Brain Zaps Anxiety Symptoms
Brain zaps, head zaps, and head shivers, often described as sudden, brief electrical shock-like sensations in the brain, which can feel like your brain or head was suddenly jolted, buzzed, zapped, electric-shocked, or tremor, are common anxiety symptoms, especially anxiety and panic attack symptoms.
Even though anxiety brain zaps aren’t harmful, they can be startling and concerning when they first occur.
Understanding why brain zaps occur is essential to getting rid of them. This article explains the relationship between anxiety and brain zaps, common symptoms, causes, and what you can do to get rid of them.
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Common Brain Zaps, Head Zaps, And Head Shivers Anxiety Symptoms Descriptions
- It feels like your head or brain has been suddenly jolted by an electric shock or electrical charge.
- It feels as if your head or brain has been zapped, buzzed, shocked, jolted, or had a sudden "brain, head, or body tremor or shiver."
- Your brain has had a sudden shiver, tremor, or vibration.
- Some people feel this brain zap in just the brain, whereas others feel the brain zap in the entire head.
- Brain zaps, brain shakes, head zaps, brain shivers, tremors or sudden vibrations generally last for only a brief moment.
- Brain zaps, shakes, shivers, jolts, tremors or vibrations occur without warning, although some people say they can feel them coming on.
- Brain zaps, shakes, shivers, jolts, tremors or vibrations often stop as suddenly as they start.
- Some people say they also get a bright light with the brain zap.
- Some people say their eyes shake with the brain zap.
- Some people say they experience momentary dizziness or lightheadedness with the brain zap, which can linger after it stops.
- Some people say they get ringing, buzzing, or pulsing in the ear(s) during and after the brain zap.
- Some people become nauseous or sick to their stomach during and after the brain or head zap.
- Many people become frightened that the brain zap is an indication of a major medical or mental health problem.
- Some people are shaken by the brain zap, leaving them anxious and concerned about having another one or a brain zap that is far more serious and lasting.
This list is not exhaustive but represents the most common descriptions of the anxiety brain zap symptom.
Brain zaps can:
- Feel like they occur in the brain only, in the entire head, or the entire body.
- Occur in the brain only during one episode and then affect the entire head or body during another episode.
- Shift, occurring only in the brain during one episode, in the entire head the next episode, and then in just the brain during the next episode, and so on.
Brain zaps and head zaps typically occur sporadically and without warning.
Brain zaps can:
- Occur occasionally, frequently, or persistently.
- Precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety symptoms or occur by itself.
- Precede, accompany, or follow a period of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and stress, or occur "out of the blue" for no reason.
- Range in intensity from slight, to moderate, to severe.
- Come in waves where it’s strong one moment and eases off the next.
- Occur for a while, subside, and then return for no reason.
- Change from day to day or moment to moment.
This symptom can seem more noticeable when undistracted, resting, trying to sleep, or waking up.
All the above combinations and variations are common.
When this symptom first occurs, it can be alarming and can even cause the start of a panic attack because of the sudden fear you experience. Thoughts of “What if this is a symptom of a brain tumor or cancer, or the result of MS, ALS, or other more serious medical condition?” are common fears associated with those who experience this symptom.
Because of the bizarre nature of brain zaps, it may even make you truly believe something more dramatic will happen next.
Anxiety brain zaps are also often referred to as brain shocks, brain shivers, head shocks, head zaps, electric shocks, and brain vibrations.
To see if anxiety might be playing a role in your symptoms, rate your level of anxiety using our free one-minute instant results Anxiety Test, Anxiety Disorder Test, or Hyperstimulation Test.
The higher the rating, the more likely anxiety could be contributing to or causing your anxiety symptoms, including feeling like impending doom symptoms.
Causes: What causes brain zaps, head zaps anxiety symptoms?
Medical Advisory
Talk to your doctor about all new, changing, persistent, and returning symptoms as some medical conditions and medications can cause anxiety-like symptoms.
