Curious if your stomach ache could be a symptom of anxiety?
“If your stomach hurts, you might think the culprit is some misbehaving organ in your abdomen. That’s a definite possibility, but the offender could actually be your brain. Yup, just like chest pain, abdominal pain can be physical or mental.” (Self.com)
This is very common. So why am I including it in a series about interesting, lesser known facts about anxiety?
Stomach aches could be anything. Something physical, like IBS, gas, constipation, or any other host of ailments. That is usually the first thing people think of when they are experiencing them on a regular basis. It goes undiagnosed way too often as a symptom of anxiety, or misdiagnosed as something else.
Getting stomach aches is the fourth fact about anxiety that I wanted to talk about in this series. I am also going to talk about an increased need to urinate, since it is a similar sort of symptom. The series is based off of a post about anxiety that I wrote several months ago.
It affects millions with anxiety, and some with other mental illnesses as well.
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Also, I am not a doctor or mental health professional. Just someone who has lived with anxiety for many years who is passionate about sharing her experiences and tips for success. If you are in crisis call your doctor, then click here for some good mental health resources.
My Story
I have been struggling with anxiety to some degree since grade school. I was teased a lot, and I also struggled with test phobia. It was an age where I was taking standardized tests in school, and for whatever reason those days filled me with dread.
Maybe it was a fear of failure. Maybe it was feeling claustrophobic at knowing we weren’t allowed to leave the classroom during the test. As I mentioned, I was teased a lot by my peers, and so everything slightly anxiety inducing about school was magnified more than normal.
I didn’t know at the time what I was experiencing was anxiety. I didn’t know it had a name. All I knew was that I constantly felt like I had to go to the bathroom at school, and my stomach hurt a lot. I would often go to the nurse and call my mom to come and get me.
It was a really hard time. Looking back I wish I had better tools for dealing with it, but you live and learn. Hopefully this post can help people identify what they’re struggling with, and can point them in the right direction.
How anxiety and stomach aches are linked
One article I read said, “…the majority of your body’s production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood, takes place in the digestive tract, Jacqueline Sperling, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and director of training and research the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program, tells SELF. ‘When you’re experiencing something going on in your brain, it can communicate to the gut and vice versa,’ she says.”
Your mind and body are linked more than we thought possible in previous years. Every year, more research is emerging about this, and I hope it will help a lot of scared people get their anxiety diagnosed and treated.
In my long time experience, having an anxiety disorder can also affect your bladder. That is something I still struggle with to this day, especially on a long car trip. (Long for me, meaning over an hour.)
So, why is that? Why when you’re anxious do you often feel the need to go to the bathroom? Well, according to Medical News Today:
“Anxiety and stress can increase the need to urinate, and this reaction is more common in people with phobias. The need to urinate or a loss of control over urination may have an evolutionary basis, as it is easier to flee with an empty bladder. However, the link between anxiety and an increased urge to urinate remains unclear.”
If you get frequent stomach aches, and have an increased need for urination, try not to worry. Check with your primary care physician. They may be able to do some tests to rule out any underlying physical problems. And then, you can go from there.
How to spot it in a friend
Maybe you’re not the anxious one. Maybe your friend is suffering from anxiety. As I mentioned in my previous post about anxiety, it is incredibly common. 40 million adults live in the United States live with anxiety per year, so it is likely that your friend is one of them.
Here are some common signs that your stomach aches are physical according to Self:
- You ate food that could possibly have been bad
- You are burping or farting
- Swollen stomach and issues pooping or keeping food down
- You can pinpoint an exact source of pain
- Taking NSAIDs on an empty stomach
- The pain is intense and has other side effects such as bleeding, fever, or throwing up,
Here are a couple of signs it could be mental, according to the same article:
- The stomach aches bother you preceding stressful or anxiety inducing situations, like a big job interview or major surgery.
- The pain is accompanied by emotional feelings like panic.
If your friend has even one or more of these last two signs, they are possibly living with some form of stomach aches related to anxiety. Speaking from experience, these are awful feelings to live with, and they can be the reason that many anxious people find themselves isolating themselves when they’re unwell. They don’t want to be seen as a burden to their loved ones.
What you can do
I know it’s hard. I’ve been there. I’ve had people tell me it is all in my head. That all I had to do was stop feeling anxious. (Yes, people have actually said that. Let that sink in.)
And maybe it is, technically, all in my head. After all, anxiety is a disorder of the brain that subsequently affects other parts of your body. So, yes, your anxious symptoms do originate in your head. But as a wise man named Albus Dumbledore once said, “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?”
