Dizzy Spells From Anxiety? Understanding Why They Happen and What Helps
Dizzy spells are one of the most common complaints when dealing with anxiety symptoms. For many people, sudden dizziness was the first physical sign that something was "wrong". These feelings of dizziness come on suddenly and can happen anywhere at any time. When they happen "out of the blue", and unexpectedly, it is extremely frightening because the sufferer really understands what is happening or why. Thoughts begin to race and the mind will begin searching for all the possible causes. The "what-if's" are numerous and can lead to catastrophic thinking, and this can easily lead to panic attacks and worsening of symptoms. It is often those dizzy spells that lead people into their first fight-or-flight response, which can be quite traumatic.
Although sudden, frequent dizzy spells can be a signal that something more serious is wrong, the dizziness that is associated with stress and anxiety is not dangerous. Most times the dizziness associated with stress and anxiety has everything to do with our breathing patterns. It is very common and yet many of us are unaware that stress and anxiety are causing us to breathe differently. Hyperventilation is the most common culprit, and on the flip-side, Hypoventilation.
Since there are real physical reasons for sudden dizziness, it is important to see your doctor to rule out more serious causes.
Key Takeaways
- Anxiety can cause dizziness through changes in breathing and the body's stress response.
- Always rule out medical causes with your healthcare provider.
- Learning breathing techniques and stress management can reduce anxiety-related dizziness.
- Recovery is possible, and many people find their dizziness improves as their anxiety decreases.
Some common physical reasons for dizziness, other than stress and anxiety, are:
- TMJ - Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
- Blood Pressure Abnormalities
- Hyperventilation
- Hypoventilation
- Labyrinthitis, Inflammation of the Inner Ear due to cold or virus
- Dehydration
- Vestibular Disorders, such as Menieres Disease, SSCD, Vestibular Migraine, BPPV
- Injury to the Head or Neck
Through specific testing your doctor can rule out more serious reasons for your dizziness.
Although anxiety-related dizziness is common, sudden or unexplained dizziness should always be taken seriously. If you experience severe symptoms, new neurological symptoms, chest pain, fainting, or anything else that concerns you, seek emergency medical care.
If this is your first experience with dizziness, don't delay—schedule an appointment with your doctor if you have not already done so. There is nothing worse than worrying about what it could be and researching every possibility. Once more serious conditions have been ruled out, you can focus your energy on effective stress management strategies that support a healthier mind and body.
When You Should Call for Emergency Help
No matter your situation, you should ALWAYS call for Emergency Medical Help if you experience dizziness that's sudden, extreme, or lasts longer than 15 minutes. Other symptoms that might accompany dizziness that may signal a medical emergency, include:
- Fainting
- Severe headaches
- Pain in the chest
- Numbness or paralysis
- Seeing double
- Irregular heartbeat
- Confusion
- Unusually slurred speech
- Difficulty walking
- Continuous vomiting
- Seizures
- Sudden hearing changes
How To Manage Those Dizzy Spells
Do Not Panic
Give yourself permission to accept how you are feeling. If you become afraid of your feelings of dizziness, you will only increase your anxiety. This means more uncomfortable body symptoms, including feelings of depersonalization. If you are in public when your dizzy spells happen, stay calm. Find a place to sit, but do not leave your situation. Leaving any surrounding because of anxiety will only contribute to agoraphobia. Unless you are in actual danger, it is advisable to stay in your current surrounding until those feelings de-escalate. If you do happen to panic, give yourself permission to feel it, do not fight it, just accept what you are feeling, and put your focus on what helps with panic attacks.
Close Your Eyes for a Moment
Take a minute, and close your eyes. Sometimes, dizziness can affect how you see your surroundings. Dizziness can also bring on feelings of nausea and even cause feelings of instability. By closing your eyes you are giving yourself a moment to reset this anxiety sensory overload.
Use Breathing Exercises
By using your breathing exercises for anxiety you will bring balance to your oxygen levels. Simple 2-4 breathing should do the trick. Remember, these exercises promote physical relaxation and they will help your physical symptoms, however, regular practice at home is encouraged. Be patient with yourself. When under pressure and feeling fear or anxiety, it is easy to go back into abnormal, stressful breathing patterns. It will take some effort on your part to remind yourself that this is required. Health habits of breathing, especially during stressful times, will help carry you through.
Use Positive Thought Replacement
Knowing how to talk to yourself is crucial with overcoming anxiety. Use your positive-truthful thoughts to remind yourself that your feelings are distressing but not dangerous. If you are having a hard time remembering them at the time needed, get yourself into the habit by journaling each day at home. Write down the most common automatic negative thoughts that come and what your response should be. Keep the response short and easy to remember so when you are out and about, you'll have an easier time talking to yourself in a more realistic, positive way about what you are experiencing. For more on journaling, visit How to Write a Journal.
