A closed circle of anxiety: how the habit of controlling everything hits the heart and blood vessels

The habit of controlling everything often grows from attitudes like “you can not relax”, “if I do not control everything will go wrong” or “rest should be earned”. This habit seriously affects health - primarily the heart and blood vessels, said Russian cardiologist Anna Korenevich, writes sb.by.

According to the doctor, when the brain is constantly in a mode of “keep under control”, the nervous system lives in a state of internal mobilization:

- For the body, it is chronic stress. In response, the body increases the level of stress hormones (for example, cortisol and adrenaline), changes the autonomic nervous system, and recovery mechanisms work worse. The heart actually works for years in conditions of increased load, even if the person does not feel acute fatigue.

Over time, this gives quite real symptoms, Anna Korenevich drew attention:

• rapid heartbeat and rhythm interruptions; • pressure jumps; • feeling of lack of air; • sleep problems; • constant fatigue and anxiety.

At the same time, the specialist clarified that many people get worse not in the midst of work, but in the evening, on weekends or on vacation:

- It seems paradoxical, but the phenomenon has an explanation: the body is so accustomed to the stress regime that the state of rest begins to feel unusual. When the external load disappears, attention shifts to internal sensations and the symptoms become more noticeable.

Another trap that people with a habit of controlling everything fall into is trying to take control of even their own health, the cardiologist added:

- Constant measurements of blood pressure and pulse, searching for symptoms on the Internet, anxiety due to each body reaction only increase internal tension. There is a vicious circle: anxiety increases symptoms, and symptoms increase anxiety. It is important to understand: these manifestations are not “in the head”, in the sense of “invented”. Heartbeat, weakness, lack of air are very real physiological reactions. It’s just that their cause is not so much heart disease as a prolonged state of overload and stress.

Working with such conditions is not only examinations and medications. Equally important is the restoration and change of attitude:

Sleep normalization. Sleep is one of the main mechanisms for restoring the nervous system and reducing the load on the heart. Rest permit. Rest is not a weakness or a waste of time, but a necessary reset. Reducing internal stress. Relaxation techniques, breathing practices, walking, switching attention – all this helps to “turn off” the mode of constant mobilization. Revision of installations. It is useful to notice automatic thoughts like “I have to control everything” and try to replace them with more gentle ones: “I can do enough, not perfect”, “I have the right to ask for help”.

As Anna Korenevich noted, real health care begins with allowing yourself not to control everything, not to cope perfectly and not to live in a mode of endless tension:

The body tolerates for a long time, but sooner or later begins to give signals: pressure jumps, tachycardia, anxiety. And these signals are not a sign of weakness, but an honest indicator that the load has exceeded resources. If you notice such symptoms, it is worth discussing them with your doctor: he will help to separate the effect of stress from possible diseases and choose the right health support tactics.