Impact of worry

Does worry have an impact on our every day lives?  Is worry good or not so good for us?  What happens when we worry?

What is worry?

To begin searching for these answers I first turned to Wikipedia.  Here worry refers to the thoughts, images and emotions of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made[vague] to avoid anticipated potential threats. As an emotion it is experienced as anxiety or concern about a real or imagined issue, often personal issues such as health or finances, or broader issues such as environmental pollution and social or technological change.

Short-lived periods of worry

Most people experience short-lived periods of worry in their lives without incident; indeed, a moderate amount of worrying may even have positive effects, if it prompts people to take precautions (e.g., fastening their seat belt or buying fire insurance) or avoid risky behaviors (e.g., angering dangerous animals, or binge drinking). Excessive worry is the main component of generalized anxiety disorder.

With this information in mind, how does worry impact us when we already have sustained an injury or an illness?  To be continued...