Why do I have anxiety shivers?

Anxiety is a mental health condition that can affect you both emotionally and physically. One sign may be shivering, which is typically associated with reactions to extreme cold and fear.

There are many options to help you manage anxiety. They should, in turn, help symptoms like shivering.

Why do people experience anxiety shivers? 

Anxiety affects about 40 million adults in the United States. Stress and anxiety can lead your body to release the fight-or-flight hormones adrenaline and cortisol. A surge in adrenaline can make your body shiver and tremble. 

Anxiety is also linked to fear. Your body can feel cold and start to tremble as it tries to regulate its temperature. Also, when you’re anxious, nervous, or stressed, your blood flow may become irregular and lead to chills. 

According to a 2021 study, you may experience chills and shivering during panic attacks and or when experiencing specific phobias, one of the most common types of anxiety disorders.

A smaller study from 2013 found that about a third of people who experienced shivers had anxiety.

How to cope with anxiety shivers 

Managing anxiety shivers starts by addressing the root cause. 

The following are techniques and practices that can help you reduce stress, relax, and ease anxiety: 

• Progressive muscle relaxation: Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique involving tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. Research from 2019 says this practice can help relieve symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Yoga: Yoga can help relieve tension and release the muscle knots in your body. Evidence shows that yoga can effectively reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels. 
• Mindfulness: Mindfulness meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety. The goal of mindfulness meditation is to achieve a calm mental state. You can practice mindfulness in several ways, from mantra meditation to spiritual meditation.
• Breathing exercises: Breathing exercises, such as deep breaths into the diaphragm, can lead to a reduction in symptoms of stress and anxiety, according to a 2022 study. 

Treatment options for anxiety shivers

You can treat anxiety symptoms, like shivering, with medications, therapy, and certain lifestyle strategies.

Medications

Medications to treat anxiety include:

• Tricyclic antidepressants: Doctors and healthcare professionals typically prescribe tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) to treat major depressive disorder, but they can also treat anxiety. TCAs work by stopping the body from reabsorbing the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. This makes both more available to the brain, leading to reduced symptoms. Some TCAs include:
  • clomipramine (Anafranil)
  • imipramine (Tofranil)
  • nortriptyline (Pamelor)
  • protriptyline (Vivactil)
  • trimipramine (Surmontil)
• Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI): SSRIs and SNRIs work by increasing serotonin levels. Serotonin is a brain chemical responsible for making us feel good. These drugs include:
  • SSRIs like sertraline (Zoloft) and citalopram (Celexa)
  • SNRIs like duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
• Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines slow your nervous system and brain activity, creating a sedating effect. These medications have a high risk of dependency. Benzodiazepines include:
  • diazepam (Valium)
  • lorazepam (Ativan)
  • alprazolam (Xanax)

Learn more about anxiety medications.

If you need help covering the cost of medications, Optum Perks free Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Follow the links on drug names for savings on that medication, or search for a specific drug here.

Therapy 

Different types of therapies can help people with anxiety and fear learn how to identify their triggers and potentially harmful thought patterns.

These therapies can help regulate your triggers and fear response, which may help manage symptoms like shivering. Some therapies for anxiety include:

• Talk therapy: Talk therapy can help you understand what causes anxiety and stressful feelings.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT can help you identify anxiety triggers and change harmful thought patterns. 
• Exposure therapy: In exposure therapy, you’re faced with what you fear. This is done under the supervision of a mental health professional. 

Lifestyle strategies 

Lifestyle factors play an important role in helping to reduce and prevent anxiety and stress. These strategies may include:

• exercising for around 150 minutes each week, or 30 minutes per day for 5 days each week
• eating a balanced diet
• practicing meditation and breathing exercises that can help reduce stress
• getting quality sleep of 7–9 hours per day
• trying to identify your fear and anxiety triggers, and learn how to manage them 
• creating and nurturing a support network

Learn more about natural remedies for anxiety.

Contacting a doctor

You may consider contacting a mental health professional if anxiety shivers are affecting your day-to-day or quality of life. Other symptoms of anxiety that may need more immediate care, include: 

• shortness of breath
• difficulty completing daily tasks
• fever
• thoughts of self-harm or suicide

If you are in crisis and need immediate help, you can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 at 988 for English or Spanish, or text HOME to the Crisis Textline at 741741.

Not in the U.S.? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide. Both Befrienders Worldwide and the International Association for Suicide Prevention are two organizations that provide contact information for crisis centers outside the United States.

Summary

Anxiety can lead to physical symptoms like shaking and shivering. Anxiety shivers can result from a surge of adrenaline that you may experience when you’re anxious, nervous, or stressed.

You can manage anxiety shivers by practicing techniques to reduce anxiety and stress, like breathing techniques, yoga, and meditation. You can also treat anxiety with medication, such as tricyclic antidepressants and SSRIs. 

Talk with a mental health professional if anxiety shivers are affecting your quality of life, and they can help find treatment options that best suit your needs and discuss at-home remedies to help alleviate anxiety symptoms. 

Download the free Optum Perks Free Discount Card to save up to 80% on some prescription medications.