Anxiety is a killer. In fact, anxiety leads to stress, which can become chronic, and can literally kill you. Stress can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. There are things that you can do to alleviate both anxiety and stress.
It’s important to understand that anxiety is actually a mental illness, while stress is something you experience (sometimes on a daily basis). However, they can both cause the same issues, and stress is often a side effect of anxiety. You can also do some of the same things to help with them, depending on what type of anxiety you are diagnosed with.
Leading To Self-Medicating
One poor health issue that can stem from suffering from anxiety is the need to self-medicate. Many people that suffer from all different forms of anxiety will use drugs and/or alcohol to cope. Maybe a few drinks make you more comfortable in a crowd, or maybe smoking a little marijuana helps you shut off your brain and go to sleep at night.
The problem is that you can get addicted to these things, and they can cause other long term health issues. Get help from a professional before your anxiety leads you down the path of addiction.
Heart Health
Your anxiety could be negatively affecting your heart health. When you have a panic attack it raises your blood pressure, but simply being anxious can do it too. If you have anxiety that is induced by chronic stress it’s very likely that you have high blood pressure.
Don’t ignore regular high blood pressure readings, as they increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. Talk to your doctor about medications and lifestyle changes that can help.
Weight Gain/Loss
Some people eat more when they are anxious and some people eat less when they are anxious. This means that anxiety, at its worst, could be causing you weight gain or weight loss. Try to focus on healthy eating, in moderation, on a daily basis, no matter how your anxiety is treating you that day.
Medications for anxiety can also help a great deal with eating issues. You really don’t want your changes in diet due to anxiety to lead to additional eating disorders.
Stomach Issues
Anxiety can lead to all sorts of stomach and intestinal issues. In fact, you could be diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which could be a direct result of stress and/or anxiety.
A healthy diet can help some of these issues, like diarrhea and constipation, but it helps to treat the underlying cause. If you can get help, whether it’s through therapy or medication, dealing with your anxiety, you may be able to rid yourself of your stomach issues as well.
