If you have anxiety and panic attacks, you know what I’m talking about. In my anxiety days, I walked around feeling like there are tons of weight being placed in my belly. I was scared that there might be something growing inside of me. I kept checking my belly in front of the mirror.
Sometimes I wish I could just reach inside my belly and pull whatever is stuck in there out or poke a needle and suck all the heaviness out. It made me feel like I have to go to the bathroom, but nothing happens when I do. I would just lay on my bed curling up with my arms around my belly wishing for this “thing” to go away.
The pain wasn’t the issue here, but the heaviness was what got my attention. I was concerned that my organs were being pressed and crushed by this heaviness feeling and that something bad will happen. So once again, I ended up at the doctor’s office complaining about the “thing” in my belly. As you can guess, nothing was found, and I was sent home with a very familiar message “try to relax”.
These doctors don’t take me seriously!
When we are in fight or flight mode, our body directs blood to our vital organs and muscles to prepare us for battles and our digestive system is not one of them. The lack of blood being distributed slows down our digestion. On top of that, our guts hold a tremendous amount of nerve endings. Once these nerves are sensitized by adrenaline, they call for tight, tingling, heavy sensation around our abdominal area.
I was very upset at these doctors for not taking my concern seriously. But now, fully recovered from anxiety, I understand that there was really nothing they can do for me. My symptoms were brought up and kept up by my anxiety and nothing was medically wrong with me.
If you are checked out by your doctors and are told that you have anxiety, please be assured that these feelings are very common. They are caused tired, sensitized nerves, and muscles tension. As you work on your anxiety, your nerves will get a chance to desensitized and these sensations will loosen their grip on you. You will gain back your life and happiness. I did it and you will too.