Inner Restlessness: Causes, Treatment & Help

Inner restlessness, nervousness or generally a noticeable restlessness are conditions that are in contrast to serenity or inner peace and balance.

What is nervousness and inner restlessness?

Inner restlessness makes sufferers unable to get to sleep at night. Usually, inner restlessness is accompanied by trembling of the hands, racing heart, sweating, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and insecurity. The body appearance or body language also gives the impression of inner imbalance. For example, the voice raises and one speaks more hastily. This nervous state of inner restlessness is usually found in stressful everyday life, where one often seems to be rushed and under pressure. Affected individuals are additionally usually irritable and may be subject to severe mood swings

Causes

Mostly, nervousness or inner restlessness occurs in situations full of tension, stress and anxiety. Exemplary here are job interviews or exams. This form of inner restlessness is usually harmless if it subsides after the period of tension. However, inner restlessness or nervousness can also be a symptom of a disease. Restlessness often occurs with hyperthyroidism, anxiety disorder or heart attack. Women complain of inner restlessness especially during menopause, while in children nervousness is often related to an attention deficit disorder (ADHD). Inner restlessness can also occur as a manifestation of alcohol or drug abuse. Inner restlessness is especially found in people who are going through withdrawal, such as drug withdrawal or smoking cessation. Even after heat stroke or sunstroke, marked nervousness can occur.

Diseases with this symptom

  • Menopause
  • Rabies
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Heart attack
  • Heat stroke
  • Sunstroke
  • Nicotine addiction
  • Affective disorders
  • Heart failure
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Sunstroke
  • Parkinson’s disease

Complications

An inner restlessness leads to increased nervousness and hectic behavior. There may be spontaneous changes in behavior, concentration problems or attention deficits in everyday life. This puts a strain on interpersonal relationships and leads to conflicts as well as misunderstandings. The inner restlessness prevents the affected person from having sufficient time for regeneration. The necessary sleep is shortened by problems falling asleep. The organism is burdened by insufficient sleep and results in further complaints. They include gastrointestinal problems, listlessness or a general weakness. If the state of inner restlessness persists, psychological problems arise. Dissatisfaction increases and well-being decreases. In addition, other complaints, such as headaches or psychosomatic reactions arise. Due to the inner restlessness, tasks that have been started are not finished. Within the social environment this leads to tensions. In the case of medical treatment, the administration of drugs can lead to side effects. Sedatives or sleeping pills lead to complaints such as gastrointestinal problems. In addition, they can initiate addiction if taken for a long time. When treating inner restlessness, the cause is usually complex. Triggers such as stress or coping with challenges cannot be eliminated by medications. It takes cognitive changes that are long lasting. Inner restlessness is difficult to distinguish from an anxiety disorder.

When should you see a doctor?

Inner restlessness does not necessarily need to be treated by a doctor. If the restlessness occurs mainly before difficult situations or important meetings and encounters, this is ordinary and does not lead to further complications. In this case, a visit to the doctor is not necessary either. Often the inner restlessness is triggered by a specific event. Medical treatment is necessary if the restlessness does not disappear by itself after a few days. A visit to the doctor is also recommended if the inner restlessness causes restrictions in life and everyday life. This can be both physical and psychological complaints. In many cases, the restlessness is accompanied by insomnia, headaches or nausea and must be examined by a doctor.If the restlessness leads to psychological complaints or depression, a psychologist can be consulted. In most cases, however, a visit to the family doctor is recommended first and foremost to determine the cause of the inner restlessness. Further treatment is then usually provided by a specialist.

Treatment and therapy

If inner restlessness is accompanied by stomach pain, back pain, cardiac arrhythmia, diarrhea, depression, and anxiety, a physician should be consulted immediately to determine the cause of the inner restlessness. A doctor should also be consulted if the inner restlessness recurs over a long period of time. First of all, the doctor will talk to the person concerned about his nervousness. In doing so, he will go into the following points in more detail: When and how does the inner restlessness manifest itself? Does it last long and to what extent does the nervousness affect the patient? Do accompanying symptoms occur and are drugs (including alcohol and tobacco) being used? Are other underlying diseases known? Based on this questioning, the further examination continues. All physical complaints are examined and blood is taken. Often the blood sugar level and the thyroid gland hormones are also measured. The treatment that follows depends on its cause. Inner restlessness caused by stress or strain can usually be treated well with herbal agents. These include valerian, hops, lemon balm and St. John’s wort. However, these natural remedies do not help immediately, but only after being taken over a longer period of time. Autogenic training and plenty of sleep can also be very helpful. In addition, essential oils such as orange oil and sandalwood oil are beneficial to regain an inner calm. Furthermore, a healthy, stress-free life without a lot of excitement and a lot of exercise, fresh air, a healthy diet and the renunciation of smoking and alcohol can be beneficial against nervousness. If the inner restlessness is caused by a disease, it should be treated immediately. If the cause is psychological, further psychotherapy should be prescribed by the doctor.

Outlook and prognosis

The prognosis and further course of the disease in the case of inner restlessness is difficult to predict, because both depend very much on the individual results, which have led to this inner restlessness. As a rule, these are events from the past or future appointments or dates, in which a person has an inner restlessness. This restlessness stresses the body and can lead to headaches, loss of appetite and depression. It is not uncommon for these symptoms to lead to social exclusion, anxiety, and severe psychological problems. Inner restlessness can be treated because it has a specific trigger. Treatment is possible by a psychologist, who can also prescribe the patient medication that calms the body and thus removes the states of anxiety. However, medication alone cannot address the underlying cause of the symptom. In the case of inner turmoil, the affected person also finds it difficult to concentrate on work, which is why the job may be in danger. In most cases, the trigger that was responsible for the inner restlessness disappears with time, so that these conditions also disappear. If the inner restlessness persists, a psychologist should be consulted, as this is a general psychological problem.

Prevention

Progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, sauna, massages, vacation and plenty of sleep can be very preventive. In addition, essential oils such as orange oil and sandalwood oil are beneficial in their prevention. Furthermore, a healthy, stress-free life without much excitement and plenty of exercise, fresh air, healthy diet and abstaining from smoking and alcohol can favorably prevent nervousness.

This is what you can do yourself

To counteract inner restlessness, those affected should avoid caffeinated drinks. In addition to coffee, this also includes black tea. Green tea, herbal tea and juice spritzers are more recommended. Experience has shown that it also helps to consume a liter of buttermilk daily. It is said to strengthen the nerves. In addition, warm baths with lavender herbal supplements have proven to be effective. They provide a relaxing effect and thus help against nervousness and inner restlessness. However, exercise is best. In particular, sports such as boxing or dancing are extremely useful.There are also numerous herbal preparations available to combat inner restlessness. Worth mentioning here are chamomile, valerian, hops, lemon balm and passion flower herb as well as lavender. They are available in the form of tablets, drops and teas. However, aromatic oils and bath additives also have an excellent effect. If those affected suffer from a long-lasting inner restlessness, it makes sense to consult a doctor. He will temporarily prescribe a medicine against nervousness. As a rule, medications are used that have a calming and anxiety-relieving effect. These include citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline. In case of severe inner restlessness, medications such as bromazepam, diazepam, lorazepam as well as oxazepam should be taken.