Here’s how the flu affects anxiety

Anxiety comes in all forms, so when you mix anxiety with the flu, it can be an overwhelming combination. For instance, one can feed off the other, creating a flu-and-anxiety/anxiety-and-flu cycle. We know — having the flu is bad enough without throwing anxiety into the equation. Luckily, you can use some classic flu hacks to get rid of the flu faster, like loading up on chicken soup and getting a lot of rest. We know you’ve heard it a thousand times before, but it helps! There’s also nothing like keeping up with good daily self-care habits — before, during, and after the flu — such as limiting your technology or practicing yoga.

As you may know, this year’s flu is extremely bad; it’s the worst in nearly a decade! So, suffice it to say, it’s more important than ever to manage it, as well as your mental state. In case you’re curious, here’s how the flu affects your anxiety. Aside from being paranoid about getting the flu in the first place — like being worried that every person on the subway will sneeze and pass their germs along to you — there are other anxiety/flu angles to consider, as well.

“There's always the anxiety of any significant infection going around the country, Dr. Alan Taege, an infectious disease doctor at the Cleveland Clinic, told Bustle.

However, Taege also told Bustle that if you get the flu, the virus cannot directly affect your anxiety. We get that, but let’s be honest — worrying about getting sick, then worrying about how long we’ll be sick once we get the flu, can be quite the toll on our mental health. The Calm Clinic agrees, stating that, “Studies have shown that anxiety can be caused by the flu virus. But remember that a great deal of anxiety isn’t caused by the flu, and instead getting sick simply makes the anxiety intesified.”

For instance, if you find yourself feeling more depressed when you have the flu, some doctors say there is a correlation between the two.

"I frequently have patients coming to the clinic not only suffering from influenza, but also feeling incredibly depressed," Dr. Brad McKay, a Sydney-based general practitioner, told Mamamia. "Fortunately in most cases, once they start to feel physically better, their mood returns to normal after a few more days."

But if you think you’re more depressed just because you’re holed up at home and not feeling well, there’s more to it than that.

"Influenza viruses are identified by your immune system which stimulates white cells to start producing inflammatory proteins called cytokines," McKay told Mamamia. "Cytokines help fight off infection but also make you feel terrible in the process. A large release of cytokines into your body gives you a high fever, muscular aches, fatigue, and nausea — all the symptoms we describe when we talk about getting influenza. Cytokines also cause inflammation around the brain, causing clouded thinking, poor concentration, and can even cause feelings of depression."

We don’t know about you, but that explains so much, right? And what can we do about it to be preventative? McKay suggested exercising regularly to manage anxiety and depression. And if you see a therapist, discuss a self-care regimen with them that best suits your needs.