How An Anxiety Therapist Can Help With Lack of Appetite And Unintentional Weight Loss Caused By Anxiety

Some people struggle with a lack of appetite when they are in a state of anxiety. They may say their stomach feels like a knot, they find the idea of food repulsive, or they begin to have smell or texture aversions that make it hard to find any food appealing. Even if they force themselves to eat, it doesn’t stay down for long. Others will say that anything they eat during times of high anxiety will go right through them.

Unfortunately, this lack of calories and nutrition only puts your body under more stress. This can make physical symptoms of anxiety, such as restlessness, irritability, racing heart, shallow breathing, and difficulty sleeping. It is easy to see how inability to eat during a period of anxiety can be a tough cycle to break.

If your anxiety and decreased appetite continue for a period of time, an unhealthy loss of weight can occur. Unfortunately, this can produce commentary from other people that makes you feel even worse. Sometimes when you lose weight due to anxiety, people will even accuse you of having an eating disorder. But, lack of appetite that comes from anxiety is not goal directed, and the person suffering is not losing weight for cosmetic reasons. Most of the time, they really just want to feel better.

How anxiety counseling can help you cope:

If you have been feeling anxious for more than two weeks without relief, and you are starting to notice difficulty sleeping and changes in appetite, and significant undesired weight loss, it may be time to seek the help of an anxiety therapist.

Seeking anxiety therapy can give you a place to get support and start finding new ways to cope with your stress. You will gain a sense of relief just from being able to talk to someone about what is bothering you, and feeling heard. Your therapist can also help you find new coping skills.

Often, anxiety disorder counseling will focus on how your body is reacting. In order to get your body out of fight or flight, you are going to have to break the stress cycle. Daily breaks, and gentle exercise such as walking, stretching, or yoga can help decrease the amount of stress hormones in your body.

Your anxiety therapist will also likely teach you some breathing exercises. Deep breathing is especially important if you are having panic attacks. Because deep breathing is one of the quickest ways to get your body out of the flight or fight response, this coping skill is one of the key components for anxiety attack treatment.

Your anxiety counselor will also help you make a plan to get more calories in your body each day. You may make lists of tolerable foods, make a plan to shop for these foods so they are readily available, or ask a loved one to cook for you. You may also work on your routine to find times that it is easier to eat, and make sure you have access to tolerable foods at those times.

People who are suffering from acute anxiety often struggle to focus on anything other than their problems. They may feel like there is no point to doing anything other than trying to fix what is bothering them. Anxiety disorder treatment will help you learn to shift your focus back to taking care of yourself, while you also work on other parts of your life.

Your body needs fuel and rest to keep going through a stressful situation. This can seem nearly impossible in times of anxiety, but treatment can help you break the cycle of poor self-care. You deserve to feel seen and heard, and to feel better.

If you are tired of suffering from anxiety, and would like to schedule an appointment with an anxiety counselor, help is available!

Click here for more information about therapy for anxiety.