Can Anxiety Cause Heart Palpitations When Resting?

Video Transcript

Can anxiety cause heart palpitations when resting?

Yes, anxiety can cause episodes of elevated heart rate even when resting. This is especially true when the body becomes hyperstimulated.

But first, it's important to discuss all new, changing, persistent, and returning symptoms with your doctor to ensure they are solely anxiety related. We don't want to assume that symptoms are anxiety related. We want to be certain since there are many medical and medication causes for anxiety-like symptoms.

However, since you've done that and your doctor has attributed your episodes of elevated heart rate to anxiety, you can feel confident anxiety is the cause. Therefore, yes, anxiety can cause episodes of elevated heart rate even when resting, especially when the body has become hyperstimulated.

That's because anxiety triggers the stress response, which secretes stress hormones into the bloodstream that prepare the body for emergency action. Since stress hormones are powerful stimulants, an increase in circulating stress hormones will stimulate the heart, causing an increase in heart rate. This is exactly how the body is supposed to function.

Generally, this isn't concerning when we know anxiety is the cause. However, it becomes concerning when we have episodes of elevated heart rate for what we think is no reason.

But in this case, hyperstimulation is the reason. That's because hyperstimulation can cause the body to act erratically, such as causing an increase in circulating stress hormones randomly, including when resting. This random increase in circulating stress hormones will stimulate the heart, causing an increase in heart rate.

I had many episodes of elevated heart rate when I struggled with anxiety disorder and hyperstimulation. They concerned me, too, until I understood hyperstimulation and how it can affect the body.

And episodes of elevated heart rate aren’t just caused by an increase in circulating stress hormones. Hyperstimulation affects the body in many other ways, too, which can affect heart rate.

Recovery Support members can read more about that in the “Hyperstimulation And Its Effects” section in chapter 14.

So, again, yes, anxiety and hyperstimulation can cause episodes of elevated heart rate even when resting. This is common among anxiety disorder sufferers.

When they occur, trust in the facts, which are your episodes of elevated heart rate are caused by anxiety and hyperstimulation and NOT by a problem with the heart. Don’t react to them with more anxiety. And let the body do what it does. You’ll find that this increase in heart rate eventually settles out in time. Sometimes that happens quickly, such as within a few minutes. And sometimes, it can take longer, such as a few hours or more.

Nevertheless, faithfully practicing your recovery strategies, including passive acceptance and containment, will eventually reduce and eliminate hyperstimulation. As hyperstimulation is eliminated, so are its symptoms, including episodes of elevated heart rate, even when resting.

For more information, review the “Heart Palpitations” symptom in our Anxiety Symptoms sections. The links are in the comments.