Anxiety, fear, feeling generally unwell and fever can all make you feel trembly - the expression 'shaking in his boots' is one we all recognise. Of course, feeling shaky without knowing what's causing it can make you feel anxious - which can lead to a vicious cycle of shakiness.
Feeling anxious for no reason is actually more common than you might think. Sometimes, the reason isn't immediately obvious because anxiety can stem from subconscious worries, past experiences, or even physiological factors like diet or sleep deprivation.
They could also be the result of panic attack, anxiety, Parkinson's disease, hyperthyroidism, poisoning by alcohol or amphetamines, or a heart arrhythmia (bradycardia, tachycardia, including atrial fibrillation). Contact your doctor.
Why do I feel shaky and jittery inside? There are a range of possible causes. Some common ones include low blood sugar, low blood pressure, too much caffeine, and dehydration.
High or low blood sugar (hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, respectively) may cause tremors or other involuntary movements. Stress, anxiety, or fatigue may be associated with tremors.
Findings from preclinical and clinical studies show magnesium and zinc deficiency can lead to anxiety, and supplementation can help alleviate anxiety-like symptoms.
Psychomotor agitation often affects people with bipolar disorder, but it is also associated with other conditions that affect mental health or neurological function. It is a physical expression of anxiety and mental tension.
Anxiety and Stress: High levels of anxiety and stress can trigger a range of physical and emotional symptoms, leading to an overall feeling of weirdness. Sleep Issues: Disrupted sleep patterns, insomnia, or lack of quality sleep can leave you feeling groggy, disoriented, and not quite yourself.
Vitamin deficiency, particularly of vitamin B1, B6 and B12 can lead to tremor. So can Wilson's disease, an inherited condition in which too much copper builds up in your body. Rare causes like poisoning with arsenic or heavy metals can cause a variety of symptoms including tremor.
While an uneasy feeling in your body can be a complex symptom of anxiety, understanding and addressing it with appropriate techniques can empower you to regain control. Remember, anxiety is not just 'in your head' – it manifests physically and can be managed through both psychological and physical approaches.
Researchers have suggested that anyone can experience internal tremors, but they are more pronounced in people with Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and essential tremor [2]. Other potential causes include low iron, vitamin B12 or vitamin D deficiencies or diabetes.
Your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure all increase as your body prepares itself to deal with the stressor. In this situation, your body and brain interpret anxiety as a signal to either escape from danger or stand your ground. This primes your muscles to act, which leads to shaking or trembling.
However, shakiness can have other causes aside from anxiety, such as essential tremor, Parkinson's disease or simply too much caffeine. If you notice that you're shaking often, even when you're not anxious or stressed, check with your doctor to see if there may be other issues at play, Eckler says.
Sometimes symptoms lessen for a period, but the best strategy for living with these conditions is learning to manage triggers and come up with treatment plans and coping mechanisms. BPD, as one of the most difficult mental illnesses to live with, can also be one of the hardest to treat.
Unresolved Memories or Emotions
Our minds are incredibly complex, so sometimes discomfort can be a result of unresolved emotions from the past being triggered in the present Past traumas, unresolved issues, or suppressed emotions may surface unexpectedly, causing a sudden and unexplained sense of discomfort.
Good choices are a piece of fruit, a few whole wheat crackers, a glass of milk, or a carton of yogurt. In people with diabetes, hypoglycemia can come on suddenly and needs to be treated right away so it doesn't get worse. Eat or drink a quickly digested carbohydrate food, such as: ½ cup fruit juice.
Vitamins B1, B6 and B12 are integral in keeping the nervous system in strong working order. And, while essential tremors are more hereditary in nature, a deficiency in vitamins B1, B6 or B12 are known to cause shakiness and tremors in the hands.
Drink water
Hydrating is one of the quickest ways to start flushing caffeine out of your system. Water can help dilute the caffeine in your body, which can reduce the intensity of the jitters.
Drugs such as Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam) work quickly, typically bringing relief within 30 minutes to an hour. That makes them very effective when taken during a panic attack or another overwhelming anxiety episode.
Whatever you're doing, take a few deep breaths to help let the anxious thoughts and feelings float on by. "Almost by definition, if you're anxious, you're being overly perfectionistic in the goals you're setting for yourself," Barlow says.