Celiac Disease Symptoms: Anxiety
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is the body’s way of helping us cope and react to stress. Positive stress, called eustress, is a form of anxiety that affects almost everyone. People typically experience this type of anxiety in situations such as a first date, an interview for a dream job, or a really important test at school. When anxiety becomes excessive and irrational and affects your daily life and relationships, it is considered a disorder. This type of negative stress, called distress, can cause people to become consumed with fear, worry, and uncertainty. Anxiety disorders affect nearly 40 million American adults aged 18 and older. Anxiety disorders may coincide with depression, which can cause both symptoms to worsen if the conditions are not treated properly.
What is the Connection between Celiac Disease and Anxiety?
People with celiac disease face several stressors both before and after diagnosis.
Before a Celiac Disease Diagnosis:
- Researchers are currently unsure if anxiety symptoms that begin before diagnosis are related to the presence of celiac disease
- Some evidence suggests that people who experience anxiety before diagnosis will feel better and less anxious after adopting the gluten-free diet
- Some symptoms of anxiety overlap with symptoms of celiac disease, such as nausea, dizziness, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, and not being able to be calm or still
After a Celiac Disease Diagnosis:
- Many individuals with celiac disease often find a diagnosis to be a relief. However, others develop more symptoms of anxiety as changing the diet can be a stressful experience
- Anxiety may be common in females with celiac disease
- Anxiety is often related to the challenges of disease management
- The constant attention to avoiding cross-contact can lead to fears related to eating or dining out
Where Can I Learn More?
How Do People with Celiac Disease Experience Anxiety?
When we, Regan’s parents, look back at Regan’s temperament throughout her life, it all started to make sense. Once we had that celiac disease diagnosis, we were able to see that once Regan was old enough to start eating solids and gluten, she became a highly anxious child.
After seeing the long list of daunting symptoms, I became very stressed about my celiac disease diagnosis. I assumed the worst, which consumed my thoughts for many hours of the day. I can still experience anxiety around food, which makes eating in restaurants a very stressful experience.
How Do You Experience Anxiety?
At Beyond Celiac, we’re collecting real stories from people living with celiac disease to highlight how symptoms affect everyday life.
Your experience with anxiety can help others feel seen, understood, and empowered. We only share first names or initials to protect your privacy. These stories raise awareness and help others recognize how celiac disease shows up in different ways.
Use the form below to share your experiences with celiac disease and anxiety.
