The Anxiety "Virus"

Originally written by Dr. Kathy Dooley on October 7th, 2013
Re-posted with permission on October 7th, 2013
Re-re-posted here on my brand spanking new blog on March 17th, 2015

First and foremost, let me begin this post by introducing my inaugural guest contributor, Dr. Kathy Dooley. Aside from being an inspiration and mentor personally, while I trained to be a Doctor in the world's greatest profession, Dr. Dooley is herself an accomplished Doctor of Chiropractic, anatomist, and entrepreneur. The long list of her credentials and impressive resume can be found here. I will be including some of her unique and impressive posts, unedited, unadulterated, here on a regular basis, you can all thank me in advance! Please have a look at her full website Dr. Dooley Noted and peep her profile on my Regular Contributor Pages.

Now may I introduce, Dr. Kathy Dooley....

- Dr. P

Someone close to me has been experiencing exorbitant anxiety and stress.

She endured so much that it sent her to the emergency room, where she experienced bloodwork analysis and various other tests, including a CT scan.

Everything came back negative.

Even though she ran no fever nor had any positive swabs or lab tests, the medical staff blamed her illness on a virus.

Hmph. I call the bluff.

What if she was sick from excess anxiety? Is this not likely?

Anxiety leads to a hyperventilated-type breathing, which alters pH and changes biological functioning.

You can't control breath, and you start feeling anxious. You start feeling anxious, and you can't control breath.

It's a vicious cycle.

If you can't control breath, you start messing with gas exchange. You start altering gas exchange, and you end up feeling pretty sick.

Maybe, people misconstrue it as a virus.

There is little evidentiary support that my loved one had a virus. But she left the hospital with that diagnosis, along with a hefty bill to her insurance.

Manage your stress. Exercise. Breathe well. Eat well. Get analyzed. Get corrected.

Help yourself. Protect yourself against the anxiety "virus."

- Dr. Kathy Dooley