Anxiety and Underlying Medical Conditions: A Two-Way Street

Changes in mental health can result in physical illness. And the reverse is also true.  A wide range of medical conditions can trigger anxiety and depression.  Changes in brain chemistry, hormones, and body functions cause these changes. It can become a vicious cycle unless the pattern is interrupted. Some of these issues can be minimized with early attention: If you can calm or treat one part of the cycle, you often help the other as well.

The following is an overview of some common mind-body relationships and possible approaches to breaking the cycle.

Mental Health Problems Commonly Contribute to Physical Illnesses

Of course, many illnesses are caused by factors other than emotional issues, like environmental issues and disease transmission. But when the brain becomes distressed and stays in distress mode, the body pays the price.

How Does This Happen?

When you’re anxious or overwhelmed, your body activates the fight‑or‑flight system. The brain signals for cortisol to rise in the body, it enters the brain and, over time, areas in the brain can be “overworked” (hippocampus and prefrontal cortex) and become less functional. At the same time, mental health problems dysregulate serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. An increase in cortisol release is normal in illness; it protects a person. But when it stays active for weeks and months, it can cause trouble in the body. The following is a basic discussion of how the release of hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain affects the rest of the body.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF PROLONGED CORTISOL RELEASE

·        Your heart rate and blood pressure stay higher than they should

·        Muscles stay tense

·        Digestion slows, causing stomach issues

·        Sleep becomes shallow or disrupted

·        Healing and the immune response are becoming impaired. It becomes more difficult for the body to fight infection, and autoimmune conditions can flare more easily.

Constant cortisol exposure leads to inflammation and overexertion, which damage multiple organs and systems, causing chronic problems like

·        Heart disease

·        Diabetes

·        Chronic pain

·        GI disorders

·        Autoimmune flare-ups

DYSREGULATION OF SEROTONIN WHEN YOU ARE ILL

During periods of stress, anxiety, and depression, serotonin levels in the brain and body are dysregulated (it goes up in some places and goes down in others). When this happens, a person can develop some of the following physical symptoms:

·       Pain sensitivity increases, leading to headaches, migraines, and fibromyalgia-like pain

·       Digestion becomes erratic, causing  IBS, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, changes, such as overeating, or loss of appetite

·       Sleep becomes disrupted, resulting in insomnia, non-restorative sleep, brain fog, and decreased memory and alertness)

CHANGES IN NOREPINEPHRINE WHEN YOU ARE ILL

When norepinephrine is too high (anxiety, chronic stress):

·       Heart races

·       Blood pressure rises

·       Muscles tense

·       Breathing becomes shallow

·       You feel “wired but tired.”

·        

When norepinephrine is too low (depression, burnout):

·       Fatigue

·       Brain fog

·       Low motivation

·       Slow reaction time

CHANGE IN DOPAMINE WHEN YOU ARE ILL?

Dopamine reduction is common in depression and chronic stress/anxiety

·       Motivation drops

·       Movements feel heavy

·       Pain feels more intense

·       Concentration becomes difficult

Low dopamine is why depression can feel like “moving through mud.”

Sometimes, short-term anxiety, stress, and Depression Can Cause Short-Term Medical Problems. Some examples include the following:

·       Cardiovascular System

·       Increased heart rate

·       Dizziness

·       Musculoskeletal System

·       Muscle tension

·       Gastrointestinal System

·       Upset stomach

·       Dermatologic / Skin

·       Rashes

·       Respiratory System

·       Shortness of breath

·       Sleep & Energy Regulation

·       Insomnia

·       Neurological / Pain

·       Headaches

·       Immune System

·       An increase in colds and other short‑term illnesses

·       Long-term Anxiety, Stress, and Depression Can Also Cause Long-Term Illness. For Example:

·       Gastrointestinal System

·       Ulcers

·       Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

·       Unexplained stomach pain or discomfort

·       Cardiovascular System

·       Cardiovascular disease

·       High blood pressure

·       Heart attack

·       Stroke

·       Neurological / Cognitive Function

·       Brain fog

·       Memory problems

·       Difficulty concentrating

·       Headaches

·       Sleep & Energy Regulation

·       Poor sleep quality/insomnia

·       Excessive fatigue

·       Immune & Inflammatory System

·       Increased inflammation

·       Musculoskeletal / Pain Disorders

·       Increase in preexisting pain

·       Metabolic / Endocrine

·       Weight gain

·       Increases cholesterol (increasing LDL, the bad cholesterol, and decreasing HDL, the good cholesterol)(1)