Get Up and Get Moving
When you feel better, get up and finish your task. Do not change the end goal, it is important that you press forward. If it happens again, repeat those steps again and again. It is only through repetition that you will learn and make it stick. Repetition is one of the most important things you can do to rewrite an automatic response. The only way to win the battle with anxiety is to press on even when things are uncomfortable. The only way to break through to the other side is to just keep being persistent and do not give up.
Drink or Splash Some Water on Your Face
Take a drink of water. If you are dehydrated this will help you replenish lost fluid. And if you are just feeling flush, or are sweating, splashing some water on your face can help refresh you and interrupt whatever negative thoughts you are having. It helps you to get out of your mind and into the present moment.
These techniques can help you cope with an episode of dizziness. But for many people, the biggest challenge isn't the dizziness itself—it's the fear of experiencing it again. That's where the next step in recovery begins.
Don't Let Dizziness Control Your Life
If your dizzy spells continue to cause you anxiety and panic and you are still having a hard time overcoming it, there are little things you can do at home to retrain your mind not to fear what you are feeling. As silly as it may sound, one of the things that can help you overcome the fear of these dizzy spells is to deliberately spin in circles and make myself dizzy on purpose.
I know for some that just sounds outrageous. Those feelings are so distressing, so why would anyone deliberately want to cause them? Well, in order to overcome fear of anything, you MUST face the feelings that are bringing you the most discomfort. Those dizzy spells produce so much anxiety for people and the fact that they can also provoke the fight-or-flight response, making yourself dizzy on purpose is a way of facing these sensations and teaching yourself not to be afraid of them anymore. You are the one in control with this exercise. Learning how to manage the unwanted dizziness (breathing exercises, thoughts that will help you cope) are best learned when you are actually in that situation. So why not give it a try? You can actually train yourself to see this sensation as no real cause for alarm. You are able to desensitize yourself to those physical sensations. So, when those sensations come at the most inconvenient of times, you will know how to shake them off. You can learn to accept them for what they are and not add more fear by analyzing them.
Important Resources for Overcoming Anxiety-Related Dizziness
Feeling dizzy can be frightening, especially when it seems to happen without warning. Once your doctor has ruled out a medical cause, the next step is learning how to reduce the anxiety and stress that may be triggering these episodes. The resources below will help you understand why dizziness occurs, teach you practical coping techniques, and provide long-term strategies to reduce anxiety so that dizzy spells become less frequent and less frightening over time.
- Breathing Exercises for Anxiety – Learn how healthy breathing patterns can help reduce hyperventilation, calm your nervous system, and relieve dizziness.
- What Helps with Panic Attacks – Discover practical techniques to regain control when dizziness triggers fear or panic.
- How to Talk to Yourself – Replace fearful "what if" thoughts with realistic, calming responses that reduce anxiety.
- Effective Stress Management Strategies – Reduce the daily stress that often contributes to anxiety-related physical symptoms.
- Depersonalization – Understand why dizziness is sometimes accompanied by feelings of unreality or being disconnected from your surroundings.
- Best Natural Medicine for Anxiety – Explore vitamins, herbal remedies, aromatherapy, amino acids, and other natural approaches that may help reduce anxiety and its physical symptoms.
What Does the Research Say About Anxiety and Dizziness?
Psychogenic Dizziness: An Important but Overlooked Differential Diagnosis in the Workup of the Dizzy Patient by Zak Kelm , Kimberly Klapchar , Christopher R. Kieliszak and Christopher Selinsky, from the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. "Physicians, regardless of specialty, should be mindful that psychiatric conditions can be a relatively common source of or contributor to chronic dizziness. Moreover, physicians who are well versed in psychogenic factors and their relationship with chronic dizziness will not only be more adept at recognizing this cause but also be better able to effectively treat these patients. Like many situations in medicine, maintaining an osteopathic, whole-person approach that considers psychosocial factors can greatly benefit patients with chronic dizziness."
The correlation between anxiety, depression, and vertigo: a cross-sectional study by Abir Omara, Eman Mostafa Basiouny, Marwa El Shabrawy & Reham Rafei El Shafei - The Egyptian Journal of Otolaryngology: "As this study has shown, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between anxiety and depression scores and physical, emotional, functional, and total DHI scores. Screening and treatment of co-morbid mental health disorders are critical for appropriate management of vertigo disability that leads to a higher quality of life and fewer complications."
Frequently Asked Questions About Dizzy Spells and Anxiety
Can anxiety cause dizzy spells?
