Are You Sick or Anxiety: Key Signs Affecting Your Physical Health
If you have ever been nervous about a high-pressure situation only to have someone say, “it’s all in your head,” you already know how tricky the mind-body connection can be.
Your thoughts and feelings start in your head, but your body responds to them with real physical changes.
Anxiety that lingers for a long time can take a toll on your health. Here are some signs that stress or anxiety may be affecting your body:
Trouble Sleeping
Good sleep depends on your nervous system being able to settle down. When you are under constant stress, your nervous system stays on alert, which can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Trouble falling or staying asleep is a common symptom of anxiety. Sleep problems often become a cycle, since poor sleep can make anxiety worse, which then disrupts sleep again.
Brain Fog
Anxiety is part of the body’s response to threats. When your muscles tense and your body gears up, you are ready to react to danger. When that state lasts for weeks or months, it can wear you down.
Difficulty concentrating and feeling tired or worn out are common with anxiety, and many people describe this as brain fog. Because brain fog and anxiety often go together, anxiety is worth considering if you notice brain fog for the first time.
Brain fog has many other possible causes too, so mention it to your doctor.
Weight Fluctuations
Everyone responds differently to stress, but changes in appetite or weight are common. Some people lose their appetite during a stressful stretch.
Others turn to food for comfort, which can lead to overeating or weight gain. Just because this is common doesn’t mean it is healthy, so try to notice these patterns when they show up.
Illness
Headaches, stomachaches, muscle aches, and fatigue can be physical symptoms of anxiety. Long-term stress may also affect how well your immune system works.
Because these symptoms overlap with many illnesses, it can be hard to tell what is caused by an infection and what is caused by nerves without a doctor’s help. A clinician can examine you to rule out a physical cause.
Lowering your stress can improve your overall sense of well-being, but it is not a substitute for treating an infection or other illness.
You may see over-the-counter products marketed for anxiety, such as Brillia over the counter anxiety medication. Brillia is sold as a homeopathic product, and no products labeled homeopathic are FDA-approved. It is not a treatment for colds or flu.
Proven treatments for anxiety disorders include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and certain prescription medicines. Talk with a health care provider about which option fits you.
HP Thoughts: Many schools don’t teach young people how to recognize and handle depression or hopelessness. Read our article on teaching mental health skills in the classroom: Social-Emotional Learning In Class.
Conclusion
The mind and body are closely connected. You can think of your body as a complex instrument: when one part isn’t working well, the others can be affected too.
Stress can be a sign that you are pushing yourself too hard. If anxiety lasts for weeks, interferes with daily life, or comes with physical symptoms you can’t explain, see a health care provider. Anxiety is very treatable.
Sources
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: What You Need to Know, National Institute of Mental Health
- Homeopathic Products, FDA
