this exercise a few times Notice your body loosen and gradually become more at ease Physical Symptoms The stress system combined with heredity and environmental experiences over time can set the stage for a variety of chronic medical conditions Persistent exposure to stress through psychological trauma grief and loss life transitions habitual worry and chronic perfectionism can cripple the adrenal system The adrenal glands overwork to manage the ongoing stress and then eventually give way and underwork The result creates a roller coaster of anxiety spikes followed by exhaustion Exhaustion can lead to a variety of medical diagnoses Anxiety is also linked with the release of stress hormones and chemicals that over time can worsen medical conditions For example research is showing that stress and chronic pain are likely linked to the same neuronalpathway Nerve pain increases the expression of the neurotransmitter PACAP which is the same neurotransmitter the brain releases in reaction to stress In other words stress can bring on worsen physical pain symptoms The biological response to stress can also significantly impact our cardiovascular digestive respiratory and endocrine systems In a large analysis examining over 20 studies and about 250 000 individuals researchers found that anxiety was