Stress - It's a physical thing

Let me begin by stating the obvious: Stress is a very real, very serious thing.

Now, I'm not talking about 'My team is losing with one minute left in the game' stress, although my family can attest to the truly horrific ways I deal with that type of anxiety. I'm talking about the stress that leaves you paralyzed and borderline unable to function, the kind that wreaks havoc on your body and mind.

In the last eight months, my mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer, my brother was deployed, I gave up on the search for my dream job and took an unrelated position, my sister moved across the country, my mom suffered through eleven chemo treatments, blood clots in her lungs, and a case of the shingles, and I've dealt with my own continued health frustrations. To say I've been stressed is a bit of an understatement.

I've always considered myself a worrier, but I never knew the physical effects that stress could have on your body until the last few months. So, in order to spread some stress awareness and let other overwhelmed individuals know they aren't alone, here is a comprehensive list of the physical manifestations that my stress has taken since July:

• Stomach issues. My gut was probably the first part of my body to react to my elevated stress level. I use the phrase 'stomach issues' because it really ran the gamut, from feeling nauseous and wanting to throw up to not feeling hungry at all to being constipated for days.
• Skin problems. For the last few months, my face has looked like a pubescent teenage girl. I never thought I'd have to deal with acne again, but anxiety has consistently caused my face to break out. I also developed a short-lived rash on my cheeks (that my doctor briefly thought might even be lupus).
• Bleeding gums. This is a weird one, but my mouth hygiene has also taken a serious hit due to stress. I haven't changed my brushing habits one bit, but my gums have been bleeding and my doctor attributed it to stress.
• Mouth pain. Speaking of teeth, I went through a period where I experienced searing pain that migrated along my jaw. At first, I thought I had a horrible toothache, but quickly realized it wasn't.
• Hair loss. This one is embarrassing, but I actually stressed myself out to the point where I was losing a lot of hair. I always find hair in my brush or on my clothes, but this was another level entirely.
• Sensitivity to pain. Suddenly, I was feeling random pains all over my body, ones that I had never felt before. The doctor told me that stress weakens your immune system and makes your brain more susceptible to feeling pain.
• Heartburn. Holy cow. The worst heartburn ever. I even went to the emergency room and after hours of testing, they told me I had a severe case of heartburn called GERD. It causes extreme chest pain, persistent dry coughing, and even makes me lose my voice from time to time.
• TMJ aka jaw problems. Apparently, my anxiety makes me clench my jaw and the right side now pops whenever I open my mouth.
• Muscle pain and cramping. Along the same lines, whenever I'm stressed, my entire body tenses up. After days of tension, my muscles start cramping, causing some debilitating pain.
• Exhaustion. After I started having panic attacks, it was impossible for me to sleep through the night. I would wake up every few hours, check my phone, and never get a full night's rest. This made me miserable the next day. The anxiety also caused soaking night sweats.
• Twitching. After an MRI and an EMG, a neurologist finally diagnosed me with benign fasciculation syndrome. In other words, different parts of my body randomly twitch whenever I'm at rest. It's incredibly annoying and really used to scare me, but now I'm getting used to it. It also causes itching and other unpleasant feelings on the surface of my skin. The likely cause? Extreme stress.

These physical symptoms didn't occur over night. They were the result of months of anxiety, lots of crying, and persistent worrying. Of course, everyone's body reacts to stress differently, but I can honestly say - my experience was miserable. After weeks of panic attacks, my body actually started to shut down, unable to cope with the heightened stress level. I won't even delve into the long-term effects that chronic stress can have on your body, including elevated blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack.

Fortunately, with the help of an antidepressant, an anti-anxiety pill, some therapy, and lots of love and support from family and friends, I can honestly say I'm feeling better now. I'm learning healthy ways to cope with my anxiety and I'm working on a post to share some methods with you. As always, I'm a work in progress and I still have some really tough days, but I'm slowly learning how to accept the tough things and remind myself of the good.