General Overview - Understanding the Brain-Body Connection in Anxiety-Related Brain Zaps
When brain zaps and head zaps symptoms are related to anxiety, they can feel bizarre and frightening, but they are a direct result of how anxiety and stress affect your brain and body. Here’s a simple explanation of the connection:
- The Nervous System Under Stress: Anxiety triggers your body’s “fight-or-flight” response, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can overstimulate your nervous system, including the brain, leading to abnormal electrical activity that may manifest as brain zaps.
- Neurotransmitter Imbalance: Chronic stress can disrupt levels of key neurotransmitters like GABA (calms the brain) and glutamate (excites the brain). An imbalance can cause brief, localized “misfires” in the brain, which you may experience as zaps.
- Heightened Sensitivity: Anxiety makes your brain’s fear center (amygdala) more reactive, amplifying your awareness of physical sensations like brain zaps. This can create a cycle where zaps increase anxiety, which worsens zaps. This is especially true for people with health and medical anxiety.
Understanding that brain zaps are a physiological response to stress, not a sign of a serious condition like a brain tumor, can help reduce fear. By addressing anxiety through stress reduction, healthy behavioral changes, and therapy, you can calm your nervous system and reduce or eliminate brain zaps over time.
More specifically, brain zaps can be caused by:
1. Side effects of medication
Some anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications have been reported to cause brain zaps and head zaps when taking the medication, changing dosage, and withdrawing. Examples of these medications include:
- SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) including Zoloft (Sertaline), Lexapro (Escitalopram), and Celexa (citalopram);
- SNRIs (Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) such as Effexor (Venlafaxine), and
- benzodiazepine medications such as Ativan, Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin.
To name a few.
Other types of medications have also been linked to brain zaps. They include:
- ADHD medications such as Adderall (amphetamine salts)
- MDMA (or ecstasy), an illegal recreational drug
- Some sleep medications
- And some combinations of drugs
At this time, the reasons why medication can cause brain and head zaps are unknown. Popular hypotheses include:
A. Low serotonin hypothesis
It was believed low serotonin was the cause of anxiety disorder (and depression). To treat this “chemical imbalance,” patients were given antidepressant medications that were thought to increase the deficient chemicals and, over time, restore them (serotonin and norepinephrine) back to a healthy level.
However, people taking these medications often experience brain zaps as a side effect of these medications [1]. Theorists speculated that brain and head zaps were caused by low levels of serotonin[2] and how the medications were trying to elevate them.
There are problems with this theory, however. Many people have low levels of serotonin yet don’t experience brain or head zaps.
B. Low GABA hypothesis
GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for calming the nervous system. Low levels of GABA have been linked to many conditions, including anxiety, depression, seizures, and movement disorders.
Research has found that low levels of GABA can trigger seizures [3][4]. This raises the possibility that conditions that cause a reduction in GABA, such as anxiety and depression, can cause brief episodes of localized seizures, such as brain zaps and head zaps.
Seizures are caused by the over-excitement of neurons that then cause an “excessive, hypersynchronous discharge” in the brain [5]. This discharge can cause abnormal neuronal firing that sends uncontrolled neurological signals to the rest of the body, causing convulsions and loss of consciousness.
Minor localized seizures, however, produce a small effect. This localization is thought to account for the brain zaps and head zaps symptoms where the effects of the “electrical shock” feelings are minimal.
C. Withdrawing from a psychotropic medication
Brain and head zaps are often associated with withdrawing from psychotropic medications, such as SSRIs, SNRIs, and benzodiazepines [6][7], as well as some sleep medications. Since SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, benzodiazepine, and some sleep medications cause an increase in GABA, it’s thought that withdrawing from these medications causes a reduction in GABA. The decrease in GABA is responsible for the brain and head zaps.
