Being Anxious Makes You More Likely to Die Young
In case anxious people didn't have enough to worry about, there's this: minor psychological duress, like anxiety or mild depression, has now officially been linked to an early death. Which is to say, if you're a worrier and you get hurt, develop cancer, heart disease or practically any other illness, you're more likely to die from it than the calm, normal, well-adjusted people you know. Says the author of the study:
"Even with low levels of psychological distress — certainly much lower levels than would attract a diagnosis of anxiety or depression — these people had an increased risk of mortality from all causes," said study author Tom Russ, a clinical research fellow at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. "The greater the level of distress, the greater the risk."
Of course, as ABC News notes, avoiding stress altogether is impossible (and some stress might even be good for you). But don't stop worrying yet. Russ added:
"At the moment, there's no clear evidence that treating these symptoms can reduce the risk we found."
So when you wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious about whatever, just know that not only are your fears probably justified but they'll also kill you (or, you know, make you more likely to die if you get a cold or something).
