Can Anxiety Attack Symptoms Cause Real Physical Illness?

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