2. Chronic stress (hyperstimulation)
People who don’t take psychotropic or sleep medications also experience brain zaps and head zaps. Chronic stress, which we call stress-response hyperstimulation, is a common denominator for those who experience head and brain zaps.
I (Jim Folk) experienced many head and brain zaps during my struggle with anxiety disorder. I didn’t take antidepressants, and I had many head and brain zaps long before I took benzodiazepines. Consequently, I tend to lean toward the following explanation as being the cause of anxiety-caused brain zaps and head zaps.
Chronic stress, such as the stress caused by overly apprehensive behavior, has a deleterious effect on the body, particularly the nervous system (which includes the brain). Chronic stress affects neurotransmitter levels, including GABA and Glutamate, the body’s primary excitatory neurotransmitter, and adversely affects neurons and how they function.
Consequently, hyperstimulation can cause the over-excitation of neurons similar to the cause of seizures but on a smaller, more localized scale [8].
According to an online survey we conducted, just less than half of anxiety disorder sufferers experienced brain zaps and head zaps due to anxiety disorder.
Chronic stress and its effects on the body are common causes of brain and head zaps.
3. Sleep deprivation
Stress can lead to sleep problems, such as insomnia or poor sleep quality. However, it's important to remember that sleep plays a crucial role in regulating neurotransmitter levels, which in turn ensures proper brain function.
Sleep disruption, often caused by stress, including anxiety-caused stress, can cause the brain to become more prone to abnormal electrical activity and neurotransmitter imbalances, which can contribute to and increase the likelihood of experiencing brain zaps.
4. Psychological Factors
Stress triggers increased brain activity in the amygdala, the brain's fear center. This heightened amygdala activity can make anxious individuals more attuned to physical sensations, including brain zaps. The resulting increase in stress and awareness can lead to a feedback loop, where stress causes brain zaps, which in turn, heightens stress and anxiety levels, leading to more brain zaps.
Moreover, many anxious people have health and medical fears, making them especially sensitive and reactive to physical symptoms. Consequently, these fears can exacerbate stress, anxiety, and symptoms, including brain zaps, strengthening the feedback loop and worsening all three.
5. Other Factors
Other factors can create stress and cause anxiety-like symptoms, as well as aggravate existing anxiety symptoms, such as brain zaps, including:
- Recreational drugs
- Stimulants
- Fatigue
- Hyper and hypoventilation
- Low blood sugar
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Dehydration
- Hormone changes
- Pain
Select the relevant link for more information.
Head brain zaps with other symptoms
While anxiety brain zaps symptoms can occur on their own, they can also be accompanied by other symptoms, such as dizziness, trembling, shortness of breath, tight throat, numbness, pins and needles, and so on. Since anxiety-caused stress is a common cause of the head and brain zaps symptoms, brain zaps can be accompanied by one, a few, or all of your anxiety symptoms. All combinations and variations of symptoms that co-occur with brain zaps are common.
Just because you have other symptoms with your brain zaps doesn’t mean there is a different or more serious cause. Again, it’s common for brain zaps to occur by themselves or along with other symptoms.
Treatment: How to get rid of the brain zaps and head zaps
1. Address other factors
When brain and head zaps are caused or aggravated by other factors, addressing those factors can reduce and eliminate this anxiety symptom.
2. Change medications
If medication is causing your brain and head zaps, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about switching to a medication that doesn’t have this symptom as a side effect.
While the transition to another medication might bring its own challenges, you might tolerate the different medication better and with fewer side effects, including brain and head zaps.
3. Complete the discontinuation process
If your brain and head zaps are caused by discontinuing your medication, they should subside as your body clears the medication and stabilizes.
Following an appropriate tapering schedule is vital when discontinuing a psychotropic medication. Talk with your doctor and pharmacist for more information.
DO NOT STOP A PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION ABRUPTLY! Doing so has the potential to cause serious harm.
