How do you know when you are “stressed out”? Does that seem like a silly question? We usually know because we have some physical sensations that let us know something isn’t right. Whether a sense of being overwhelmed, having a headache, a stomach ache, or worse, we realize we are feeling stress based on these bodily cues. Stress can cause us to feel a mountain of emotions, cause us physical pains, and become so “normal” that we stop recognizing these symptoms for what they are.

Did you know your brain and gastrointestinal system have a direct line to each other? Our brains send signals to our gut to indicate we are feeling sad. Likewise, our gut sends our brain signals to indicate the food we ate is not something we should eat again and cause us stress. The Harvard Health article referenced below explains:

“The brain has a direct effect on the stomach. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach’s juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person’s stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That’s because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected. The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation — all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut.  

Psychosocial factors influence the actual physiology of the gut, as well as symptoms. In other words, “stress (or depression or other psychological factors) can affect movement and contractions of the GI tract, make inflammation worse, or perhaps make you more susceptible to infection.

…a review of 13 studies showed that patients who tried psychologically based approaches had greater improvement in their digestive symptoms compared with patients who received only conventional medical treatment.”

This article from Harvard Health  provides more information about the gut-brain-emotional connection as well as lists of physical, behavioral and emotional symptoms of stress. If you have GI issues, emotional or stress related issues, talk to your doctor and a mental health therapist.

Allison Wray, LAPC, NCC

Board Certified CMHC