When you’re around people who are constantly inviting drama and negative energy into your life, you may feel a sense of spiritual misalignment. But did you know it can also affect you physically? Read on to see how enduring the energy of toxic people can adversely affect your body’s well-being.
You feel physically drained
After spending the day, even a conversation, absorbing negativity from a toxic individual, you’re not just experiencing a zap of positive energy. You may be experiencing adrenal fatigue. In response to the “danger” that the body feels around these people, our brain fights a losing battle – both to produce adrenaline (a typical fight or flight response) and rid the body of excess. This along with the inability for the brain to “let go” or relax contributes to a lack of quality sleep and physical stress.
High blood pressure
According to TODAY, a survey of the Health and Retirement Study found a link between bad relationships and high blood pressure after assessing negative social interactions and hypertension with both men and women. David Frid, a cardiologist in Preventative Cardiology and Rehabilitation at Cleveland Clinic notes that the study reinforces the importance of psycho-social factors in part of overall health.
Get sicker quicker
Your immune system may inevitably suffer as a result of the chronic stress you’re experiencing. We become more susceptible to illnesses and diseases because of the defense signals our brain sends to the endocrine system – the hormones that are released prepare us for emergency situations but can also take a toll on our immunity at the same time.
Skin problems
It turns out that science has begun to show a direct correlation between increasing stress and acne severity. Though stress may not be the only factor, cells that produce sebum have receptors for stress hormones, meaning more oil is produced in times of high stress, which can cause more acne to form as a result.
Shorter lifespan
In addition to the cardiovascular issues that toxic relationships can wreak on the body, high levels of disagreement and negativity can lead to obesity, lower levels of good cholesterol and depression among other health hazards, which may lead to a shorter lifespan.
