After a prolonged period of unhealthy living, your body will accumulate some harmful toxins. Though our bodies can get rid of these toxins, you can use detox to cleanse our bodies and help our vital organs to have a small recess. However, everything good also has some adverse side effects. While detox aids our bodies in getting rid of harmful toxins that can negatively impact our health, it also may cause some psychological challenges such as anxiety. This article teaches how to identify anxiety and its triggers and manage it during the detox process.
How to Recognize Anxiety
Anxiety manifests differently for different individuals. While some express their anxiety outwardly in panic attacks and verbal outbreaks, some feel their anxiety internally. Anxiety can also be caused by other factors such as social phobia, panic disorders, medical conditions, drug interactions, and other phobias in general. Since anxiety is common in most people and presents itself differently, it can be characterized by:
- Fatigue
- Difficulty in falling or staying asleep
- Low concentration
- Fear about situations
- Excessive worry about everyday situations
- Panic attacks
- Irritability
- Fear of public places
- Restlessness
- Muscle tension
What to do if you have social anxiety?
Various health issues or situations can cause panic attacks, and each panic attack may have different symptoms based on the cause. However, panic attacks associated with anxiety have the following symptoms:
- Fear of dying
- Chest pain
- Fast heartbeat
- Feeling hot
- Dizziness
- Fear of losing control
- Tingling or numbness
- Sweating
- Shaking
- Feeling as if you are detached from your body
- Nausea and digestive problems
- Shortness of breath
Anxiety Triggers During Detox
Different factors can cause anxiety during the detox process. During detox, one can experience anxiety symptoms due to social anxiety, lack of coping skills, and other factors. For instance, during alcohol detox, most people feel shaky, jumpy, and exhausted. Nausea, insomnia, headache, vomiting, fast heartbeat, and clammy skin are common during alcohol detox. This makes the involved individuals worry or fear for their health leading to anxiety.
Any physical alcohol detoxification may lead to panic attacks or anxiety. Additionally, individuals who had experienced anxiety before the alcohol detoxification period likely turned to alcohol as their coping mechanism. Most people seek refuge in alcohol as a way of calming themselves. However, during alcohol detox, these people cannot turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism and find it hard to manage their emotions.
Effects of Anxiety During Detox
Anxiety can make the whole process of detox unbearable. It can cause the involved individual to stay in fear of the outcome of the entire process. As stated before, anxiety due to detox may cause the person to feel tired and irritated. Anxiety due to alcohol detoxification may make these individuals resist help from loved ones or supporting institutions. If your anxiety symptoms linked to detox persists, stop the procedure and seek help from a professional.
Managing Anxiety During Detox
Whether you are detoxing due to alcohol abuse or an unhealthy lifestyle, everyone should understand effective ways to manage anxiety. This may involve meditation, mindfulness, and other self-relaxing techniques that can be done anywhere. One needs to have a healthy way of calming themselves besides turning to alcohol and other substances. However, if nothing seems to improve your anxiety symptoms, you should seek help before the situation escalates.
Other Sides Effects Experienced During Detox
Other than anxiety, detox may also cause other side effects. However, this is normal and should not stop you from going on with the process. Some of the common sides effects of detox include:
Headaches
Headaches are among the leading withdrawal symptoms. Whether you are detoxing your body of harmful toxins from alcohol or junk food, you will experience headaches. You can fix this problem with hydration. Ensure that you drink lots of water during the detox process to avoid headaches.
Sleep Problems
During the first few days of detox, you may find it hard to fall or stay asleep. While some experienced insomnia during detox, others are always sleepy. It’s advisable to switch off electronic devices an hour before bed to avoid insomnia. You can also stretch an hour before bedtime to enhance your sleep.
Restlessness
It’s normal for some people to be restless during detox. However, this detox effect will stabilize within a few days of detoxing.
Fatigue and tiredness
A cut in your sugar and caffeine intake can certainly make you feel tired. If you are cutting off the caffeine, do not cut the sugar intake at the same time. Cut each at a time. Try doing something that you are fond of to get some extra energy.
Diarrhea is a Common Side Effect of Detox
Most people who are detoxing report having diarrhea. Ensure your detoxing diet is balanced and contains enough fiber to regulate your bowel movements.
Constipation
While some experience diarrhea, some report cases of constipation. This depends on your diet before the detox. To avoid constipation, ensure that your diet is balanced and contains many plant-based foods.
Cravings
Everyone detoxing experiences cravings at one point or another. If you experience cravings for junk food or drinks, don’t panic, it’s common. Ensure that you drink lots of water to avoid cravings.
Skin problems
Skin problems are a common symptom during the first few days of detox. However, this will soon go away after some days.
Detoxing is essential in ensuring that your body gets rid of harmful toxins. It also gives your detoxing system, including skin, liver, and kidneys, to take a break for better performance. If you are looking forward to detoxing, ensure that you research more on benefits and side effects before commencing. Your detox diet should be healthy to avoid health challenges.