Anxiety is a common and widespread psychological affliction, which plagues tens of millions of persons in the modern world. Anxiety disorders may trigger hundreds of symptoms, both physical and emotional. Celiac disease is not one of these symptoms, but it may very well be one of the causes of anxiety. Actually, it’s somewhat common for physicians to misinterpret the symptoms of celiac disease and diagnose anxiety in some patients, because both sicknesses have many symptoms in common; and also because diagnosing celiac disease can sometimes be tricky.
Although both conditions tend to surface together, they will require different treatments; if you need help managing your anxiety, you’ll find what you need in this very website. If you suspect you may have celiac disease, you should talk to your medical doctor. Also, try removing gluten from your diet and see if that makes you feel better.
Celiac disease (also known as gluten intolerance) is a sickness that may occur in any age group- but most often in young people, and mostly for genetic reasons. People suffering from this medical condition tend to exhibit inexplicable symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss and fatigue (symptoms which can also be triggered by anxiety); in younger individuals, it may also cause failure to grow. This condition is the result of a deficiency in the digestive system which renders it unable to process gluten. If the disease isn’t detected on time and the patients keep ingesting foods with gluten, it will damage their small intestine, inducing problems with nutrient absorption- which over time will lead to health complications, both on mental and physical levels.
While anxiety does not cause celiac disease (celiac is a genetic disorder), people suffering from this disease are very likely to develop anxiety issues. The effectiveness of our digestive system is closely connected with our mental and emotional well-being; as such, having this kind of physical problem will increase the odds that anxiety disorders will surface.
If you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease and you feel you also have anxiety issues, there are several things you have to do, besides removing gluten from your diet. You should be ready to get increased physical activity, as well as finding new ways to keep your mind engaged in positive thinking patterns. There are several strategies you can adopt in terms of self-help, but you can go a long way towards finding relief from anxiety if you commit to adapting your lifestyle, in the same way you also had to adapt in order to be free of the unpleasant effects of celiac disease.
