Anxiety is kind of a fact of life. There’s no real way to avoid it completely. If your professional life isn’t causing you to feel anxious, you can bet there’s an issue in your personal life that makes you want to scream into a pillow or vice versa. You might think that anxiety only has an impact on your mental state. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case at all. Anxiety can cause a variety of issues both directly and indirectly. You need to be aware of these so that you know how to treat and cope with them.

Chronic Pain

The mind is a funny thing. Sometimes it likes to make things simpler and others more complicated. There are cases where the brain tries to make things easier and in the process causes another issue. Anxiety is definitely an example of this. You see there are cases where someone under a lot of anxiety will develop chronic pain. This is essentially the brain putting anxiety in the form of a physical issue. Theoretically, this should mean you can tackle it head-on. The reality is that it just causes more problems. To deal with this you may want to see a physiotherapist. Physiotherapy can help ensure that the root physical cause that has developed can be addressed even if the main cause is actually emotional.

Issues With Libido

It is possible that your libido does take a hit when you are anxious. For instance, people who are unemployed or made redundant will often find it difficult to engage in sexual activity. They will often try medicine to counter this issue but usually, cognitive therapy will be the answer here. With cognitive therapy, anxieties and concerns can be addressed that are preventing your body from wanting or being able to access this type of pleasure. Sometimes it’s just a case of being honest about the problems in your life and being willing to address them.

Hair Loss

Anxiety can cause hair loss in both men and women. You will notice that your hair is starting to thin or you could find that large clumps fall out in the shower. While this may be disconcerting, in most cases it’s just another physical reaction to your body and your mind being under immense levels of pressure. While it may not be possible to reverse the damage already done, the hair can heal as you heal the mind. Dealing with your anxiety can also cause improvements including thicker, fuller hair.

Insomnia

Finally, if you are anxious you might find that you have trouble sleeping. Problems sleeping will often be because what you’re worried about is keeping you up at night. This can be dealt with in a number of ways. One of the best options is going to be to write down the things that are bothering you in a journal. That way you can make sure that you are sending a message to your mind that the problems have been addressed. This should help you relax and get the quality night of rest you need.

Mandy X

Photo by nikko macaspac on Unsplash

Author: Mandy Kloppers

Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.