4. Eliminate hyperstimulation
If your brain and head zaps aren’t caused by medication, they are likely caused by chronic stress (hyperstimulation). Reducing and eliminating stress should be your goal.
There are many natural ways to reduce stress, such as:
- Spending time in nature
- Increasing rest and pleasurable activities
- Taking frequent rest breaks
- Regular exercise
- Reducing work hours
- Regularly practicing a deep relaxation technique
- Getting regular good sleep
- Eating a healthy diet of whole and natural foods
Visit our “60 Natural Ways To Reduce Stress” article for more ways to reduce stress.
If reducing stress hasn't eliminated your brain and head zaps, there is likely Level Two recovery work that needs to be completed. Unidentified and unaddressed underlying factors are a common cause of resistant stress.
5. Regular good sleep
Eliminating sleep disruption by ensuring to get good sleep each night can reduce and even eliminate anxiety-caused brain zaps.
Since stress, including chronic stress (hyperstimulation), is a common cause of sleep disruption and brain zaps, reducing stress and increasing rest are important for restoring good sleep.
6. Therapy
Unidentified and unaddressed underlying factors that cause issues with anxiety is the number one reason why anxiety disorder and its symptoms persist. This is why dealing with your anxiety issues is the most important overall.
Since the majority of stress comes from behavior (the ways we think and act), addressing the core reasons for anxiety disorder can reduce and eliminate the unhealthy stress that often leads to hyperstimulation and symptoms, such as brain zaps.
Keep in mind that eliminating anxiety symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve overcome issues with anxiety. Anxiety symptoms are symptoms of stress. Eliminating anxiety symptoms means you’ve eliminated the unhealthy stress. But if the underlying factors that cause issues with anxiety aren’t addressed, it’s just a matter of time until the body is overly stressed and symptomatic again.
Rebounds of symptoms and a return to a struggle with anxiety are caused for this very reason: the core issues that cause problematic anxiety haven’t been successfully addressed.
To eliminate issues with anxiety and symptoms once and for all, we need to eliminate the cause of problematic anxiety – the underlying factors that cause issues with anxiety. When you eliminate the cause of the problem, the problem and its symptoms disappear.
If you have been struggling with anxiety and symptoms, especially if you have health and medical fears, we recommend connecting with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist to help you overcome your anxiety issues. Research has shown that working with an experienced therapist is an effective treatment for anxiety disorder [9][10].
Moreover, getting therapy via teletherapy, distanced therapy, or e-therapy (telephone or online therapy) is as effective, if not more so, than in-person therapy [11][12].
7. A healthy diet
When the body is under stress, it uses up its energy resources, including important nutrients, faster than normal [13][14]. If we aren’t replenishing those nutrients as fast as we are using them up, the body can run into a nutrient deficiency. Eating a healthy and balanced diet can keep the body healthy even during stressful times.
Some people have also found eating foods that promote GABA restoration beneficial, such as kimchi, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, and yogurt.
Others have found taking GABA supplements helpful. Caution is required, however, as research has shown that too much GABA can create the same problems as not enough. Working with a Natural Nutritional Therapist, such as Liliana Tosic, can be helpful in this regard.
We also don’t recommend running out and taking supplements recommended by health food websites. Since each body is somewhat chemically unique, what might work for one person might cause problems for another. We recommend working with a Natural Nutritional Therapist to determine your exact deficiencies and then needs. Taking too much of something can do as much harm, if not more, than not getting enough [15].
Moreover, recent research has found that most popular supplements provides no health benefit [16], and therefore, are a waste of money. We believe if supplementation is required, it’s best done through a healthy change in diet rather than via pills.
8. Coping Strategies for Managing Brain Zaps in the Moment
Brain zaps can be alarming, especially when they occur unexpectedly. While addressing the root cause, such as with stress reduction, rest, behavioral changes, therapy, and medication changes is key to long-term relief, here are practical steps to help you cope when a brain zap happens:
- Grounding Techniques: Focus on your surroundings to anchor yourself.
