Body Jolt, Jolts, Shocks, Zaps, Tremors, Shakes – anxiety symptoms

What causes body jolts and zaps anxiety symptoms?

Regarding anxiety, this symptom has three primary causes:

1. Anti-anxiety and antidepressant medication related

Body shakes/jolts can be caused by psychotropic medications, whether when just starting the medication, while on it, when adjusting dosage, when adding to or subtracting another medication, or when withdrawing from the medication.[1][2]

Since psychotropic medications affect the nervous system (which includes the brain), the medication’s influence or elimination can cause the nervous system to act erratically.

While the exact cause of medication-related body jolts is not currently known, body jolts have been linked to psychotropic medications (also with sleep medications).

It’s common to experience “body jolts” in connection with these types of medications. You should discuss this symptom with your doctor or pharmacist if you are experiencing this symptom in conjunction with a medication you are taking.

2. The stress response

Apprehensive behavior (worry, nervousness, fretting, fear) activates the stress response. The stress response causes the body to secrete stress hormones into the bloodstream where they travel to targeted spots to bring about specific physiological, psychological, and emotional changes that enhance the body’s ability to deal with a threat—to either fight or flee.

This survival reaction is often referred to as:[3][4]

• The fight or flight response.
• The freeze response(some people become so frightened that they freeze with fear like a “deer caught in headlights”). This response is thought to be a survival mechanism that allows the person to blend in with their surroundings and avoid detection by a predator.
• The faint response (some people faint when afraid). This response is thought to be a last resort for survival in situations where fighting or fleeing is not possible or likely to be successful.
• The submit response (some people easily surrender to their threats when afraid). This response is thought to be a way of avoiding further harm or injury and may be seen in situations where the person feels powerless or overwhelmed.
• The appease response(some people attempt to calm or placate the threat to avoid harm or conflict). This response is thought to be a way of avoiding or reducing the severity of the threat.

Visit the “Stress Response” article for more information about the stress response and its many changes.

The higher the degree of the stress response, the more dramatic the changes.

Since stress responses push the body beyond its internal balance (homeostasis), stress responses stress the body. As such, anxiety stresses the body.

Consequently, anxiety symptoms are symptoms of stress. They are called anxiety symptoms because anxious behavior is the main source of stress that stresses the body, and a body under stress can exhibit symptoms of stress, including body jolts, shocks, zaps, tremors, shakes, and vibrations.

3. Stress-response hyperstimulation

When stress responses occur infrequently, the body can quickly recover from the many stress response changes.

However, when stress responses occur too frequently, such as from overly apprehensive behavior, the body can remain in a state of semi-stress response readiness, which we call “stress-response hyperstimulation” since stress hormones are powerful stimulants.

Hyperstimulation is also often referred to as “hyperarousal,” “HPA axis dysfunction,” or “nervous system dysregulation.”[5][6]

Visit our “Hyperstimulation” article for more information about the many ways hyperstimulation can affect how we feel, including its effects on the nervous system.

Just as an active stress response acutely stresses the body, hyperstimulation chronically stresses the body.

Chronic stress can have a dramatic effect on the body and its many systems, organs, and glands, especially the nervous system. For instance:

The brain contains billions of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons interact with each other via their electrochemical properties (they operate on the principles of electricity and chemical interaction).

When the nervous system is healthy and not chronically stressed (hyperstimulated), neurons act and communicate normally. Normal functioning allows us to think, feel, and move normally.

Increased electrical activity in the nervous system, including parts of the brain, is a hallmark of hyperstimulation.

Increased electrical activity can cause neurons to act and communicate erratically, causing anomalies in how we think and feel and how the body responds.

For example, hyperstimulated neurons can fire erratically and inappropriately, causing muscle groups to involuntarily twitch, “jerk,” and shudder (often referred to as “anxiety induced physiologic myoclonic jerk”).[7][8]

It’s this momentary “neuron hiccup” that is thought to cause body jolts or zaps. As stimulation increases, so does the likelihood of involuntary sensations and symptoms, such as this one.

Furthermore, stress affects neurotransmitter levels. As the body’s stress increases, neurotransmitter levels change.

For example, some neurotransmitter levels decrease while others increase. This change in neurotransmitter levels is thought to cause brain function anomalies, such as body jolts, shocks, or shakes.[3]

Again, the exact cause of body jolts is not currently known. But it’s commonly associated with chronic stress and how it affects the body’s nervous system.

4. Other Factors

Other factors can create stress and cause anxiety-like symptoms, as well as aggravate existing anxiety symptoms, including:

• Medication
• Recreational drugs
• Stimulants
• Sleep deprivation
• Fatigue
• Hyper and hypoventilation
• Low blood sugar
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Dehydration
• Hormone changes
• Pain

Select the relevant link for more information.

I (Jim Folk) experienced many body jolts when I was dealing with anxiety disorder. Even now, if I let my stress build much higher than I normally let it, I get the odd body jolt/zap.

But that only occurs when I don’t manage my stress well. Reducing my stress eliminates them.