Have you ever heard someone say “you’ll worry yourself sick”? It is a rather common saying but is there any truth to it? In this post we will talk about some ways worrying too much may actually lead to getting sick.
What Is Worry?
First off, it would be helpful to understand what worry is. Merriam-webster.com defines worry as “to feel or experience concern or anxiety.” Worry is really a form of mental/emotional stress! While some forms of stress can be good, long term stress has negative effects on your health. So what does worry do that effects health? Here are just a few ways worry can lead to sickness.
How Can Worry Make You Sick?
Probably the most direct way worry can lead to getting sick is through the effects of cortisol. Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone and is a powerful suppressor of the immune system. When you constantly worry about things, the body is chronically stressed and there is an elevation in stress hormones. The long term effects are that you likely will have decreased resistance to sicknesses and how quickly your body can heal may be affected as well.
Constant worry also has a definite effect on our state of mind. Worry focuses on negative things that may happen. Giving place to negative thoughts leads to a more pessimistic view. Several studies have shown that being more optimistic may have many health benefits including greater resistance to the common cold.1 Worrying a lot may lead to more pessimistic thoughts and greater likelihood of getting sick.
Besides our state of mind, worry/stress can also affect our posture. My personal observation is that someone who worries a lot has a tendency to have tighter muscles and altered posture. And posture can have a huge impact on health. The body is designed to work most efficiently in a “normal” posture and when we deviate from that the body has to work harder. Also poor posture can lead to improper movement or fixations of the spine called subluxations. This interferes with how the nerves passing between the bones of the spine work. Sometimes this interference leads to pain, but it always leads to the body not functioning at its best. Again this contributes to getting sick.
Conclusion
Worry most definitely can play a role in getting sick. When we worry a little about things we can control and it motivates us to do something productive, worry can be a good thing. However, constant worry about things you cannot control does absolutely no good and can be a factor in getting sick. Know someone that worries a lot? Share this with them!
Reference
(1) Cohen, et al Emotional Style and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Psychosomatic Medicine 65:652-657 (2003)
