Gastrointestinal Anxiety Symptoms such as Indigestion, Heart burn, Constipation and Diarrhea are controlled by the amygdala. When faced by a perceived threat, the amygdala prepares the body to fight or flee by releasing adrenalin into the system. The resulting changes in bodily functions affect pretty well all the major systems of the body, including circulation, respiration and digestion.
To lighten the body for flight (or indeed, to improve its agility to fight), it is common for the digestive tract to be evacuated. This can cause a number of gastrointestinal or digestive anxiety symptoms.
When mankind was evolving and he was confronted by a sabre tooth tiger, it may have been entirely appropriate to evacuate the bowels in preparation for running from or fighting that danger. But in the modern world, this response is somewhat inappropriate!
As a response to anxiety, many people experience diarrhea. This is an unpleasant anxiety symptom and can often happen in inappropriate circumstances. Often it results in the person becoming housebound, agoraphobic or fearful of going to places where they don’t have easy access to a toilet.
Indigestion, heart burn and constipation, which are also common anxiety symptoms, occur when fluids are diverted from the stomach lining to be used in the muscles. The digestive system slows down so that energy normally used during digestion is diverted to other parts of the body to prepare for flight or fight. Slowing down the digestive system leads to compacting of food and faeces in the system, which can lead to constipation.
Indigestion and heart burn are caused by an increase in stomach acid that occurs during flight or fight and also from muscle contraction in the chest and stomach cavities, which have the effect of producing reflux from the stomach and digestive tract. At the same time, blood is diverted from the stomach to help fuel the muscles.
These elements combine to slow the digestive system significantly, which can result in indigestion, heart burn, constipation, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, wind and other gastrointestinal symptoms such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
To eliminate these symptoms, the sufferer needs to address the anxiety at its’ core. Drugs and psychotherapy have little affect on anxiety responses as they are not targeted enough to impact the amygdala, which is the anxiety control center of the brain. It is possible, however, to eliminate anxiety symptoms completely.