Anxiety may increase physical problems. Consider obsessions over heart palpitations. A person can be dreadfully afraid of panicking, thus they avoid exercising to prevent an increase in an accelerated heart rate. Without exercise, the body can increase stiffness, not to mention weight gain. Of course, always consult with your physician when starting a new exercise program.
Somatic delusions are often elevated due to anxiety. Some people perceive the pain to be worse. Some perceive physical problems to worsen. On the other side of the continuum, people avoid their routine physicals or medical exams due to anxiety. The stereotype of men avoiding medical appointments is common. And, it is hard to research this because people may distort their views on surveys. It is also not surprising that in these instances, people change their own views and reframe their own experience and memory. But, for those men (and women) with health insurance who avoid medical appts, anxiety is often the culprit.
On the one hand, you have the obsessive-compulsive type or the "responsible" and "overly planned" individual who searches the internet to confirm or disconfirm their diagnosis or problem. On the other hand, you have complete ignoring and suppression of problems. In both cases, anxiety influences action in medical care.
How about dental anxiety (odontophobia)? Relaxation exercises, reconditioning (pair a chocolate covered cherry with the dental waiting room; warning - if anxiety is severe the cherry may become a source of avoidance), gradual exposure with an encouraging friend/family member, and challenging catastrophic thinking are some of the antidotes. In this example, anxiety won't worsen your teeth. But, anxiety may cause delay which can result in future dental problems.
Somatic delusions are often elevated due to anxiety. Some people perceive the pain to be worse. Some perceive physical problems to worsen. On the other side of the continuum, people avoid their routine physicals or medical exams due to anxiety. The stereotype of men avoiding medical appointments is common. And, it is hard to research this because people may distort their views on surveys. It is also not surprising that in these instances, people change their own views and reframe their own experience and memory. But, for those men (and women) with health insurance who avoid medical appts, anxiety is often the culprit.
On the one hand, you have the obsessive-compulsive type or the "responsible" and "overly planned" individual who searches the internet to confirm or disconfirm their diagnosis or problem. On the other hand, you have complete ignoring and suppression of problems. In both cases, anxiety influences action in medical care.
How about dental anxiety (odontophobia)? Relaxation exercises, reconditioning (pair a chocolate covered cherry with the dental waiting room; warning - if anxiety is severe the cherry may become a source of avoidance), gradual exposure with an encouraging friend/family member, and challenging catastrophic thinking are some of the antidotes. In this example, anxiety won't worsen your teeth. But, anxiety may cause delay which can result in future dental problems.
And, to use this as another chance to talk about my basketball exploits, or lack there of. During college tryouts my sophomore year, my anxiety resulted in decreased appetite, dehydration, and a week-long hospitalization with pneumonia.