- Name five things you see
- Four things you can touch
- Three things you hear
- Two things you smell, and
- One thing you taste
This can shift your focus away from the zap and reduce anxiety.
- Relaxed Diaphragmatic Breathing: Sit or lie down comfortably, place one hand on your belly, and breathe in slowly through your nose so your belly rises—not your chest. Pause gently, then exhale slowly through your mouth, letting your belly fall. Keep your breaths calm, smooth, and even, aiming for about 5 to 7 breaths per minute. Let the rhythm feel natural, not forced, and repeat for several minutes to activate your body’s calming system.
- Reassurance Self-Talk: Remind yourself, “This is a brain zap, a common anxiety symptom. It’s not dangerous and will pass.” This can counteract fearful thoughts about serious medical conditions.
- Distraction: Engage in a light activity, such as listening to calming music, stretching, going for a leisure walk, or sipping water, to redirect your attention from the sensation.
- Body Scan Relaxation: Gently tense and release muscle groups (e.g., shoulders, arms, legs) to release physical tension that may amplify the zap’s impact.
These strategies can help you feel more in control during a brain zap episode. If brain zaps persist or intensify, consult a healthcare provider to explore underlying causes.
9. Guided Exercise: Reducing Stress to Prevent Brain Zaps
Reducing stress is one of the most effective ways to prevent brain zaps caused by anxiety. Try this 5-minute guided relaxation exercise to calm your nervous system:
- Find a Quiet Space: Sit or lie down in a comfortable, distraction-free environment.
- Close Your Eyes and Breathe: Take 5 slow, relaxed breaths, inhaling through your nose for 4 seconds and exhaling through your mouth for 6 seconds.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Starting at your toes, tense each muscle group for 5 seconds, then release. Move up to your legs, abdomen, arms, shoulders, and face. Notice the tension melting away.
- Visualize Calm: Picture a peaceful scene (e.g., a beach or forest). Imagine the sights, sounds, and sensations, letting your body relax into the imagery.
- Affirm Your Safety: Silently repeat, “My body is safe, and this moment is calm.” This counters anxiety-driven thoughts that amplify brain zaps.
- Return Gently: Slowly open your eyes and take a final relaxed breath, carrying the sense of calm with you.
Practice this exercise daily, especially during stressful times, to reduce nervous system overstimulation and lower the likelihood of brain zaps.
10. Real Stories: How Others Manage Anxiety-Related Brain Zaps
Brain zaps can make you feel alone, but many people with anxiety experience them and have found ways to cope. Here are two anonymized stories from our community:
- Sarah’s Story: Sarah, a 32-year-old teacher, started experiencing brain zaps during a stressful period at work. They felt like sudden jolts in her head, often accompanied by dizziness, and made her fear a neurological condition. After consulting her doctor, she learned her zaps were linked to anxiety and sleep deprivation. Sarah began practicing daily deep relaxation techniques and improved her sleep routine, which reduced her brain zaps significantly within a few months. She also worked with a therapist to address her work-related stress, which helped her feel more in control.
- Mark’s Story: Mark, a 45-year-old accountant, noticed brain zaps when he began tapering off an SSRI medication under his doctor’s guidance. The zaps were frequent and unsettling, making him anxious about his mental health. By following a slow tapering schedule and incorporating regular exercise (like walking and gentle stretching), Mark’s zaps gradually decreased. He also found support through anxietycentre.com’s self-help information, where he learned stress-reduction techniques that helped him manage his anxiety long-term.
These stories show that brain zaps, while distressing, can be managed with the right strategies. If you’re experiencing brain zaps, know that you’re not alone, and recovery is possible with persistence and support.
Don’t mistake hypnic jerks for brain zaps
Hypnic jerks are a natural phenomenon many people experience when drifting off to sleep. In a 2016 study, researchers report that 60% to 70% of the general population experience hypnic jerks [17].
