People in their usual lives experience anxiety and depression at different stages. However, if the condition persists for more than a couple of weeks and affects your basic routine activities (school, relationships, work), it may be concerning.

What is Anxiety?

Constant anxiety is a feeling of worry and fear, which is an emotional response that can cause a physical reaction. Anxiety is a typical fight or flight response that can help you navigate stressful situations with precaution. It is expected that you may feel lonely, disinterested, or sad when facing difficult, life-changing events.

What is Depression?

Depression is not just having a bad day or feeling low. If the sad and depressive mood lasts for a long time and interferes with your normal life, you might be depressed. You feel anxious or sad most of the time and lack interest in activities that were fun before. You have difficulty falling asleep, are easily frustrated, are restless, wake up frequently during the night, eat more or less, and feel guilty or helpless.

Living with untreated anxiety and depression can have significant issues not only on your mental health, but also on your physical health. Researchers have investigated the effects of anxiety and depression on the body, which can either cause health problems or make existing problems worse.

Effects of Anxiety on the Body

When you are anxious, neurotransmitters signal your sympathetic nervous system, which triggers heart muscle contraction. In effect, the respiratory rate increases, redirecting blood flow from the abdominal organs to the rest of the body.

1. Digestive Difficulties

An upset stomach is one effect of anxiety on the body, and constant feelings of anxiousness can cause abdominal cramps or digestive issues like diarrhea, gas pains, and constipation. The physical response of anxiety has a direct effect on your nervous system, which in turn impacts your bowel movements.

Chronic anxiety is linked with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), upset stomach, and functional dyspepsia. Half of the adults who seek treatment for IBS have a history of anxiety, and the nerves that regulate the digestive system are hypersensitive to stimulation.

2. Heart Problems

Anxiety can cause problems for your heart health. Living with untreated and ongoing anxiety can lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases. The symptoms of a panic attack are quite similar to those of a heart attack, but anxiety can actually increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It can increase blood pressure, cause coronary disease, and weaken the heart muscle, which can lead to heart failure.

3. Asthma and Breathing Difficulties

Anxiety and breathing problems are closely linked, which can have effects on the body, such as causing shallow and rapid breathing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to anxiety can increase your risk for hospitalization.

Anxiety can also cause your symptoms of asthma to worsen; the longer your wheezing and coughing continue, the more anxious you become. It makes your asthma difficult to control, and it might make you emotional or prone to panic attacks.

The vicious cycle of anxiety and breathing difficulties comes with nocturnal asthma, difficulty concentrating, exercise-induced asthma, and irritability.

4. Weakened Immune System

Research suggests that anxiety can impair your immune system and lead to an inflammatory response. Chronic anxiety can activate your body’s stress response and guide all body resources to move towards the need for immediate protection.

Because the response occurs repeatedly, you are more likely to get sick and have difficulty fighting infections. Studies show that chronic anxiety and stress can increase the risk for metabolic diseases and infections, and even cancer.

Also Read About: What is Grief Therapy?

Effects of Depression on the Body

Depression is a mood disorder that has a negative and significant effect on your feelings, behaviours, and thought patterns. Untreated depressive disorder takes a toll not only on your mental health but also on your physical health.

1. Hormonal Imbalance

The physical symptoms of depression are usually due to changes in the brain because of the disorder. Neurotransmitters like serotonin change your tolerance for pain, and you become more susceptible to pain.

Serotonin also affects your ability to sleep and leads to frequent waking during the night, and reduces your sex drive.

2. Obesity and Weight Gain

Men and women who are depressed have a higher chance of gaining weight and becoming obese. When your BMI is 30 or higher, it also elevates blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and inflammation. Therefore, you are more prone to having a stroke or a heart attack, developing Type 2 diabetes, or having a higher risk for coronary artery disease.

When you’re depressed, you feel low energy and motivation to go out for physical activities like exercise or the gym, and it can lead to obesity.

3. Chronic Pain

People feel the physical effects of depression, one of the most common complaints is chronic pain, migraines, headaches, back pain, and pain that persists for longer than three months. Chronic pain is not only a physical sensation and emotional condition, similar to depression, which impacts your mood, thoughts, and behaviour.

4. Insomnia and Sleep Problems

Insomnia is common in people suffering from depression, and lack of sleep affects your ability to perform and function throughout the day. You have poor sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, or frequent nocturnal awakenings.

Depression comes with overwhelming feelings of sadness, feelings of worthlessness, and guilt. These feelings interrupt sleep and trigger sleep disorders. Depression can also make your mind go into overdrive, which causes you to ruminate about situations where you have no control.

5. Fatigue and Low Energy

As discussed, poor sleep affects your ability to function, and it can cause fatigue. It affects your body’s ability to actively participate in fitness training, alters appetite, and increases stress hormones. You constantly feel tired even after resting and lack the motivation to achieve your goals.

Physical symptoms of anxiety and depression are not just ‘in your head’; in fact, they are real manifestations of anxiety and depression. These are linked to biological pathways and emotional symptoms that are the primary reasons you seek help.

Read this article on: How to Think Positive When Depressed

Role of Therapists in Treatment of Anxiety and Depression

Different treatment approaches to anxiety and depression are available, and your counsellor can help to reduce the symptoms and duration of your anxious or depressive episodes. Your qualified mental health professional can help you determine the best course of treatment.

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Psychotherapy

Patients with anxiety disorder and depression can benefit from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), where they (anxiety disorder) can undergo exposure to their fears and gain mastery over them. Interpersonal therapy and CBT are effective for depression, where supportive therapy can help people to overcome sad and low moods.

Behavioural therapy and family therapy are effective for families where a primary member of the family has depressive symptoms.

Psychological counselling (talk therapy) involves working with a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms.

CBT focuses on teaching you specific skills to improve your symptoms of anxiety and depression and gradually return to your work or family life with motivation and improved mental health.

• Medications

Your psychiatrist can also recommend medications to relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are used to treat anxiety disorders. Sometimes, your therapist may also prescribe sedatives or beta blockers, also known as benzodiazepines, which help to provide short-term relief from anxious feelings, and these are not for long-term use.

You can book an appointment with our therapist at Boomerang Counselling Centre.