul's on 17%. Let's do this? Um? yes yes I would
00:34.59
kelliwalkercoaching
Is that yeah in and you know what they say they like you wouldn't let your phone you know, get to 5% unlike honey you know, don't let yourself to 5% unlike honey my phone's been at 5% all week I'm not doing much better. But.
00:53.48
erica
Ah, and that's fine and we're still here which goes into our anxiety debates. But I do have a joke. So um, I'm in this ah joke off with the woman I'm seeing and ah I so I need to like run some of these by you guys so stay with me.
00:53.89
kelliwalkercoaching
And that's fine. Yeah, okay I Love it.
01:05.89
kelliwalkercoaching
A joke. Ah, okay.
01:10.69
erica
Um, Kelly Walker how do you get an astronaut's baby to sleep.
01:15.23
kelliwalkercoaching
Look at me trying to be clever to think of the answer. But I really have I'm terrible at jokes and and riddles and all that So please tell me how do you get an Astronaut's baby to sleep. Well, you got to chuckle you got.
01:23.60
erica
Ah.
01:28.44
erica
You rock it I know aren't they horrible I Heard a big sigh. That's what I heard. Um, yeah, this is this is my new identity by the way. So.
01:34.46
kelliwalkercoaching
Ah, genuine chuckle out of you though. That's that was great I mean this is your new identity.
01:45.90
erica
Yeah, just like horrible bad jokes and I'm into it here's one I have 1 for probably Andy because I feel like he'd be into star wars um, how did Darth Bader oh my god how did darth.
01:47.91
kelliwalkercoaching
I mean I wasn't going to say anything but I was like oh that's very dad joke adjacent.
01:59.62
kelliwalkercoaching
Turn who stars be with are what.
02:03.36
erica
Darth Bader is Darth Vader's yeah, he's Darth Vader's cousin how did Darth Vader know what Luke got him for Christmas and he felt his presence was present.
02:06.97
kelliwalkercoaching
And. How how.
02:21.13
erica
Present tersa.
02:21.34
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah, thank you for Spelling I really I really that wasn't the problem I mean but thank you for spelling it out. Ah we did it? yes yes and
02:25.66
erica
Ah, ah, all right? We did it. We got through the dad jokes of the four. So we're doing an anxiety bites today Kelly Walker what's and I love these. These are my favorite.
02:35.59
kelliwalkercoaching
I'm not saying we're doing it because I have like 14% laugh battery left on my laptop but this is what what I had planned for today. So it's a wonderful coincidence from the universe I suppose I would absolutely love for you to read me the question.
02:45.10
erica
Perfect. Yes I know um, would you like me to read you the question. Okay, and don't forget everyone please comment whether you want bytes to be BYTES or b I TS and you know how I feel about that b I to.
03:03.20
erica
Ah, okay here we go Kelly Walker are you ready? Okay, our listener said asked said asked I would like to know if it is common for people to experience anxiety symptoms that can last for days or weeks I am always reading how anxiety symptoms can come and go.
03:03.48
kelliwalkercoaching
I am so ready to.
03:22.42
erica
Or shift quite rapidly, but there seems to be a lack of information on symptoms that can stick around for long periods of time in my experience with anxiety over the last five years I've noticed some symptoms can stick around longer than others. Most like my mind fixates on it and I can't move past it I love your podcast by the way and I've been a regular listener from Melbourne Australia that's terrible and I'm so sorry I am so sorry listener that I I talk to people from Australia often and that's not what you sound like.
03:47.73
kelliwalkercoaching
Say that sort of course of that.
03:56.64
erica
Um, but they have been listening for the past four years and thank you.
03:58.62
kelliwalkercoaching
You and please tell us how do you survive I mean not to go off topic but you know we talked about all the poisonous prickly things in Australia I had a nightmare the other night I mean this probably speaks to like where I met I had a nightmare I was navigating literally.
04:07.86
erica
Ah, ah.
04:14.49
kelliwalkercoaching
A Hill like a grassy hill of poisonous snakes like trying not to wake them up. Ah yeah I know it was really I was like oh I feel like my brain's processing something or some kind of stress you know because I absolutely hate snakes. They're terrible or it could be because I had to walk past a really big bat.
04:16.85
erica
Are you doing? Okay, you're right? okay.
04:31.75
erica
What the hell is going on over there because the last time we recorded you had a snake in your workout room who of course you didn't.
