Blood pressure and mental health

High blood pressure is a health challenge that involves not only physical but also psychological aspects. Even a patient's expectationsor simply a visit to the doctorcan change blood pressure readings or affect how a treatment works (placebos, white-coat hypertension). The interaction between the mind and high blood pressure is therefore a fascinating area. It shows how psychological states influence the development, course, and management of high blood pressureand vice versa.

The role of mental health

Psychosomatics of high blood pressure looks at how thoughts and feelings can affect our bodies. Many people know that stress can be an important cause of high blood pressure. However, stress is often caused by psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. If someone suffers from such problems, they may later develop high blood pressure. Current ESH guidelines list depression as a risk factor for high blood pressure in certain groups of people.

The occurrence of panic attacks is also markedly higher in people with high blood pressure, with rates of up to 39%. A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear, accompanied by a racing heart, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Whether panic attacks cause high blood pressure or the other way around is still unclear. One hypothesis is the "labeling effect": the diagnosis or treatment of high blood pressure can trigger anxiety in some people. Those anxieties could then lead to panic attacks. It can also happen that people with high blood pressure who suffer from panic attacks stop taking their blood pressure medication. The reason may be that they mistakenly interpret the signs of panic as side effects of the medication. That's why it's important to correctly recognize and treat panic in people with high blood pressure.

Emotions in everyday life

Not only stress, but other emotions are an essential part of our everyday life. Studies have shown that strong negative emotions like anger can raise blood pressure. In contrast, positive emotions (for example, calmness and serenity) can lower blood pressure. It's important to recognize your own feelings so you can regulate them well.

Sometimes people don't notice their feelings at all or can't express them well. That's called alexithymia. It makes communication between the inner self and the body more difficult. Alexithymia occurs more often in people with high blood pressure, with rates between 16% and 55%. This "emotional blindness" can cause a lot of tension and stress for those affected. That means alexithymia could contribute to the development and continuation of high blood pressure.

How personality affects blood pressure

A person's personality also plays a special role in high blood pressure. Certain personality traits can make someone more likely to take risks, such as smoking. They can also influence how a person manages the illnessfor example, whether they take their medicationor how they cope with stress. Traits such as strong ambition, impatience, aggressiveness, and a tendency to suppress stress reactions and anger are repeatedly observed in many people with high blood pressure.

On the other hand, a high level of compassion can contribute to lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure. It may even help protect people with a family predisposition from developing high blood pressure.

Psychological approaches to coping

When managing high blood pressure, it's also important to consider the person's mental state. This includes relaxation techniques such as Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation and meditation. These can have a calming effect and reduce stress.

Relaxation exercises, however, help only a little when more severe anxieties and burdens are present. In psychotherapy, people learn to recognize, understand, and deal with their feelings better. For example, behavioral therapies aimed at changing lifestyle have proven to be very effective.

When it comes to high blood pressure, it's important to understand that the mind plays a big role. The relationship between our emotional world and our physical health is complex. A comprehensive approach that includes not only medical treatment but also our emotions can help manage high blood pressure better. If you are worried about your mental health, it is advisable to seek professional help.

Sources:

This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 04/2024).

Author Hanna Kolonovits (MSc) is a psychologist (University of Vienna) with clinical practice experience in Austria and Spain and is currently in specialist training to become a clinical psychologist. Her solid academic training and international clinical experience ensure scientifically grounded, trustworthy recommendations for mental health.