Bonus Episode
Season 2, Episode 1
Show Notes
Why can anxiety make the stomach hurt? Why do some people feel nauseated, lose their appetite, experience digestive changes, or feel a pit in their stomach when they are stressed?
In this episode of The Christian Mind Reset, Dr. April Joy explores the fascinating connection between anxiety, the gut-brain axis, the nervous system, and gastrointestinal symptoms—and brings the conversation back to one of Scripture's most familiar passages: Psalm 23.
As a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, psychotherapist, Bible teacher, and student of neuroscience, Dr. April Joy explains how the brain and gut are constantly communicating through a complex bidirectional system involving the central nervous system, enteric nervous system, autonomic nervous system, stress-response pathways, immune and endocrine signaling, the vagus nerve, and the gut microbiome.
She explains why anxiety is not experienced only as worried thoughts. Stress can also show up physically through nausea, appetite changes, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, muscle tension, changes in breathing, and other bodily sensations.
The episode also explores interoception, the brain’s ability to sense and interpret signals coming from inside the body, and how physical sensations can sometimes become part of an anxiety cycle. A person notices a racing heart, tight stomach, nausea, or another uncomfortable sensation, interprets it as threatening, becomes more anxious, and then experiences even stronger physical sensations.
Dr. April Joy also discusses emerging research on the gut microbiome and brain, including why intriguing findings from animal studies should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that gut bacteria cause human psychiatric disorders.
But the heart of this episode returns to Psalm 23:5:
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
Dr. April Joy considers this verse through the lens of anxiety and the nervous system. The table is prepared while the enemies are still present. The circumstances have not necessarily disappeared, yet David describes the Shepherd's provision and presence in the middle of them.
For someone whose anxiety makes eating difficult, that image carries special meaning.
The episode connects this truth with Jesus calming the storm, Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:6, Matthew 6:34, taking thoughts captive, biblical meditation, neuroplasticity, and prayer. It also examines an fMRI study of committed Christians that found personal, improvised prayer recruited brain regions involved in social cognition, offering an interesting neuroscientific window into the relational experience of prayer without using neuroscience to prove theological claims.
Listeners will also learn about research in people with generalized anxiety disorder showing that 91.4% of the worry predictions recorded in one study did not come true, illustrating how often anxiety can pull the mind into feared futures that never arrive.
In This Episode
Dr. April Joy discusses:
* The gut-brain axis and anxiety
* Why anxiety can cause nausea and loss of appetite
* The enteric nervous system or “second brain”
* The vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system
* Stress, the HPA axis, and gastrointestinal symptoms
* Interoception and the anxiety-sensation cycle
* Serotonin and the gastrointestinal system
* The gut microbiome and mental health research
* Why animal microbiome studies require careful interpretation
* Neuroplasticity and repeated patterns of thinking
* What neuroscience can—and cannot—tell Christians about prayer
* Psalm 23 and God’s presence during anxiety
* Why worry often pulls the mind into the future
* Scripture-based breath prayer using Psalm 23
* Biblical declarations for anxiety, fear, and uncertainty
The episode closes with declarations from Psalm 23, a guided prayer, and a reminder that Christians can pray, renew their minds, and trust God while also receiving appropriate medical, psychological, and pastoral support.
Persistent nausea, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, appetite changes, changes in bowel habits, or other unresolved gastrointestinal symptoms should not automatically be attributed to anxiety. Appropriate medical evaluation is important.
For more conversations at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, mental health, Scripture, anxiety, and renewing the mind, follow The Christian Mind Reset Podcast and subscribe to Dr. April Joy’s Substack.
Connect with Dr. April Joy:
Substack: The Christian Mind Reset
If you liked today’s episode, please subscribe, leave a review, follow, like, or share. You can find me on Instagram at @thechristianpsychnp and on Substack at The Christian Mind Resetfor more Scripture, neuroscience, and practical tips for renewing your mind.
Listen to The Christian Mind Reset on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and Substack.
My eBook, The Christian Mind Reset: A 28-Day Psalms Guide to Biblical Meditation, Neuroscience, and Renewing Your Mind, which is a companion to Season 1, is available in my Stan Store at https://stan.store/thechristianpsychnp and on my Substack.
Scriptures Referenced
Psalm 23Isaiah 26:3Joshua 1:8Matthew 6:34Matthew 26:38Luke 8:22–25Philippians 4:6–82 Corinthians 10:5Hebrews 4:15Romans 8:28
References
Haug, T. T., Mykletun, A., & Dahl, A. A. (2002). Are anxiety and depression related to gastrointestinal symptoms in the general population? Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 37(3), 294–298. https://doi.org/10.1080/003655202317284192
Haug, T. T., Mykletun, A., & Dahl, A. A. (2002). The prevalence of nausea in the community: Psychological, social, and somatic factors. General Hospital Psychiatry, 24(2), 81–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-8343(01)00184-0
LaFreniere, L. S., & Newman, M. G. (2020). Exposing worry’s deceit: Percentage of untrue worries in generalized anxiety disorder treatment. Behavior Therapy, 51(3), 413–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2019.07.003
Schjoedt, U., Stødkilde-Jørgensen, H., Geertz, A. W., & Roepstorff, A. (2009). Highly religious participants recruit areas of social cognition in personal prayer. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 4(2), 199–207. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsn050
Zhao, Z., et al. (2023). Effectiveness of probiotic/prebiotic/synbiotic treatments on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders.
Zheng, P., Zeng, B., Liu, M., Chen, J., Pan, J., Han, Y., Liu, Y., Cheng, K., Zhou, C., Wang, H., Zhou, X., Gui, S., Perry, S. W., Wong, M.-L., Licinio, J., Wei, H., & Xie, P. (2019). The gut microbiome from patients with schizophrenia modulates the glutamate-glutamine-GABA cycle and schizophrenia-relevant behaviors in mice. Science Advances, 5(2), eaau8317. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau8317
Zhu, F., Guo, R., Wang, W., Ju, Y., Wang, Q., Ma, Q., Sun, Q., Fan, Y., Xie, Y., Yang, Z., Jie, Z., Zhao, B., Xiao, L., Yang, L., Zhang, T., Liu, B., Guo, L., He, X., Chen, Y., … Ma, X. (2020). Transplantation of microbiota from drug-free patients with schizophrenia causes schizophrenia-like abnormal behaviors and dysregulated kynurenine metabolism in mice. Molecular Psychiatry, 25(11), 2905–2918. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-019-0475-4
Biblical References:
NIV
Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978). YouVersion Bible App.
ESV
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001). YouVersion Bible App.
NKJV
Holy Bible, New King James Version. (1982). Thomas Nelson. YouVersion Bible App.
Disclaimer: This podcast/letter is for informational purposes only. It contains general information, drawn from my experience, research, and best practices. It is not health care advice and is not intended to replace the counsel of your health care provider. Consult your provider before starting any new treatments or changing your health routine. This message does not constitute a provider-patient relationship between us.
If you are experiencing significant anxiety, distress, or need support, please seek care from a qualified healthcare professional. You may also consider reaching out to a licensed Christian counselor or pastor for additional support.
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