It was a typical Thursday morning when Grace suddenly collapsed. One moment she was cheerfully making breakfast, and the next, she lay on the kitchen floor. Her breathing shallow, her lips drained of colour, yes, pale. At the hospital, the diagnosis hit hard: her blood pressure had spiked to a dangerous 190/110 mm Hg. The shock rippled through the family. But what truly caught us off guard was the doctor’s quiet question as he sat beside her: “Have you been under a lot of stress? Any trouble sleeping? Feeling anxious?” That was when Grace broke down in tears.
Her experience isn’t unique. We often think of high blood pressure (hypertension) as a condition caused by poor diet, lack of exercise, or genetics.
But emerging research is revealing a deeper, often overlooked cause: our mental health. Anxiety, chronic stress, and depression don’t just weigh on the mind they strain the body too, quietly elevating blood pressure over time.
Grace’s story is far from unique. We often view high blood pressure also known as hypertension as a purely physical issue, linked to excess salt, sugar, or a sedentary lifestyle. But emerging research tells a more complex story. The roots of hypertension can run much deeper into the mind, into our emotional landscape, and into the silent battles many face with anxiety, depression, and chronic stress.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1.28 billion adults aged 30 to 79 around the world live with hypertension. In Nigeria, a 2021 study published in the Journal of Hypertension found that nearly 38 per cent of adults have high blood pressure, often without knowing it. Yet, conversations around the condition tend to stop at medication and diet, overlooking the powerful role mental health can play.
What About The Mental Health Triggers That Pressurise Us From Within?
A growing body of evidence is drawing a clear line between mental health and high blood pressure. People living with anxiety, depression, or chronic stress are significantly more likely to experience spikes in blood pressure—especially when these conditions are left untreated.
One study by the American Heart Association found that individuals with depression are more prone to developing hypertension over time. Another, published in Hypertension Research, revealed that persistent psychological stress can lead to sustained elevations in blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease.
In simpler terms: when your mind is under constant pressure, your body often follows suit
How Mental Health Affects Blood Pressure
When we are anxious, angry, or constantly worried, our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones narrow blood vessels, increase heart rate, and raise blood pressure. If this becomes a daily experience, think caregiving stress, job insecurity, financial strain, and unprocessed trauma, stop being just “mood” and start being medical.
Even sleep, which is often disrupted by poor mental health, plays a role. Sleep deprivation increases stress responses in the body and weakens the cardiovascular system over time. Insomnia, common in people with anxiety or depression, is also associated with higher blood pressure levels.
In the health spaces I occupy, I have met women who have been managing blood pressure for years without ever addressing the emotional load they carry. Men who silently battle depression but won’t seek therapy, yet swallow antihypertensive drugs every morning. Something is off about how we approach healing when we separate body and mind as if they don’t live in the same house.
A Holistic Approach To Healing
Yes, reduce your salt intake. Yes, walk daily. But also, check your stress levels. Talk about your emotions. Go for therapy. Rest intentionally. All of these are also part of managing hypertension.
According to the Mayo Clinic, managing stress effectively, through therapy, mindfulness, exercise, or even spiritual practices, can significantly reduce blood pressure. The clinic also notes that people who combine medication with healthy coping strategies for stress see better long-term outcomes than those who just rely on drugs.
In Nigeria, we are still catching up on this. Mental health is often seen as a luxury. Yet here we are, losing lives because no one teaches us to grieve properly, or how to speak up when overwhelmed. We lose our people not just to sugar and salt, but to pressure that lives in the mind.
Breaking The Stigma, One Conversation At A Time
Make it a habit to ask deeper questions during health checks. Normalize seeing a therapist when we feel overwhelmed. Push for healthcare systems that treat mental and physical health as one. And most importantly, remove the shame that keeps so many people silent.
Grace now has a new routine. Yes, she takes her meds and watches her diet, but she also talks more about her fears, her frustrations and her need for support. She journals. She prays. She rests. She cries when she needs to. And her numbers? They are coming down. Sometimes, the greatest act of healing is not just what we take, but what we release.
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