04:31.82
kelliwalkercoaching
Water snake on my walk. It was on the bridge blocking my way. Oh my god so listen I have news. Okay I definitely didn't call you know? Um I definitely didn't call fish and game in New Hampshire I absolutely did um so it was although it sounded like a rattlesnake The whole idea was I think it's it was an eastern milksnake which apparently people confuse for a rattlesnake all the time one because it is quote unquote thick bodied like a rattlesnake yeah is thick with three cs.
05:03.70
erica
Like me ah thick with 3 seas baby.
05:10.37
kelliwalkercoaching
Has the same similar patterns and do you know what it does with its tail. It whips it back and forth so fast to mimic the rattle of a rattlesnake so that you know predators will think ah rattlesnakes stay away poisonous. So in my defense. No wonder I thought it was a rattlesnake because it looked. And sounded like 1 um, yeah.
05:30.73
erica
That's horrifying and also this reminds me of a different joke which I don't know if we have time for So if the end we have time for a different joke. You let me know. Okay.
05:36.76
kelliwalkercoaching
And you'll share it anyway. These snakes apparently really like to make their home in the walls of outbuildings and great. Lovely Um, yeah, so so we're so we're doing great.
05:42.95
erica
Okay, ah, okay, so you're you're doing great. Okay, okay.
05:50.93
kelliwalkercoaching
But I want our listener to tell us like how do you even just wake up every day and navigate what we think of as like poisonous prickly things everywhere. It's probably not even a thing. Um, but yeah I think this is a really great question and it's. Symptoms can like anxiety symptoms Erica I think those was both of our experiences when we were in the thick of it. Symptoms can absolutely be quote unquote chronic right? Like long lasting chronic. You know, but another word for it for me. Um, you know my heart rate my heart rate is usually like.
06:09.37
erica
Yeah, yeah.
06:21.46
erica
M.
06:25.55
kelliwalkercoaching
60 beats per minute I'm like practically a reptile you got to throw me out in the sun. Yeah, you got you got throw me on the sun. So I can warm up get move in but like my metabolism is like it's slow. You know so but.
06:26.67
erica
Are you? Okay, yeah.
06:39.10
kelliwalkercoaching
When I was in the midst of like you know when I've talked about being caught in like multiple panic attacks a day being caught in like the more chronic anxiety my resting heart rate was like quote unquote considered tachicardtic like it was like 105 beats per minute like all day every day me just.
06:50.87
erica
M.
06:57.22
kelliwalkercoaching
Sitting there and everything was okay like there was no um, arrhythmia or underlying issue. But that was like 1 of my chronic symptoms from being caught in this fight or flight state and and it was day in and and day out and it took a while for for my heart rate to kind of settle and and go back to its like its norm and same with guts.
07:04.28
erica
I.
07:17.16
kelliwalkercoaching
Stuff like I really would wake up every single morning for months every single morning for months really feeling sick to my stomach like cannot eat like you know didn't want to leave the house because I just felt so sick and awful and really that was every day every day for months and it would let up as the day went on and.
07:22.40
erica
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:36.25
kelliwalkercoaching
And whatnot. But it was really hard First thing in the morning for months I don't know about you. What about you? yeah.
07:38.53
erica
Yeah, yeah I similar similar but different. You know my um, my chest like my entire barrel of a chest would hurt because of the the muscles and betwixt my ribs. You know.
07:49.78
kelliwalkercoaching
Yes, yep.
07:53.12
erica
Um I had that sort of faux. What I what I would call Heart palpitation feeling but it was really that esophagus that jumpy esophagus situation that you've talked about before um, ringing of the ears like you wouldn't believe and it's different than um, oh my God What? Ah what do I have Thank you. Thank you because I have that but like.
08:01.92
kelliwalkercoaching
Yep.
08:05.93
kelliwalkercoaching
Ah, you know Tinnitus you're welcome. Yeah.
08:12.99
erica
Anxiety Tonighttus is like a different level of tinnitus. Um, yeah, just very seemingly not super steadyy on my feet but um, that was different than panic panic was short lived but incredibly intense. Yeah, this lasted for a while.
08:25.54
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah, right? But these chronic and right? yeah, that's and you know what symptoms can absolutely be chronic. So let's take a minute to have a little um physiology less than why? Not what? what better.
08:32.16
erica
Yeah.
08:40.38
erica
Oh I love it when you do the sea house.
08:43.58
kelliwalkercoaching
Ah, better way to start? Well, it's Friday for us, but this will be on a Monday morning. What better more exciting way to hit Monday morning than a physiology lesson. But so why do we experience? Chronic symptoms 3 words hpa which is 1 word access dysregulation. So.
08:46.88
erica
Her.
