Mind / Body Connection : Continue.......:

Given below is and overview of a study conducted by John Hopkins University on some common mood disorder related conditions :

 

Heart Diseases :

People who suffer from depression after experiencing an attack, risk a second one. On the other hand people who generally stay depressed increase the risk of suffering from a heart attack or even dying from a heart disease.

Headache :

Tension headaches which become chronic occur frequently on people with anxiety and depression. They are usually caused by the contractiion of the muscles in the scalp and neck a common physical reaction when one is under emotional stress.

Constipation or Diarrhoea :

www.springerimages.com

Anxiety is often linked with IBS(Irritable Bowel Syndrome) which mainfests itself as diarrhoea or constipation. According to many experts 60% of those have generalised anxiety may make you more aware of spasms in your colon or that anxiety affects the immune system and may trigger symptoms of IBS.

Vomiting and Nausea :

www.archive.student.bmj.com

Nausea and vomiting are also considered as symptoms of mood disorder. According to a study, among the people who had major complaints of nausea, 41 percent were diagnosed with anxiety disorder and 24 percent of them with depression.

Osteoporosis :

www.infolongtermcare.org

One theory is that people with major depression have lower bone mineral density, a measure of the strengh of your bones, than those with no mood disorders. It is also said that is that depression may cause increased levels of a neurotransmitter that interferes with bone building. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are associated with increased fracture risk, but there’s growing evidence that depression itself may put bones at risk.

High blood pressure :

www.adam.about.net

There is evidence that chronic anxiety may lead to high blood pressure. Anxiety is likely to produce temporary spikes in blood pressure rather than presistent hypertension. Frequent spikes can damage your bolld vessels, heart and kidneys and increase your risk of a stroke.

We usually taker our mental health for granted. But the fact is that it requires effort to build and maintain both mental and physical health, because both the mind and the body are closely linked. The ore time and energy we can invest in our mental and emotional health, the stronger we will be and the better prepared to deal with difficult and challenging situations. this means a good mental health promotes a health body, which again can be done by leading a healthy and positive lifestyle!