Do you suffer from stomach aches related to anxiety? Let me know in the comments, and make sure you share the article!
Don’t let your anxiety symptoms get you down. You’re not alone.
Related posts about anxiety symptoms:
Anxiety: What It Is and What You Can Do
7 Interesting Facts About Anxiety
What to do when you’re overwhelmed
How to recognize the physical symptoms of depression and anxiety
I know this feeling way too well. I’ve been struggling with anxiety-related stomach pain for years. For me, it’s usually followed by a panic. And when I fall into this pain-panic-pain loop it’s hard to pull yourself out. Luckily I have a supportive husband. He helps me a lot when I have these attacks.
Hey Natalie, I totally understand the whole physical-emotional-physical loop! I deal with that with some of my anxiety symptoms as well sometimes. Hang in there, and thanks for reading!
Thanks for all this info. It’s so useful. Some time ago my kid had some stomach problems and my doctor suggested that it can be because of school anxiety. I am more careful with him now and these problems disareared!
Hey Catalina, well that’s good that you were able to get that figured out. Glad he’s doing better 🙂 Thanks for reading!
This is really interesting, especially the serotonin. I think the probiotics will definitely help.
Hey Lois, probiotics are just good anyway! Thanks for reading!
If it weren’t for this, I won’t be aware that I’m experiencing this. Thanks for sharing this!
Hey Gervin, glad you found it so helpful. Thanks for reading!
I just recently had a medical diagnosis that has me spinning out of control. I have had major back and abdomen issues since. I bet they are anxiety based. I will talk to my doc.
Hey Terri, aww I’m sorry. I hope things are okay. Take care of yourself, and thanks for reading!
Oohh, that explains why sometimes I experience sudden stomach upset when I’m so tensed.
Hey there, definitely! It’s very common! Hang in there, and thanks for reading!
From a medical perspective, there definitely is a link between the mind and the stomach/bowel. Stress and anxiety can cause problems. By identifying the cause of the anxiety you can reduce or manage it in order to reduce the knock on symptoms.
Hey Melanie, very true! Thanks for reading!
Wow i didn’t knew this. I sometimes experience this but i didn’t know that it’s causing from my anxiety. This is very informative. Thank you for informing us!
Hey Ruth, no problem! Glad you found it so helpful. Thanks for reading!
I’ve often heard that anxiety can be linked to tummy aches. In fact, often it’s a sign in children that they are feeling anxious too.
Hey Talya, definitely! I had it growing up myself. Thanks for reading!
It always amazes me how much mental health can affect physical health, I didn’t realise there was a link specifically when it comes to anxiety and stomach aches so thank you.
Hey Sarah, no problem! That darn gut-brain link will get ya every time. Thanks for reading!
It is interesting to think that our minds could be causing physical responses in our bodies beyond just stomach aches. Paying attention to the mental and physical relationships is a great way to get to know ourselves better.
Thanks for sharing!
Hey Jaya, no problem! It’s a really interesting symbiosis. Sometimes it works in our favor, sometimes not. Thanks for reading!
I appreciate this information! I have lived with anxiety my entire life and was officially diagnosed a few years ago. I occasionally get physical symptoms, such as a stomach ache or shortness of breath.
Hey Mar, anxiety is the worst. I know that’s a bit glib because we can’t compare our suffering to others. But it is so so tough. Hang in there, and take care. Thanks for reading!
Amazing post! I totally get where you’re coming from. When I get anxiety/ panic attacks it can also affect my physical health and make me feel sick and my tummy to hurt
Hey Demi, our minds and bodies need to lay off sometimes LOL. Take care of yourself and thanks for reading!
I remember getting these a lot as a kid when I got nervous. They weren’t fun. As I get older, now they’ve transformed to headaches.
Hey Amber, I believe it! It’s weird how our bodies change as we get older. Thanks for reading!
I grew up with this for so many years. The first day of school, birthday parties, etc. Anytime I was in a new situation use to make me a nervous wreck. I grew out of it when having to move from city to city while my dad was in the military. I had to learn to adapt and meet new friends.
Hey Tammy, new situations are so tough as a kid to begin with. I can imagine. Hopefully it doesn’t affect you as much now. Thanks for reading!
I suffer really badly with my stomach and it ends up being a vicious cycle between that and anxiety – am I anxious because I have a bad stomach, or do I have a bad stomach because I’m anxious? I also suffer with emetophobia (vomit phobia) which really doesn’t help matters! I think stomach stuff is often quite a taboo in general, so I think it adds to the anxiety as a result – like you feel you can’t say anything because people will think it’s gross! Thank you for sharing 🙂 x
Hey Amy, that is very true!! The vicious cycle is definitely a thing, and it can be embarrassing to reach out for help. But it’s very very common. Just remember that 🙂 Take care and thanks for reading!