08:59.64
erica
So tell me 100% more
09:03.41
kelliwalkercoaching
Yes, hpa basically is an acronym for hypothalamus pituitary adrenal hpa I know I know so the hypothalamus which is an area in our brain releases the hormone CrH which prompts the pituitary gland located at the base of our brain.
09:08.33
erica
Say that 5 times fast Kelly Walker
09:23.41
kelliwalkercoaching
To release another hormone called Act which in turn Prompts the adrenal Gland to synthesize so make and release corticosteroids like cortisol right? We're all pretty familiar with with the term cortisol um you know to modulate a vast array of physiological processes like the sympathetic fight.
09:34.10
erica
Sure.
09:43.60
kelliwalkercoaching
Or Flight response. Um, typically though this Hpa this is what your body's supposed to do right? Your body is supposed is supposed to modulate the fight or flight sympathetic and parasympathetic and the Hba access helps with this.. It's the mobilizing aspect. Um, the hormonal mobilizing aspect. And typically the Hpa access is what is called a negative feedback loop meaning that when circulating cortisol increases to a certain threshold then cortisol production is shut down by the hypothalamus in your brain. However, this Hpa Axis can become dysregulated becoming overact. In the face of trauma anxiety worrying constantly burning the candle at both ends, overwhelm etc. So like in simple terms we get stuck in fight or flight mode or survival mode and survival mode impacts our entire physical being. Impacts immunity reproduction our cardiovascular system Muscular respiratory and of course our brain so being stuck in the sympathetic holding pattern. Not only causes chronic symptoms associated with fight or flight like ibs headaches muscle tension Nausea racing heart and more budding.
10:52.91
erica
Singing to Adele. Yeah.
10:56.15
kelliwalkercoaching
But it also causes us to be like chronically hyper vigilant and hyper reactive which again simply put means we become more sensitive to physical sensations when they do appear right? It's easier to feel fearful or reactive of the symptoms which perpetuate this. Can feel like a very cruel anxiety cycle further and this cycle is actually largely What underpins those Also struggling with chronic pain. So Not only is this like a very real physiological experience. But it does.
11:22.59
erica
Um.
11:27.29
kelliwalkercoaching
Make us so hyper vigilant and so hypersensitive that our actual interpretation of physical sensations and pain is like heightened our perception becomes altered as well. So there's it's like a lot of confounding factors. So that's.
11:39.84
erica
Is this where things like fibromyalgia come in.
11:44.17
kelliwalkercoaching
Yes, and that's fibromyalgia is like technically if you look at the diagnosis. It's an alteration and perception of pain which the stress cycle very much does because it does impact our whole physical being and it does make us more reactive and it does make us more hyper vigilant and it makes us more sensitive.
11:56.40
erica
Yes.
12:03.50
kelliwalkercoaching
To pain and uncomfortable sensation. So it's not that these things aren't real. There is a very real underlying physiological process when our Hp access gets dysregulated. We feel it in our gut. We feel it in our heart rate we feel it in muscle tension. Whether right it's in our chest like you mentioned a lot of people get that chest pain or tension headaches like.
12:06.84
erica
Yeah, yeah.
12:16.31
erica
And.
12:22.15
kelliwalkercoaching
This is a very real response and like a byproduct of this response again is the like hypersensitivity and the hyper reactivity meaning like a headache that would roll off our back if our nervous system is regulated like if we're in this place. The headache is like what's that like we react with War fear. Yep exactly.
12:39.90
erica
That's it. Yeah, that's the thing because it's not like you and I don't have those you know symptoms ever. So.
12:41.51
kelliwalkercoaching
There's a reactivity. Um, no if I'm feeling sick or I haven't slapped or I'm you know a woman and I'm on my period like there is and there's those hormonal chefs meaning you know a lot of times when women start menstruting.
12:52.67
erica
Threaten him.
12:58.22
kelliwalkercoaching
There is a drop in progesterone which is sort of like the calming hormone and there's an increase in cortisol so you know we can experience some degree of this where we don't feel as resilient where we do feel more reactive like and and it doesn't roll off our back in the same way as when we have a regulated nervous system and our hormones are not.
13:12.26
erica
And who. I Don't think we give enough credit like people who menstruate don't give enough credit to that shift and as we get older. So like when.
13:17.88
kelliwalkercoaching
Just regulated.
13:23.59
kelliwalkercoaching
Yeah, well, we're wired to keep going and keep pushing so we don't always honor the dynamic cyclical nature of our body right? I know I don't like I I literally was just complaining about this the other day I'm like what a new sense right? like I hate having.
