people freeze during an emergency or find themselves unable to respond in a threatening situation. However, not as much is known about the human freeze response, and more research is needed to explain the nuances of why and when this occurs.
© John Wiley and Sons
FIGURE 3-2: The chronic effects of anxiety.
ANXIETY AND DIABETES
People with diabetes are at higher risk for developing anxiety. And people with anxiety are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Anxiety triggers the release of hormones that increase the levels of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream. That release of excess sugar contributes to the development and/or exacerbation of diabetes.
In the other direction, diabetes can lead to anxiety because of perceived loss of health. Diabetes necessitates significant changes in lifestyle and increased attention and time for dealing with the control of blood sugar levels. Most people with diabetes also are well aware of complications such as increased risks for heart disease, glaucoma, neuropathy, and more.
The interaction of diabetes making stress worse and stress making diabetes harder to control calls for addressing the role of anxiety and stress in the improved management of diabetes. People with diabetes benefit from learning stress and anxiety management skills. In fact, glucose levels in people with diabetes generally decrease when anxiety is well controlled. So, if you don’t have diabetes, protect yourself by overcoming anxiety, and if you do have diabetes, know that anxiety management may help you control the disease.
Mimicking Anxiety: Drugs, Diet, and Diseases
As common as anxiety disorders are, believing that you’re suffering from anxiety when you’re not is all too easy. Prescription drugs may have a variety of side effects, some of which mimic a few of the symptoms of anxiety. Sometimes what you eat or drink can make you feel anxious. Various medical conditions also produce symptoms that imitate the signs of anxiety. We look at these anxiety imitators in the following sections.
Exploring anxiety-mimicking drugs
Medicines prescribed to treat common conditions, such as asthma, inflammation, and depression, often have side effects. Sometimes those side effects can resemble the symptoms of anxiety. We list a few of the most widely prescribed types of drugs and their anxiety-mimicking side effects in Table 3-1. These medications have many other side effects that we don’t list here.
TABLE 3-1 Angst in the Medicine Cabinet
| Drug Name or Category | Purpose | Anxiety-Like Side Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors | Reduce high blood pressure | Nervousness, dizziness, insomnia, headaches, nausea, vomiting, weakness |
| Corticosteroids | Treat arthritis, inflammation, and pain | Fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, nervousness, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, sweating, tremors, confusion, shortness of breath, irritability |
| Bronchodilators | Treatment of asthma | Trembling, nervousness, sweating, shakiness, feelings of panic |
| Benzodiazepines | Treat anxiety | Dizziness, headache, anxiety, tremors, stimulation, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, irritability |
| Beta blockers | Reduce angina and high blood pressure, treat dysrhythmia | Dizziness, nausea, palpitations, insomnia, excessive sweating, disorientation |
| Novocaine | Still used by some dentists as a numbing agent, but newer agents are becoming more popular due to reduced side effects. | Rare side effects can include anxiety, irregular heart beat, and dizziness, which are especially troubling for patients who already have dentist-related anxiety. |
| Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | Treatment of depression, anxiety, and bulimia | Headache, insomnia, anxiety, tremor, dizziness, nervousness, fatigue, poor concentration, agitation, nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, sweating, hot flashes, palpitations, twitching, impotence |
| Stimulant medications | Treatment of attention deficit disorder | Nervousness, rapid heartbeat, disturbed sleep, panic feelings |
| Thyroid replacement medications | Treatment of hypothyroidism | Hives, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, nervousness, shortness of breath |
Interesting, isn’t it? Even medications for the treatment of anxiety can produce anxiety-like side effects. Of course, most people don’t experience such side effects with these medications, but they do occur. And many other prescribed drugs may have anxiety-like side effects. If you’re taking one or more prescription drugs and feel anxious, check with your doctor.
Ingesting calmness into your diet
Stress and anxiety often provoke people to binge on unhealthy foods and substances, which may lead to increased anxiety over the long run. In Chapter 11, we discuss foods that may help you calm your moods and alleviate your anxiety. Here, we tell you how to avoid foods or drinks that may worsen problems with anxiety.
Alcohol may be very tempting to people with anxiety. Although alcohol may relax you in small quantities, too many anxious people try to self-medicate by imbibing. People with anxiety disorders easily
