Anxiety and the body: the Systemic Effect of Chronic Worry
Anxiety is a complex mental and physiological phenomenon that can have lasting effects on the human brain. Anxiety can affect the way we think, feel, and behave by impacting both short-term and long-term memory, cognitive processing speed, decision making abilities, and emotional regulation.
Anxiety is known to cause increases in stress hormones such as cortisol which can lead to changes in neuronal structure within the hippocampus; an area of the brain associated with learning and memory formation.
Anxiety can affect the body in a number of ways, including physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and breathing rate, sweating, trembling or shaking, feeling weak or tired, and headaches.
The body’s natural instinct when faced with anxiety is to prepare for fight or flight. This response shifts blood away from the digestive tract and into other areas of the body, resulting in slowed digestion. In some cases this can even cause the muscles along the digestive tract to spasm and cause pain.
Furthermore, those affected by chronic anxiety may find they have an imbalance of beneficial bacteria in the gut leading to further digestive issues.
Recent advances in brain science have provided important information about anxiety and its causes, allowing for more effective treatments and prevention strategies.
Brain imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans are used to study anxiety-related neural activity and identify areas of the brain associated with anxiety disorders.
These studies show that anxiety can involve altered activity in the amygdala, hippocampus, insula, and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain. Research has also identified genetic components that may influence anxiety levels.
Learning to recognize the bodily effects of anxiety is an important step towards self-care and managing anxiety triggers in order to reduce its impact on one's life. Physical healthcare and mental health care are inextricable and must be analyzed and managed in conjunction.
To get started on your journey to understanding both your brain and your body, please contact Kairos Wellness Collective today.
