Can Stress Kill You? The Hidden Dangers of Mental Strain

Mental stress has serious effects on the physical body. That's because the mind and body are strongly connected. Cardiomyopathy, heart attacks, heart failure, asthma, and so much more can be exacerbated by mental stress.

Anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, and so many other mental health conditions have very real physical health effects. Suicide and substance use are tightly linked, and these both occur far too frequently in our society. These are absolutely intolerable physical harms from mental health.

It's not only in the operating room with surgery and anesthesia. The mental stresses from these mental health disorders ramps up the sympathetic nervous system and can lead to physical conditions. In fact, exercise stress tests may be less predictive than mental health stress tests!