Anxiety – The Physical Effects

Regular anxiety sufferers will share with you the psychological effects it triggers. Sufferers are generally untrusting of new individuals, and also of new situations. It is commonplace for anxiety sufferers to distance themselves from society because the world to them seems to be a dangerous and foreign place.

Understandably those suffering from anxiety conditions want to find ways to reduce the psychological effects caused by their condition. However, there are also some rather serious effects on the physical body too, and this is what I’m going to focus on in this article.

The Physical Effects of Anxiety

A number of people are under the assumption that anxiety is all in someone’s mind, but it does in actuality affect the whole body. The nervous system is connected to every area of the human body. This is the reason why anxiety has substantial effects on a person’s health and well-being if it goes without treatment for any length of time.

The Connection Between Anxiety and the Body’s Hormones

The incidence of anxiety can severely disturb the regular patterns and rhythms of the body’s endocrine system, which is produces and regulates hormones. Anxiety and tension upset the natural “balance” of your body’s hormones and can cause an excess production of hormones like adrenaline – this in turn can cause abnormalities in the body’s natural processes and patterns.

The anxiety and stress affect both women and men, affecting testosterone production in males and causing menstrual cycle problems in females. If these issues are disregarded over any length of time, it typically leads to some serious health problems.

The Nervous System

A very essential key component of proper body functioning in the human body is the nervous system. The nervous system is thrown totally off-balance by too much anxiety and this impacts all the other systems of the body.

Anxiety sufferers report that they perpetually feel on the edge of their nerves, and this has a knock on effect on their ability to focus, concentrate and maintain perspective. As time passes, anxiety affects the ability of the immune system to function, which can trigger both illness and disease.

How Anxiety Affects Both Mind and Body

I do hope this article has shown just how significantly anxiety and stress can affect not just the mind but also the physical body. If you have anxiety problems, it is advisable that you get help for the condition. It isn’t only to help with your mental health and well-being, but your physical health also will suffer.

About Matt Fordham: Matt Runs a blog that provides help and advice on how to deal with anxiety, which you can find at at his anxiety blog.