When I was a kid, I had anxiety so bad in 4th grade that I had to hospitalized for stomach issues. I still have problems with my stomach when I am stressed.
Hey Pam, oh no! I’m sorry to hear it. Take care, and thanks for reading!
This was so so interesting. I have anxiety and occasionly get stomach aches when I’m feeling particular anxious. It’s crazy how our bodies work, the fact that our worried mind can cause our stomachs to ache or need the toilet is mind blowing!
Hey Kelly, it really is! I find it very interesting. Take care of yourself, and thanks for reading!
This is totally my son. However, I’m wondering if his stomachaches are in fact, his severe anxiety, or the supplement he’s taking to help with his anger (which is how his anxiety manifests). So hard to tell!!!
Yeah it’s hard to tell sometimes. So many symptoms of anxiety could also be a slew of other things. Good luck! I hope he feels better soon!
So true! I experienced anxiety tummy aches as a kid.
It’s so common. I hope a lot of people find this helpful. Thanks for reading!
I never knew! Thank you so much for sharing! This is information is needed now more than ever.
Definitely! It’s a hard time for many. Thanks for reading!
I definitley feel anxiety in my belly and in the form of heartburn. Great information.
It’s so crazy how anxiety pops up, isn’t it? Thanks for reading!
I’ve seen this symptom of anxiety so often as a school teacher! This is incredibly common for children (as well as many others), yet it sometimes takes a while to link it to anxiety. Thank you for sharing this information!
No problem! I experienced it a lot myself as a young kid/teen. It’s definitely super common.
Wow! I had no idea, thanks for talking about these stuff, surely we are not alone!
You are very welcome! Happy to spread the word.
Great post (as always!). I definitely feel the anxiety in my gut. I’m an actor, so I go on auditions frequently (well, not so much recently). And every time I’m about to go into the room, my guts twist into knots and I feel stomach sick. I have to remind myself that it’s nerves and adrenaline, but it’s still not fun! Thanks for posting this and all the insight and research for you do for those of us with anxiety.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Stomach aches from anxiety is more common than people think! Hopefully you can get back to those auditions soon.
Explains so many things I see in my niece! So Helpful!
I’m glad you found it helpful. Feel free to share if that’s the case. Thanks for reading 🙂
I loved this post – stomach aches are the number one symptom I get with anxiety and of course the anxiety ends up making the stomach aches worse. It’s a vicious cycle a lot of the time! I’m at the point where I can now tell an “anxiety” stomach ache from a real one most of the time, but occasionally I’m caught out and an anxiety one masks itself as something I’ve not experienced before! Thanks for sharing x
It really is a vicious cycle isn’t. We worry, then we worry about worrying lol. Thanks for reading.
Your series on anxiety and especially this one on the correlation between anxiety and stomach pains has truly helped me to better understand some of my students and friends. I knew they dealt with a lot, but had no true idea of the scope. I’m very appreciative of your transparency on the issue of anxiety.
Thank you so much! That means a lot. Glad you found it helpful.
Anxiety is such an important topic that we all should tackle together. This is a perfect example of why we should be talking more about our anxiety.
Exactly! If no one talks about it, nothing can change. Thanks for reading!
Ugh! Tummy aches are so bad!! 🙁 I have had several students in the past with chronic tummy aches on testing days. It always broke my heart and I tried to ease their worries the best that I could!
It’s so sad. My oldest gets tummy aches from separation anxiety and it breaks my heart.
It is so weird how the mind and body are linked together. This is such a beautiful post as I learned a lot from it. Thank you
Thank you! I appreciate it!
Stomach aches are for sure an anxiety sign. I personally feel like they are the main symptom for anxiety in children especially!
Yes! My oldest gets a “tummy ache” when she misses someone or feels nervous.
Yup! I know this all too well. Even though I’ve had anxiety all my life I wasn’t truly diagnosed until I was a teenager. I was diagnosed with IBS and Anxiety at the same time. Stomach stuff is a given with my anxiety. I love probiotics and digestive enzymes!
Same! I’m terrible about taking my probiotic but they do help!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful post. It was great to read something I can so easily relate to. Anxiety has caused so many physical symptoms, including stomach cramps and pains. It’s weird what the mind can do to the physical body. xxx
It really is strange! Thanks for reading.