How to Know if Your Emotions Are Hurting Your Health
Look for signs of emotional numbing., Notice if you are acting out., Decide if emotional distress is causing physical health issues., Check for changes in eating and sleeping habits., Notice if you have difficulty concentrating at work or school...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for signs of emotional numbing.
When you are overwhelmed by powerful emotions, you may turn to unhealthy coping strategies to temporarily numb or ease the pain. “Self-medicating” activities like binge eating, excessive shopping, gambling, engaging in risky sexual behavior, and using drugs and alcohol are often sparked by great emotional distress.Emotional numbing can be a side effect of dealing with serious psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). -
Step 2: Notice if you are acting out.
When you experience overwhelming feelings of anger you might lash out in ways that are inappropriate.
You might also secretly harm yourself with cigarette burns or cutting in places that no one will notice.
This can be a way of dealing with difficult or overwhelming feelings.
Lashing out can harm your relationships with others, and self-harm can lead to physical health issues, like infection or severe injuries., Dealing with chronic feelings of anger, anxiety, or stress can be detrimental to your physical health, too.
Poor emotional wellness can jeopardize immunity, making you more susceptible to colds and infection.
What’s more, chronic stress can also contribute to conditions like hypertension and stomach ulcers.
Unexplained pain symptoms like headaches and backaches may also be influenced by stress.If you have been ill frequently, and your doctor is unable to explain your symptoms, your emotions could be playing a part.
Consider asking your doctor for a mental health screening to check for anxiety, depression and other conditions. , One of the main ways prolonged emotional distress impacts your health is by throwing off your diet and sleep patterns.
Due to your emotional state, you may have less of an appetite, or you may gorge on foods to numb your feelings.
Sleep can also be affected on both ends of the spectrum.
You may suffer from insomnia, or you may sleep 14 hours a day.If you lie awake at night riddled with anxiety, or can't build up an appetite for several days at a time due to sadness, your emotions may be jeopardizing your health.
Noticing these issues presents an opportunity to learn more about what is actually going on with you.
Ask yourself, "What is keeping me awake?"; "What am I thinking or worried about?"; "What am I thinking about or feeling when I skip meals?"
Chronic stress also affects your cognitive abilities.
Experiencing a lack of concentration or problems paying attention can often cue you in on underlying emotional distress.Perhaps you find yourself easily distracted, or you can’t seem to remember where things are.
These may all be caused by your current emotional state.
A breakup may affect your grades at school, for example.
Or, a recent death in your family may result in poor work performance. , Have you noticed a tendency to withdraw from friends and family recently? Have they mentioned it to you, but you've ignored it? Or, maybe you’ve found that you have an unreasonably short fuse lately? You have to catch yourself before snapping off at coworkers or loved ones.
Emotional distress can have a negative influence on your social life, too.You might not understand the significance of social well-being, but it plays a major role in long-term health and vitality.
Research shows that people with strong social support lead longer lives, have greater resilience to illness, and are happier.Spend some time taking an inventory of who you have spent time with in the past week or so.
Is it different from how it used to be in the past? What can you do to change it? -
Step 3: Decide if emotional distress is causing physical health issues.
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Step 4: Check for changes in eating and sleeping habits.
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Step 5: Notice if you have difficulty concentrating at work or school.
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Step 6: Consider the state of your relationships.
Detailed Guide
When you are overwhelmed by powerful emotions, you may turn to unhealthy coping strategies to temporarily numb or ease the pain. “Self-medicating” activities like binge eating, excessive shopping, gambling, engaging in risky sexual behavior, and using drugs and alcohol are often sparked by great emotional distress.Emotional numbing can be a side effect of dealing with serious psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
When you experience overwhelming feelings of anger you might lash out in ways that are inappropriate.
You might also secretly harm yourself with cigarette burns or cutting in places that no one will notice.
This can be a way of dealing with difficult or overwhelming feelings.
Lashing out can harm your relationships with others, and self-harm can lead to physical health issues, like infection or severe injuries., Dealing with chronic feelings of anger, anxiety, or stress can be detrimental to your physical health, too.
Poor emotional wellness can jeopardize immunity, making you more susceptible to colds and infection.
What’s more, chronic stress can also contribute to conditions like hypertension and stomach ulcers.
Unexplained pain symptoms like headaches and backaches may also be influenced by stress.If you have been ill frequently, and your doctor is unable to explain your symptoms, your emotions could be playing a part.
Consider asking your doctor for a mental health screening to check for anxiety, depression and other conditions. , One of the main ways prolonged emotional distress impacts your health is by throwing off your diet and sleep patterns.
Due to your emotional state, you may have less of an appetite, or you may gorge on foods to numb your feelings.
Sleep can also be affected on both ends of the spectrum.
You may suffer from insomnia, or you may sleep 14 hours a day.If you lie awake at night riddled with anxiety, or can't build up an appetite for several days at a time due to sadness, your emotions may be jeopardizing your health.
Noticing these issues presents an opportunity to learn more about what is actually going on with you.
Ask yourself, "What is keeping me awake?"; "What am I thinking or worried about?"; "What am I thinking about or feeling when I skip meals?"
Chronic stress also affects your cognitive abilities.
Experiencing a lack of concentration or problems paying attention can often cue you in on underlying emotional distress.Perhaps you find yourself easily distracted, or you can’t seem to remember where things are.
These may all be caused by your current emotional state.
A breakup may affect your grades at school, for example.
Or, a recent death in your family may result in poor work performance. , Have you noticed a tendency to withdraw from friends and family recently? Have they mentioned it to you, but you've ignored it? Or, maybe you’ve found that you have an unreasonably short fuse lately? You have to catch yourself before snapping off at coworkers or loved ones.
Emotional distress can have a negative influence on your social life, too.You might not understand the significance of social well-being, but it plays a major role in long-term health and vitality.
Research shows that people with strong social support lead longer lives, have greater resilience to illness, and are happier.Spend some time taking an inventory of who you have spent time with in the past week or so.
Is it different from how it used to be in the past? What can you do to change it?
About the Author
Jacqueline Kennedy
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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