Yes. Anxiety can affect breathing patterns, muscle tension, and your body's stress response, which may contribute to feelings of dizziness or lightheadedness.
How long can anxiety dizziness last?
The duration varies. Some people experience brief episodes, while others may notice lingering sensations during periods of high stress.
Should I worry about dizziness caused by anxiety?
It is important to rule out medical causes of dizziness. Once serious conditions have been evaluated, learning anxiety management strategies may help reduce symptoms.
Recommended Workbooks and Books for Anxiety-Related Dizziness
When dealing with dizziness caused or worsened by anxiety, having the right guidance can make a significant difference. The books and workbooks below were chosen because they provide practical exercises, education, and step-by-step strategies for understanding physical anxiety symptoms and learning how to respond differently to them.
While these resources are popular among people seeking help with anxiety and dizziness, their greatest value is that they encourage active participation in your recovery. A workbook gives you a place to slow down, write your thoughts, complete exercises, and work through challenges like a personal lesson plan.
Many people spend hours searching for answers on their phones, tablets, or computers when they are struggling with symptoms. A physical workbook can provide a welcome break from constant searching and allow you to focus more deeply on the recovery process.
Healing Chronic Dizziness: The Workbook: A self-paced plan to help you heal from PPPD, MdDS, vestibular migraine and other medically unexplained chronic dizziness symptoms by Dr. Yonit A. Arthur (Author) - "In this workbook, you'll learn and practice techniques to address the emotional components of chronic dizziness recovery. Based on cutting-edge research in chronic pain and the author's own experiences with clients with chronic dizziness, you will practice emotional awareness and expression techniques, learn about self-compassion, and identify sources of hidden stress and emotions."
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne, PhD) - A classic manual used by mental health professionals worldwide.Contains specific chapters on managing somatic symptoms like lightheadedness, hyperventilation, and unsteadiness.
The Panic Attacks Workbook by David Carbonell, PhD - Excellent for breaking the "fear of the sensation" cycle. Teaches you why trying to fight the dizziness often makes it worse, and how to safely lean into it until it passes.
Dare: The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks by Barry McDonagh - a very popular, modern approach focused on rapid relief.Explains how to accept intense bodily sensations, including vertigo and wobbliness, to shut down the adrenaline loop.
Natural Options for Anxiety-Related Dizziness
There are a few medications, supplements, and natural remedies that may help reduce dizziness, depending on the underlying cause. If your doctor has determined that your dizziness is related to stress or anxiety rather than a medical condition, reducing your overall anxiety may also help reduce episodes of dizziness over time. If your dizziness is caused by an inner ear disorder, there are other treatments that may be more appropriate.
- Meclizine - This medication is commonly prescribed for vertigo, BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo), inflammation of the inner ear, and motion sickness. It is also available over-the-counter under brand names such as Dramamine® and Bonine®, as well as generic versions. Meclizine works by reducing signals from the inner ear that contribute to dizziness and nausea.
- Boiron Phosphorus, a Homeopathic Medicine for Dizziness - For those looking for a homeopathic option, Boiron Phosphorus is a popular remedy that many people report helps relieve feelings of dizziness.
For those whose dizziness is triggered by stress, anxiety, or panic attacks, many natural supplements may help by reducing the body's stress response. As your anxiety improves, you may also notice that episodes of anxiety-related dizziness become less frequent. To learn more about these natural options, visit Best Natural Medicine for Anxiety. There you'll find information on vitamins, amino acids, herbal remedies, aromatherapy, Bach flower remedies, and homeopathic medicines that many people use to support anxiety recovery.
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Below is a great video by The Anxiety Guy called 10 Ways to Heal Anxiety Related Dizziness. Another resource that may help you understand and heal from the dizziness that may be experienced from anxiety and/or panic.
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Guided Steps to Recovery
Natural Support for Physical Symptoms
Recovery isn't just about changing your thoughts—it is also about calming your body's stress response. Many people find it difficult to practice breathing exercises, cognitive techniques, or exposure exercises when physical symptoms such as dizziness, racing thoughts, muscle tension, or panic are overwhelming.
Although supplements are not a cure for anxiety, many people find they provide enough relief to make the recovery process easier. When used alongside healthy lifestyle changes and anxiety management techniques, they can become another helpful tool on the road to recovery.
Helpful Options
Natural Support for Physical Symptoms
When anxiety creates physical symptoms such as dizziness, tension, racing thoughts, or panic sensations, it can sometimes feel difficult to practice the skills needed for recovery. Some people choose to use natural supplements as additional support while they work on breathing techniques, stress management, and other recovery strategies.
Supplements are not a replacement for learning how to manage anxiety, but they may help some people feel calmer and more balanced while they continue working toward long-term recovery.