Can Anxiety Attack Symptoms Cause Real Physical Illness?

[Kirk Young]

Anyone who has experienced anxiety attack symptoms can attest to the
fact that they can physically "hurt." The physical symptoms of an
anxiety attack can include body aches and pains, headaches, upset
stomach, chest pains, tingling sensations in the extremities or
dizziness, just to name a few.
But can these anxiety attack symptoms actually cause a person to
develop a physical illness? Researchers had studied the mind-body
connection for many years, and there is an overwhelming amount of
evidence suggesting that our state of mind affects our immune system,
blood pressure, and even the ability to heal properly after an
accident or surgery.
Bearing that in mind, chronic anxiety symptoms can certainly
contribute to poor overall health, and the majority of researchers
tend to agree that anxiety symptoms can overtime cause, or at the very
least contribute to, real physical illnesses. One famous research
study (Holmes and Rahe, 1967), observed that the majority of
individuals admitted to hospital with an illness had experienced
several stressful life events in the months preceding the illness.
Many similar studies have also shown a high correlation between
anxiety and illness. Another notable study determined that cancer is
more prevalent among divorced, separated individuals than for married
adults (Miller & Rahe, 1997), suggesting that the stress of a
divorce or separation could lead to real physical illness.
There has also been research into the connection between anxiety
attack symptoms and the immune system. Dozens of controlled studies
have shown a relationship between stress/anxiety and reduced function
of white blood cells, which attack foreign bodies in the bloodstream.
Measuring white blood cells is one common way to assess the vitality
of the immune system, and it has long been observed that individuals
experiencing chronic stress or anxiety attack symptoms tend to have
lower white blood cell counts than non-stressed individuals.
So while the research into the effects of anxiety on the body are not
absolute, there is enough evidence to assume that stress and anxiety
are the natural enemies of the immune system, and if left unchecked,
can lead to any number of physical illnesses.
Of course, this does not mean that anyone experiencing anxiety attacks
is going to get sick. However, it does suggest that remaining in a
state of chronic anxiety over a period of time can weaken the body,
making illness more likely. For this reason, it is important to both
our physical and mental well-being to get enough relaxation, and to
learn to control stress and anxiety levels.
Techniques such as biofeedback, talk therapy, guided visualization,
meditation, breathing exercises, yoga and increased physical exercise
have all been shown to reduce stress levels; and when practiced as a
way of life, these techniques can significantly reduce anxiety attack
symptoms, improving our overall mental and physical health.
Personal development training can also be effective in helping
individuals to make better lifestyle choices, thus reducing anxiety in
their day-to-day lives. Examples of these choices could include
changes in diet, increased physical exercise, changing television and
film viewing habits, and practicing any number of calming and
relaxation techniques as part of a daily ritual.
It is clear that anxiety attack symptoms aren't good for the human
body. Study after study has concluded that there is at very least a
contributing relationship between anxiety and disease. But by learning
to "let off steam" by using relaxation techniques, physical exercise
and other methods, we can ensure that we reduce anxiety attack
symptoms and excess stress, producing a healthier state of mind and
body.

Break The Fear Of Having Another Panic Attack : http://groups.google.com/group/panicpml/