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Medical Problems That Commonly Contribute to Anxiety and Depression

·       Heart and Circulatory Problems

·       Heart disease

·       Irregular heart rhythms

·       High blood pressure

·       Breathing and Lung Conditions

·       Asthma

·       COPD

·       Any condition that makes breathing difficult (which naturally increases fear and anxiety)

·       Hormone and Metabolic Imbalances

·       Thyroid disorders (especially hyperthyroidism)

·       Adrenal dysfunction

·       Diabetes

·       Sex‑hormone changes (PMS, perimenopause, menopause)

·       Gastrointestinal Conditions

·       Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

·       Chronic digestive discomfort

·       Acid reflux (can mimic chest‑related anxiety symptoms)

·       Chronic Pain Conditions

·       Arthritis

·       Fibromyalgia

·       Back or nerve pain

·       Neurological Conditions

·       Stroke

·       Multiple sclerosis

·       Traumatic brain injury

·       Epilepsy

·       Dementia

·       Sleep Disturbances

·       Insomnia

·       Sleep apnea

·       Fragmented or poor‑quality sleep

·       Other Common Triggers

·       Electrolyte imbalances

·       Caffeine sensitivity or overuse

·       Certain medications or withdrawal states

How Does This Happen?

Physical illness triggers a disruption of hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate stress, anxiety, and depression. When the body is sick or under strain, serotonin and dopamine levels tend to decrease, while norepinephrine levels increase. These shifts create a very recognizable mood pattern:

• Low serotonin contributes to low mood, worry, irritability, sleep problems, appetite changes, and a general “down” feeling.

• Elevated norepinephrine produces the physical sensations of anxiety — feelings of restlessness, jumpiness, tension, as the body shifts into a fight‑or‑flight state.

• Low dopamine leads to low motivation, reduced pleasure, and fatigue, which are also hallmarks that accompany a physical illness.

Together, this combination can make someone feel anxious, irritable, overwhelmed, down or depressed, and drained — a mix of emotions that are common during illness.

Cortisol, a hormone, also increases when a person is ill. Initially, it starts high to protect a person from illness, strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation, and help mobilize energy to fight it off. But, after a while, when an illness becomes chronic, cortisol kicks into overdrive, decreasing inflammation, mobilizing energy, keeping blood pressure stable, and more. While short-term increases help the body respond, long-term or repeated elevations in cortisol can weaken the immune system, making recovery harder. Cortisol can strongly affect our moods: high levels increase anxiety and irritability, while long-term cortisol disruption can lead to low mood, fatigue, and emotional exhaustion - essentially symptoms of depression.

To stop the vicious cycle, it is important to address both the physical symptoms AND the emotional problems. See the following pages for some approaches to calming stress, anxiety, and depression.

Your mind and body are always in communication. Clearly, stress can trigger physical symptoms, anxiety can amplify them, and depression can change how your whole system functions. Mental health issues can change patterns of the nervous system into negative patterns that don't go away easily because neuroplasticity strengthens whatever pathways you use most — whether they’re calming or stressful.

So yes, the mind‑body relationship can become “wired” into chronic patterns involving:

·        Cortisol

·        Neurotransmitters

·        Emotional responses

·        Physical symptoms

But the hopeful part is equally true:

The same neuroplasticity that created the chronic body-mind pattern can also un‑create it. Therapy, mindfulness, new habits, medication, and repeated corrective experiences can build new pathways that override the old ones.

Take care of the medical issues as well as you can, and you may notice your anxiety or depression easing. Support your mental health at the same time, and you may find yourself relating to your body in a calmer, more hopeful way. Treating both sides of the mind‑body connection often opens the door to a healthier, more sustainable way of living.

See:

Stress: Overwhelmed By Stress?

  Anxiety: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Approaches

·      Depression Overview