Found this article about anxiety and physical causes.

[Carla]

If you experience Anxiety & Panic Attacks it may very well be a “secondary” condition to another physical illness.

Of course, the only way to know for sure is to be as open and honest with your doctor about your symptoms and your lifestyle as possible (even if it is embarrassing).

There are so many things that can contribute or have caused your anxiety disorder and panic attacks that the list is just incredibly long.

Here are just a few possible physical causes of anxiety disorder and panic attacks:

Low potassium levels

High potassium levels

Diabetes

Depression

Cigarette smoking

Alcohol consumption

Recreational Drugs

Medications (including the one’s that are prescribed for anxiety & panic)

Cancer

Aids

Malnutrition

Kidney Disease

Work place stress

Marriage breakdown

Witnessing or being a part of a traumatic event

Dehydration

Asthma

Heart conditions

If your anxiety & panic attacks have become a disorder then you’re not only going to have to treat the primary cause (which could be anything from the list above and more), but also treat the anxiety & panic disorder as you have developed a new response to fear and stress.

Note: Never self diagnose. Make sure you visit your local GP first. All material provided is for informational or educational purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult your doctor regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.

[northstar]

lol good article carla, but i think this would have totally freaked me out when i was in the middle of my anxiety!! of course my anxious mind would have zoned in on the cancer and aids elements and i would have been unable to get that out of my head!! i'm so glad my mind is much clearer now :)

but i do believe you are right in believing that there is more than likely an underlying cause. i don't believe that anxiety just comes from nowhere, there has to be a reason for it be it mental or physical. more often than not i believe it is our bodies telling us that they're not happy! modern living with our terrible diets, long stressful working weeks, love of sugar and caffeine and additives, time starvation, lack of spirituality and a scaremongering media all combine for anxious individuals! i really believe it is a modern epidemic and western medicine goes about treating it all the wrong ways with countless drugs :( that's why i'm here trying to share all i know that helped me naturally in the hopes of helping others out with the same advice, i'm so glad there are more people like you out there spreading the word too :)

[Carla]

Hi Northstar
Thanks for message. I agree totally with what you wrote. Your posts always make a lot of sense. I must admit when I read the article I posted I first of all looked at everything I may possibly have and then panicked lol Like you I believe there has to be a reason for anxiety. I only became unwell with anxiety around the same time I was diagnosed with a form of kidney disease. I am not sure if this aggravated it or not. I am really trying hard to do everything possible in the way of diet and supplements for my anxiety rather than take prescribed medication. I jsut wish it would go away altogether but I do have more good days now than bad so that is a big improvement on how I used to be. I often wonder though if a person can get rid of anxiety fully once they have it, or do they have it for life? See! I am anxious about having anxiety now lol

[northstar]

well if you think about it anxiety is a normal feeling, so no you'll never get rid of it totally cause there will always be anxiety inducing situations in life :) i get anxious before singing or speaking to groups of people, but the point is that i feel it at a normal level and it no longer takes over my life. anxiety really was crushing me, when i look back at my diaries of the last 2 years they are just a downward spiral of pain, anxiety and depression and now things have totally turned around and i would actually use the word 'happy' to describe myself. i still get anxious if i don't eat properly, but it's just my body's way of telling me it's not happy lol.

but the crippling fear, the irrational thoughts and the daily anxietys have all gone along with symptoms like panic, heart palpitations, shaking and chest pains. i totally understand your worry about having it for life though, i had those exact same thoughts and it brought me to tears so many times because i didn't think i could live like that for much longer. it does take time to get better, remember that, and if you are having more good days then it definitely a good sign that you're doing something right so keep working at it :) look back at the person you used to be when you had way more bad days and be proud of yourself for getting this far. it's very brave to stand up to it carla, i hope you give yourself the recognition you deserve for such effort. it takes a lot to work with anxiety, but it seems that you have really tapped into your inner strength :)

have you thought of going to see an acupuncturist for your kidney problem? and i can't remember if you are seeing a therapist or not, but have you thought about that too? anxiety can take such a toll on us physically and mentally, it's important to get all the support available to us. i really hope you continue to get better, remember it's not gonna be instantaneous, it's ok to have those bad days just remember to really celebrate the good ones and allow your body to rejoice in feeling good :)