Introduction
The struggle that many people undergo everyday has in one way or another affected their health. The thoughts that usually occupy the mind from time to time are unnecessary burden that can have far-reaching effects on one’s health. These thoughts are otherwise known as worry. Considering the fact that the world is full of demands, it goes without saying that worries will never cease. Individuals tend to worry literally about everything: debts, family, lives, friends, property, work, and themselves among other things. Surprisingly, thinking about worry is in itself a burden. Worrying a little is not bad, however, too much of it can lead to other negative health complications. In the discussion that will follow, the focus will be on the impacts that worries can have on health. Although worries are part of everyday life, too much of it can have far reaching effects on one’s health.
Knowing Worry
Experts deduce that, the more one worries, the more the worries are magnified in one’s mind and the more anxious one become. If worry continues to consume an individual, the probability of one ending up being miserable is very high. Worry is a Greek word derived from the term ‘merizo’, that means to divide and another one ‘nous’ that means mind (Asmundson & Taylor, 2005). Basing on its origin, worry is a series of thoughts that catches an individual’s attention with an intention of dividing it in order to conquer it. At first, it does not appear as a burden basing on the kind of worry that is occupying the mind. However, it can continue developing over time distracting one’s attention as it deteriorates, consuming one up bit by bit from within (Nyklicek & Temoshok, 2004).
Too much worrying leads to stress. Most people hardly recognize that they are suffering from stress but the truth of the matter is that worry corrupts one’s thinking. When one is worried, the suffering can be mental, physical or emotional (McKay, 2005). The extent at which worry can cause destruction on an individual’s health depends on the amount of time that one spends thinking about worry, the rate at which worry interferes one’s thinking and its gravity. Experts in medical field have done research on the adverse impacts that excess worries bring. Studies reveal that over 70% of sick people who visit doctors usually complain about stress that is brought by worries.
Effects of Worry on Health
Although health experts deduce that worry can assist to trigger response to fright, which is an important tool of survival, experiencing excess worry can be very dangerous. Consequently, when individuals are dealing with too many worries, their health is put at stake making one to contract so many illnesses (Holaway, 2005). Some of the health problems associated with worry include headaches, diseases related with the stomach, anxiety diseases, stress, pain in the chest, overweight, fatigue, skin problems, sleep difficulties, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.
Experts reveal that those people who worry about everything continue putting their health at stake to an extent of it becoming an illness. In other words, they continue suffering from worry and anxiety and this leads to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The difference between normal individuals and those suffering from generalize anxiety disorder is that they worry so much about worrying (Gladstone & Parker, 2003). They are aware that things are out of order but they cannot bring the situation to a normal state. When an individual looks back and nothing seems to make sense, it is already a disease.
When a person is always suffering from fear, it becomes a habit and worry does not seem to end. When the mind is fully occupied with worry, one remains paralyzed. Eventually, one suffers from other psychological disorders. Studies show that, when the mind is under attack, the rest of the body is also affected. For instance, a worried mind affects the blood and its cells. This is because the body is closely connected to the mind and the two operate as a single entity (Fortune et al. 2005). Whenever the mind is worried, the brain is burdened with thought and it reacts by producing chemicals that have adverse effects on one’s health. A worried person suffers from lack of sleep and the effects on the body are far-reaching.
Symptoms
Besides experiencing extreme anxiety, individuals suffering from generalized anxiety disorder undergo physical symptoms. Most people who are worried usually complain of little or extreme pain on the back part of the neck, extreme headaches, and the victims complain of tight muscles. In some cases, individuals can experience difficulties in breathing, unexpected tiredness and quick heart beats. If an individual is experiencing ordinary worries, some of these symptoms are hard to recognize (Delgado, 2010). The signs that can be noted physically include painful chest and numbness. The person can also complain about needles or pins in the chest that resemble signs of heart attack. Such a situation can cause more anxiety. Other visible symptoms include restlessness, divided concentration, irritability, sweating, and dizziness. Experts in medical field deduce that generalized anxiety disorder victims can show normalcy when they make themselves busy with a certain task. Sitting down comfortably like when watching a program on television, cannot help one to deal with worry, if any case, it can only make one to worry more.
Treatment of Worry
Treating worry with drugs is not the best option although using antidepressants and therapy has been identified as the best treatment. Patients suffering from worries are advised by medical experts to stop worrying and spend some time analyzing their thoughts. This type of therapy aims at helping patients to evaluate what they think of the world and about their personal lives. The process of therapy helps the victims to face their problems and all the challenges they are facing. Furthermore, it changes the way one thinks and at the end of the day, an individual feels relieved (Chakraburtty, 2010).
When one undergoes therapy, the breathing trend is put under control and eventually, the symptoms of anxiety are put on hold. The best method that one can release worry is through involving oneself in leisure activities and a lot of exercise. It is not advisable to learn how to live with worries because they can lead to attacks by other psychiatrist cases such as depression (Zgourides, 2008). Experts deduce that it is a very complicated situation and not many victims can manage to get out of it. In the event that an individual is getting worried because of a certain thing, the best thing is to seek services of a counselor or a doctor depending on the condition.
Conclusion
It is evident that worries are a big threat on an individual’s health. This type of sickness can easily be cured if one decides to take time thinking about what is bringing worries. The introduction of new medicine that can cure worry is a big step towards bringing this menace to a halt. For individuals suffering from chronic worries, antidepressants and drugs such as beta-blockers can help the victim to recover. Worrying is brought by thinking too much about one’s problems and if the habit continues for a prolonged period, the victim can end up being depressed (Borscht & Van Der Doef, 2006).
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