13:31.49
erica
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well.
13:41.17
kelliwalkercoaching
I hate feeling limited at all I get a migraine 48 hours before my period every month and I'm like how annoying right? like um.
13:45.19
erica
Yeah I I feel good one day a month like one day and everybody watch out. That's my day. Oh and it's not just that that's not to exclude people who don't mess mentre but it it is something absolutely.
13:55.21
kelliwalkercoaching
No no, but this happens in men and women like this is like this hba Just you know access dysregulation this happens in men and women. So This is why anybody you know experiences chronic symptoms because part of this cycle really is Like. Just don't have the same resiliency to them. So It's easier to get caught up in them and hone in on them and um focus on them and like feed the feed the fire of the cycle. It's It's an easy thing to do in this space and that's why when we support our nervous system. It really recalibrates. In a way that the Hpa Axis can become regulated again and stop firing on all cylinders. It recalibrates our bodies are very adaptive like the reason our but our body getting stuck in like Hpa Accessxis dysregulation is its way of trying to accommodate.
14:30.54
erica
Yeah, it's pretty interesting. Yeah yeah.
14:46.70
kelliwalkercoaching
The stress that's being put on the body right? like the demands that are being put on the body. It's trying to be Well, it's trying to keep up. It feels like and it's good that it feels like garbage Otherwise we'd keep going. That's the whole idea is like it feels like garbage and that's.
14:51.13
erica
That's the thing it's it's trying to be well. That's the weird part. Yeah, it feels like garbage but it's actually trying to do something. Yeah, that's true. That's true.
15:06.55
kelliwalkercoaching
And sometimes we kind of get caught in the details and we forget to take a step back and be like oh okay, this is feeling like garbage. Maybe my nervous system just needs some overall support and help and that looks different for everybody for me. It's like I simplify I try not to like.
15:14.74
erica
Yeah, yeah.
15:24.19
kelliwalkercoaching
Schedule too much for a few days like I like to connect with my people and laugh like stand up comedy. It's like there's so many things that can make me it'll be more gentle movement if I'm stuck in this place I'm not doing a hit workout like screw burpees not happening bro like not happening I'm doing slow like.
15:29.18
erica
Mm.
15:41.80
kelliwalkercoaching
Strength or slow yoga or a like ah you know a brisk walk or something that or dance something that helps me feel connected and regulating to my body and everybody's different, but it's all about if we can kind of Zoom out when our body feels like garbage like that and we see that we're stuck in fight or flight. It's more a call to like hey. So.
15:44.37
erica
Yeah.
15:55.50
erica
M.
16:01.41
kelliwalkercoaching
Support your nervous system so that your Hpa access can get regulated because it will I mean it's very good at that and it doesn't want to keep firing on all cylinders. It's It's not a great homeostatic you know situation your body wants to spend the least amount of energy possible and that takes a lot.
16:07.23
erica
Ummhoo.
16:17.38
erica
And mine is emotional support memes That's ah, that's my form of that's my movement I can't do gifts because I don't know if it's give or gif.
16:18.93
kelliwalkercoaching
Yes, oh my God I Love Memes I'm not a gift gal I'm not a gift gal I Really like memes.
16:30.00
erica
And I refuse to Google it and that's just how I live and I won't do Tiktok because I'm an adult and.
16:31.29
kelliwalkercoaching
The creator apparently I yeah I'm not doing tiktok because I just got on Instagram like a couple years ago and like calm down right? like it's too much change too fast. It's too much too fast. Apparently the creator.
16:43.89
erica
It's too much too much too too much to yeah.
16:48.43
kelliwalkercoaching
Of Gifs I think call them gifs but like it's short for graphic good you know Gif I used to call it Jefff and then I got made fun of it then I heard it could be either. But you know so I say Gif yeah, we did it.
16:53.61
erica
oh oh I don't know makes me want a peanut butter sandwich. Um, we did it. We did it. So thank you it from Australia please keep listening and I'm sorry for my accent.
17:06.61
kelliwalkercoaching
Yes, and I'm so sorry for my deeply offensive accent. Ah well, that's our episode. Thanks so much for tuning in today if you're enjoying the show please subscribe and take a minute to write a review on Itunes so we can reach in some words.
17:10.68
erica
So sorry for who I am as a person.
17:23.78
kelliwalkercoaching
More people if you're looking for I know I never mess up. It's like twice in the last month if you're looking for one on on coaching or have a question you'd like answered on the show, please visit notanotheranxietyshow.com. Also show notes and transcripts are there now for each episode, and until next time remember be kind to yourself.
