Why Is Anxiety Bad For You?

Anxiety is a mental health disorder that affects many people all around the world, but it can be hard to be sure about because it does come in a variety of different forms – that's why your anxiety might present differently compared to someone else's. That doesn't mean it's not anxiety, though, and it doesn't mean you have to just let it do what it wants – you can be in control and work towards handling your anxiety in a wide range of different ways.

But why should you? What's the point of dealing with your anxiety if it's something so many people have? Well, there are actually a number of reasons why you need to take your anxiety seriously and do something about it – it's actually very bad for you, and if you read on, you'll find out precisely why.

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Impact On Your Mental Health

Perhaps the biggest issue that comes with anxiety is that it's going to have a negative impact on your mental health because you feel worried, scared, and perhaps down all the time. Your thoughts will be constantly whirling around, so it's going to be hard to rest and relax, and that makes your mental health issues even worse.

It could get so bad that you're not even able to do daily tasks that really should be done, like washing and cleaning, and when it comes to social activities, your anxiety could definitely mean you don't interact with others (and since being around other people can be beneficial for your mental health, you can see why it's an issue).

That's why it's so important to reduce your anxiety as much as possible before it causes too many other issues. Some people like to exercise, others feel taking ashwagandha supplements is helpful, and some want to speak to a doctor or therapist – you can do any of these things, all of them, or something completely different, as long as you do something to reduce your anxiety once and for all.

Impact On Your Physical Health

Your mental health isn't the only thing that can be negatively impacted by anxiety – you're physical health can too, so that's another excellent reason to make some changes in your life and reduce your anxiety as much as you can (and asking for help if you need it can definitely be a wise choice).

When you're stressed and anxious for a long time, it can weaken your immune system so you catch all kinds of illnesses and diseases, and on top of that, being anxious can also lead to heart problems – that's down to having high blood pressure in some cases, and also due to too much cortisol being produced by the body. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, and although it's helpful in small doses (ensuring we can get away from danger when we need to), too much of it puts a strain on the heart. The less anxious you are, the better your physical health will be.

Disrupted Sleep Patterns

Sleep is so important, and that doesn't just mean getting enough sleep – it means getting good quality sleep as well. The problem is that when you're anxious, you'll have much more restless and disrupted sleep, which could include insomnia or just constantly waking up during the night, which might not seem like too much of an issue (especially if you quickly go back to sleep again), but that actually does cause problems because your body never really gets rested enough to be at its best and healthiest.

What happens when you don't get good enough sleep? Your thinking is impaired, your mood is up and down, and you'll be far less productive during the day – and that's just after one bad night's sleep. When it's a chronic issue, you can end up with a whole host of other health problems, including obesity, diabetes, cognitive decline, and heart issues – and many others too.

Relationship Problems

If you've read everything above, then it's easy to see how all of that – which stems from anxiety – can lead to relationship problems. The issue is going to put a strain on relationships with family, loved ones, friends, colleagues, and really anyone you come into contact with; you're going to be so stressed about things that you'll become irritable and snap at people or even have huge arguments, and sometimes those relationships can't be repaired.

In the end, you might find that your personal relationships dwindle, leading you isolated and alone, which is only going to add to your anxiety and not make things better – you can see how managing and reducing your anxiety has to be a good thing.