How Anxiety Affects Us
Many of us experience anxiety in varying degrees. It can range from mild worries to panic attacks and avoidances of certain people, situations and activities. This can affect our relationships, our work, our social life, our willingness to travel, or even try new things. It may also increase our bodily tension, cause pain, and interfere with our sleeping patterns.
Every person is different in the way they manage and deal with anxiety. Psychotherapy (such CBT) or medications, as well as lifestyle changes like exercise, a regular sleep schedule, and healthy eating, can be very helpful for some. Other complementary strategies, such as meditation, yoga and acupuncture can be beneficial to others. For Acupuncture Gloucester, visit https://www.purelandsacu.co.uk/acupuncture-gloucester
Autonomic Nervous system
Our stress response is regulated primarily by the autonomic nervous system which controls our sympathetic fight or flight response vs parasympathetic rest and digest response, and our HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis which controls the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Modern day life is very good at stimulating our stress response with things like work deadlines, family obligations, financial stress, global and environmental issues, etc. Our body can be constantly bombarded with these signals, causing it to over-produce stress hormones and increase sympathetic arousal. This leads to anxiety and further perceived stress.
Inflammation
Inflammation is also triggered by modern life, such as poor diets and lack of exercise. Chronic stress, insufficient sleep, and environmental toxins are all factors. Others may suffer from chronic infections or autoimmune disease. Although the connection between anxiety and inflammation is still not fully understood, there are some main theories.
– Affects the neurotransmitters responsible for mood regulation in the brain.
– Stimulates HPA axis, leading to an overproduction of stress hormonal and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.
– Has a negative impact on the gut microbiome, affecting the gut brain connection.
