Top Twelve Effects of Anxiety on Your Physical and Mental Health
Everyone knows what anxiety feels like. Anxiety is a normal body reaction to stressful situations or to a threat that the mind perceives. Although the word connotes ugly images of nervousness, trembling and intense sweating, anxiety by itself is not totally bad for the body. In fact, it is a necessary reaction which allows the brain to activate our “fight or flight” response so that the body can protect itself from danger. It is what allows us to flee from an attacking stranger, or to jump from a burning house to save ourselves from fire.
Yet, anxiety can take its toll on the body and the mind, if it becomes excessive. A regular bout of anxiety where symptoms become too evident that they distract a person from doing his tasks is a serious concern. If these symptoms happen several times a day, then an anxiety disorder is already taking place in the person’s mind.
An anxiety disorder should not be taken lightly. If unaddressed soon or properly, the condition may worsen and can lead to depression, especially among young adults. The most immediate effect of anxiety in a person is it causes upheavals in his personal and professional life. The symptoms can be so debilitating sometimes that a person with this kind of disorder would sometimes prefer to just stay at home, especially if the disorder is also coupled with agoraphobia which is the constant fear that an anxiety attack will happen at a public place and escape is not possible.
Here are the top 12 most common effects of anxiety on the physical, mental and emotional health of a person:
1. Hyperventilation or breathing rapidly may result during an anxiety attack which can make you feel shaky, a little dizzy or light headed
2. Tension in the muscles may result to headaches and overall discomfort.
3. An elevated blood pressure can make you uneasy and dizzy, sometimes nauseous.
4. Your digestive system will be affected and may cause diarrhea or vomiting.
5. Your sleep patterns may be affected, causing you sleepless nights which results to chronic fatigue.
6. You may have feelings of inadequacy and dependence on others. You may experience “catastrophizing” which means you may develop thoughts of impending danger or calamity which you feel is beyond your control.
7. You may feel excessive, often irrational fear which grips you sometimes in the middle of the night. You become constantly irritable and unable to concentrate.
8. You may feel frustrated easily and may have a very poor image of yourself. Your confidence level is affected. Your social skills become almost nil, as worries about your “imperfections” or ” inadequacies” may stop you from building relationships.
9. You may develop other unhealthy coping mechanisms such as excessive drinking, smoking or drug abuse.
10. You may intentionally avoid experiences that otherwise would have enriched your life. You may not be able to maintain meaningful and gratifying relationships. Instead you may be drawn towards people who have the same outlook as yours or help you avoid situations that may have helped you overcome your anxiety.
11. Your self esteem maybe affected and you may develop the fear of public places (agoraphobia) which can make you unable to go beyond your comfort zones.
12. You may develop depression and if the condition remains untreated for a long time, you may start having suicidal thoughts.
If you or a person you know suffer from an anxiety disorder, do not hesitate to go to an authorized medical care giver, either a medical doctor or a psychotherapist. Do not feel that you are alone and can not go to anyone about your problem. After all, you are just one of the 40 million Americans who have been diagnosed with this condition.
You need to help yourself first, before help can come to you. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and seek help as early as possible.
