I of course understand why it impacts mental health, and that mental and physical health are interlinked. But, for instance, why might someone who is chronically anxious get acne (as one example)?
By which physical mechanisms does this actually occur?
In: Biology
Lots of ways! Long term stress throws many of your hormones out of whack and that can have effects on most of your bodily systems.
You specifically mentioned acne. Stress makes your body release extra hormones that cause your skin to produce more oils, which can make acne and all other kinds of skin conditions worse. Stress also changes your metabolism, appetite, and fat storage/fat burning system to make you gain weight. It also weakens your immune system, messes with your circyadian rhythm and sleep, and make your cardiovascular system work harder which puts you at risk of heart disease.
So in short, stress negatively impacts basically all of your body.
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