Dr. Vasiliki Michopoulos is an Associate Professor in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Emory University and a Core Scientist at the Emory National Primate Research Center (ENPRC). Her research investigates how psychosocial stress exposure across the lifespan contributes to health inequities, using a translational neuroscience approach in primates at ENPRC and humans at the Grady Trauma Project. She employs behavioral paradigms, hormone manipulation, psychophysiology, neuroimaging, and psychoimmunology to conduct her interdisciplinary research, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIA, NIMH).
Article3 min read
6 Ways the Brain-Gut Connection Influences Your Anxiety
- Vasiliki Michopoulos PhD
- Oct 1, 2025
- 3
Thanks to the close connection between your gut and brain, some of the most common anxiety symptoms can be felt in your stomach. It’s why you get butterflies before taking an exam, feel like your stomach is in knots after an argument, or are stuck in the bathroom for hours before giving a speech. Understanding how the gut-brain axis affects your mental health can help you find relief faster and more effectively.
1. Stress Hormones Travel Along the Gut-Brain Axis
Your gut contains the largest concentration of nerves outside the brain. This creates a communication pathway known as the gut-brain axis. Stress signals use this channel to travel directly from your brain to your digestive system, where they can trigger a number of issues.
2. Your Digestion is Disrupted
As stress hormones enter your digestive tract via the gut-brain axis, they have the potential to alter gut function and interfere with digestion. This often manifests as sudden changes in appetite and physical pain or discomfort.
3. Your Gut Flora Balance Suffers
Anxiety affects the balance of your gut microbiome in your digestive tract that aids with digestion. The resulting imbalance can cause a number of different physical problems.
Gut symptoms and conditions linked to anxiety include:
- Nausea
- Stomach cramps
- Indigestion
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Increased hunger
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Peptic ulcers
4. Your Immune Response is Weakened
Stress decreases antibody production and ramps up basal inflammation in the body. This makes your gut leakier and thus drives more inflammation and GI problems. This makes you more vulnerable to the many health conditions linked to greater systemic inflammation.
5. Digestive Symptoms Can Fuel Anxiety
If your anxiety symptoms include embarrassing gastrointestinal effects such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, or nausea, you may develop a fear of symptoms worsening in public. This frequently leads to avoidance behaviors and generates new sources of stress.
6. The Cycle of Anxiety and Gut Issues Continues
Once digestive problems start, they can become a source of ongoing anxiety, creating a vicious cycle of stress and stomach distress.
For this reason, it’s important to address biological, psychological, and social issues when seeking relief from anxiety-related gut issues. A treatment plan that combines both stress reduction techniques and diet changes is more likely to reduce symptoms.
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