A hypnic jerk – myoclonus - is an involuntary twitch of one or more of the body’s muscles that occur as you are transitioning from a wakeful state to a sleeping state. They can range in degree from barely noticeable to so dramatic that they startle you awake.
Other sensations associated with a hypnic jerk include:
- A feeling as though you are falling
- A sudden jump in heart rate
- A quickening of breathing
- A sudden hot flash or cold or hot sweat
- A dream that you are falling or are about to get into grave danger
Even though these sensations can be alarming, they are not an indication of an underlying medical or mental health problem. Hypnic jerks are common and a part of our human experience.
While there is no specific cause of hypnic jerks, stimulation seems to play a role. The more stimulated the body is when going to sleep, the more likely you’ll experience a hypnic jerk.
Reducing the body’s stimulation overall can reduce the incidences of hypnic jerks.
Brain Zaps Frequently Asked Questions
What causes electric shock feeling in the head?
Electric shock feeling in the head, also referred to as brain zaps, brain shivers, head shocks, and head zaps have three main causes:
- Side effects of medication
- Withdrawing from medication
- Chronic stress (hyperstimulation), including the stress caused by anxiety
We explain each of these above on this web page.
What causes a funny feeling in your head?
There can be many causes of having a funny feeling in your head. If by funny feeling you mean having a brain zap, brain shiver, head shock, or head electric shock feeling, these can be caused by:
- Side effects of medication
- Withdrawing from medication
- Chronic stress (hyperstimulation), including the chronic stress caused by anxiety
We explain each of these above on this web page.
Why does my brain feel like it’s vibrating?
Vibrating brain feeling can have two main causes. The effects of chronic stress, which we call hyperstimulation. Hyperstimulation can cause body-wide tremors and trembling symptoms, including causing the brain to feel like its vibrating. Brain zaps, brain shivers, head shocks, and head zaps feeling can have three main causes:
- Side effects of medication
- Withdrawing from medication
- Chronic stress (hyperstimulation), including the chronic stress caused by anxiety
We explain each of these above on this web page.
Can lack of sleep cause brain zaps?
Yes. When sleep is cut short, the body secretes more cortisol, the body's most powerful stress hormone stimulant. Stimulants stress the body, and a body that’s stressed can experience brain zaps. Restoring good sleep reduces cortisol, which can cause the cessation of sleep deprivation-related brain zaps.
How long can brain zaps last?
Brain zaps caused by anxiety and chronic stress typical last for a brief moment or two, and occur occasionally and not frequently. For example, you could have one or two brain zaps one day and then not have another one for days or weeks.
Brain shivers caused by medication or withdrawing from medication also last just a moment or two, but they can occur more frequently, such as several times a day and day after day.
Brain zaps will occur as long as the cause is left untreated.
Do brain zaps go away?
Brain zaps caused by anxiety, stress, or medication will go away when the cause is addressed. But brain zaps can persist as long as the cause is left untreated.
What do brain zaps mean?
Brain zaps can mean your body is chronically stressed, such as from overly apprehensive behavior. Or, they are side effects of medication or withdrawing from medication. In each case, brain zaps aren’t harmful themselves but symptoms of a problem with anxiety, stress, or medication. Treating the cause of brain zaps will eliminate them in time.
What do brain zaps feel like?
Brain zaps caused by anxiety, stress or medication can feel like a sudden buzz, shake, shiver, tremor, or electrical shock feeling in the head. For instance, it can feel like you touched your brain with an electric vibrator for one second.
Brain zaps can come out of nowhere or can precede, accompany, or follow an episode of anxiety or high stress. We explain brain zaps in more detail previously on this web page.
Do brain zaps last forever?
Brain zaps caused by anxiety, stress, or medication don’t last forever. Once the cause is addressed, they subside as the body recovers from the cause.
Can you get brain zaps from anxiety?
