Exploring the relationship between anxiety and physical health

Anxiety is one of the most common forms of mental health disorder, and can be described as a prolonged feeling of apprehension or dread, often disproportionate to the perceived threat, or with no defined root cause. It can impact our diet, our sleep, our ability to think clearly and if experienced for a prolonged period of time, it can start to cause issues with our physical health. If as you read this blog you can relate to some of the information and would like to discuss more, please feel free to get in touch with Towards Tranquility Therapist, Rachel, who specialises in working with anxiety, for a no obligation chat to see how she can support you.

Anxiety is a physiological process, meaning a set of instructions that the brain communicates to the body in order to respond to a threat. These instructions can include:

• Increasing the heart rate to get more oxygen to the muscles in case you need to fight or run

• Shifting the blood flow to the corners of the eyes, rather than the centre, so you are more aware of movement in your peripheral vision, in case of threats

• Shifting the blood flow in your brain away from the thinking and logical parts, and into parts that control emotions and body functions, so you can act more quickly and instinctively

• Increasing function to your intestines, bladder and bowels, preparing to get rid of any waste products in case you need to run

These are just some examples of what the brain instructs your body to do, and as you can see from the list, they are all designed as a momentary escape from a dangerous or threatening situation. One of the issues with anxiety disorders and conditions, is that the brain miscommunicates the level of threat, and the body spends prolonged periods in an anxious state, which can have negative effects on our physical health.

Here are some conditions where evidence has been provided to suggest that anxiety has a significant effect or can cause symptoms to worsen:

• Migraines

• Skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, and autoimmune skin diseases

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

• Asthma

• Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis

• Allergies

Living with physical health conditions can be challenging enough, without flare ups or episodes at more challenging and stressful times. Awareness that managing anxiety can help to lessen the impact of conditions such as those above, can be a helpful starting point.

There is also another side to physical health and anxiety, and that is the ‘health anxiety’ condition. This is where people have an obsessional preoccupation with the idea that they are currently (or will be) experiencing a physical illness. Those who are affected by health anxiety are convinced that harmless physical symptoms are indicators of serious disease or severe medical conditions. In states of high anxiety, the body does go through changes as explained above, and the mind can become more heightened or hyper-aware of sensations or subtle changes. This condition can also be linked to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), or the need for extreme cleanliness/sterilisation.

The importance of what is discussed here is that awareness of the impact of high levels of anxiety, and the lifelong benefits of managing it as part of a holistic approach. Some of the considerations for positive and healthy ways to do this are:

• Talking therapies, such as counselling – Towards Tranquility have expertise in working with many forms of anxiety

• Self management – becoming aware and doing your own research into better ways to manage

• Keeping healthy and having a healthy diet, which is about avoiding processed foods and refined sugars

• Self-care – making sure you make time for yourself, however you can to give yourself a break from the stresses of everyday life. Taking a walk, listening to music or spending time with friends or pets.

Why not check out some of our free resources herehttps://www.towardstranquility.com/general-9 as an aid to managing your anxiety or just some well-earned self-care.