How Stress and Anxiety Create Physical Symptoms
Stress and anxiety can trigger a range of physical symptoms, including diarrhea, gas, cramps, heartburn, bloating and nausea. The Sensitive Gut, a new report from Harvard Health Publications highlights the close link between stress and gastrointestinal symptoms in many people.
Although it’s important to check any unusual or uncomfortable symptoms with your GP, the authors’ note that where symptoms are related to stress, there are range of approaches people can use to control them, including dietary and lifestyle changes and simple stress management techniques. They also note that for some people, symptoms improve as soon as a serious diagnosis has been ruled out (another example of how emotional stress affects the gut!). They note:
“Often, patients with moderate to severe symptoms, particularly those whose symptoms arise from stressful circumstances, stand to benefit from psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, and hypnosis. Some patients are reluctant to accept the role of psychosocial factors in their illness. But it’s important to know that emotions cause real, chemical and physical responses in the body that can result in pain and discomfort. Behavioral therapy and stress reduction treatments do not directly reduce pain or improve symptoms in the way that drugs do. Rather, the goal is to reduce anxiety, encourage healthy behaviors, and help patients cope with the pain and discomfort of their condition.”
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