Yes. In fact, anxiety and the stress it causes is one of the most common causes of brain zaps next to medication-caused brain zaps. Many anxiety disorder sufferers experience brain zaps as a part of their symptom-mix.
Can caffeine cause brain zaps?
Yes. Caffeine is a stimulant that stresses the body. Stress is a common cause of brain zaps. As the body’s level of stimulation increases, so can the prevalence of brain zaps. If you are consuming a lot of caffeinated coffee and experiencing stress, that combination can cause brain zaps.
Does anxiety cause brain zaps?
Yes. In fact, anxiety and the stress it causes is one of the most common causes of brain zaps next to medication-caused brain zaps. Many anxiety disorder sufferers experience brain zaps as a part of their symptom-mix.
What causes brain zaps when falling asleep?
Brain zaps when falling asleep are often related to hypnic jerks. A hypnic jerk – myoclonus - is an involuntary twitch of one or more of the body’s muscles that occur as you are transitioning from a wakeful state to a sleeping state. They can range in severity from barely noticeable to so dramatic that they startle you awake.
Most people experience hypnic jerks from time to time. They are often more prevalent when the body is under stress. We explain hypnic jerks in more detail previously on this web page.
Are brain zaps dangerous?
Anxiety, stress, and medication-caused brain zaps are not dangerous. While they can be startling, they aren’t harmful. They will disappear when you address the cause of your brain zaps.
Can you have other symptoms with brain zaps?
Yes. Since anxiety stresses the body, and stress is a common cause of the head and brain zaps symptoms, brain zaps can be accompanied by one, a few, or all of your anxiety symptoms. All combinations and variations of symptoms that co-occur with brain zaps are common.
Just because you have other symptoms with your brain zaps, doesn’t mean there is a different or more serious cause. Again, it’s common for brain zaps to occur by themselves or along with other symptoms.
If you have been struggling with persistent brain zaps or any other symptom of anxiety, and nothing you do seems to help, we commend connecting with one of our recommended therapists to help you with this symptom and recovery in general since therapy is the Gold Standard treatment for anxiety disorder and hyperstimulation.
When to Seek Medical Attention for Brain Zaps
While brain zaps are often caused by anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation, or medication changes, it’s natural to worry about other potential causes, especially if you have health and medical anxiety. Here’s when to consult a doctor:
- New or Worsening Symptoms: If brain zaps are new, frequent, or increasing in intensity, a doctor can rule out other conditions (e.g., migraines, seizures, or electrolyte imbalances).
- Accompanying Neurological Symptoms: Seek medical advice if brain zaps occur with symptoms like persistent headaches, vision changes, muscle weakness, or confusion, which could indicate a non-anxiety-related issue.
- Medication-Related Concerns: If you suspect brain zaps are linked to starting, changing, or stopping a medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist to discuss adjustments or a tapering plan.
- Persistent Anxiety: If brain zaps are accompanied by ongoing anxiety, panic attacks, or other symptoms that disrupt your life, a healthcare provider or therapist can help address the underlying anxiety.
Most brain zaps are benign and tied to anxiety, medication, migraine headache, or fibromyalgia (another stress disorder), but a medical evaluation can provide peace of mind and ensure you’re on the right path to recovery. If anxiety is the cause, working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist can be a powerful step toward relief.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
Additional Resources
- For a comprehensive list of Anxiety Disorders Symptoms Signs, Types, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
- Anxiety and panic attacks symptoms can be powerful experiences. Find out what they are and how to stop them.
- How to stop an anxiety attack and panic.
- Free online anxiety tests to screen for anxiety. Two minute tests with instant results. Such as:
- Anxiety 101 is a summarized description of anxiety, anxiety disorder, and how to overcome it.
Return to our anxiety disorders signs and symptoms page.
anxietycentre.com: Information, support, and therapy for anxiety disorder and its symptoms, including brain zaps.
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