If you have suffered from long-term stress did it cause you physical symptoms: what did you experience?

[Topoftherange]

If you have ever suffered from a period of prolonged stress and anxiety can I ask if you also struggled with physical symptoms as a result and what were those symptoms?

I have been under a lot of stress these last few years and it will only get worse. I have so many horrible physical symptoms that I now often struggle to function on a day to day basis. I am told (by my GP, family and friends) that it's simply the stress causing a myriad of issues but no amount of stress reduction is helping. Obviously worrying about serious illness is NOT helping, I know but I just can not help myself the more I struggle physically, the more it stresses me (yoga, hypnosis, meditation, exercise etc - none of these things help). I suppose the only way I would know for sure if the stress and physical issues are connected is if the stressful situation went away and it won't, not for a while at least.

So if you have ever suffered from a terrible period of stress/heightened anxiety for a significant amount of time did it also affect you physically and what were your symptoms?

Yes I was going to post this. I’m listening to it on Spotify. It’s quite soporific to listen to him rather than read text.

I lost a lot of weight unintentionally. People were concerned for me, asking if I was okay as I’d lost so much.

When I lost my dad, that evening my body went into shock and my leg was uncontrollably shaking. Within a day or two I broke out with psoriasis, something I’d never had before (stress can trigger it).

Edit - Apologies : I’ve reread your post and seen you’ve asked about long-term stress. My previous post (about unintended weight-loss) was at a time of intense long-term stress.

Have you discovered the Elderly Parents board on here @Topoftherange there will be loads of women (its always daughters…) in the same boat and storm.
My stress, I can’t get away from but I do cheer myself up by thinking in 100yrs none of this will matter or even be remembered!
The advice I would give you is to step away, get your mum into a care home and put yourself first. Dementia is the cruelest disease but you could still be in this position in 5, 10, 15yrs. You have children who should be your priority, let professionals take over before you make yourself properly ill.

severe teeth grinding
IBS
headaches
neck and shoulder pain
acid reflux
bad insomnia

All I believe caused by years of high stress . Was a carer for my mum with dementia for years while working full time in a mentally demanding job, caring for children and having a very difficult husband .
not much has changed apart from my mum passing away a few years ago and children growing up. I honestly think I’m unlikely to make old bones . I still feel burnt out on a regular basis .

I too was a CP social worker and had chronic lower back pain. Since I left I longer get a bad back.

I have aged a lot in two years. My teeth are worn down from grinding them in my sleep. My left upper arm aches like mad. It’s grim.

had a 1st panic attack that lasted hours, heart racing, sweats shakes, happened another few times and once collapsed in work and ended up in A&E, repeated bouts of reflux, gastritis, then random aches in arms and legs, weight loss (yay) ,skin issues, inappropriate crying .
Like another poster, covid was a time of relief and I was able to see that stress was the real issue.

Leg weakness, collapses and temporary paralysis. Therapy really helped and I've been much better recently.

I do often post on the elderly parents board, it’s very helpful.

My mum told me today she doesn’t want to go into a care home, she can not speak much now due to her dementia but that was as clear as day. It’s heartbreaking to make these kind of decisions over someone you love dearly. We have been looking at lots of local care homes in our area over the last few weeks and I’ve come out of each one sobbing, I wouldn’t put a dog in most of them and the only one we liked was almost £2k per week, my parents are self funding but can not afford that.

Lots of people online tell me just to put mum into a care home but it’s really not that simple and it is extremely stressful trying to find the right one that doesn’t feel like a hellhole tbh, you say hand mum over to the professionals but the last one we looked at had few staff who could actually speak clear English.

I have all of those symptoms too. Carers burnout really does destroy you doesn’t it?

I agree, during the first lockdown I felt so free of stress, it was such a wonderful feeling.

Heart Attack I know it’s because of stress. The next one will probably kill me.

In my case it contributed to gastric reflux. It was work-related - at times, I woke up during the night when I found myself throwing up.

I had 4 years of intense stress (day and night, no let up) and then I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

I am 100% certain this was related.

If I get stressed now I get a flare up of the colitis.

Headaches, tooth grinding, heart palpitations, acid reflux. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Have you considered a tooth guard if you’re grinding your teeth at night? It can help to protect them.

I didn’t want to scare the op but I had bc after a period of awful stress. Lots of other women say the same. I massively regret setting myself on fire to keep someone else warm.

I've had three but have bitten through all of them 😬

I find venlafaxine tends more to constipating than causing diarrhea. Much better than most other antidepressants, which on top of panic attacks left me spending half the day in the loo. Might be worth asking your GP about?

Teeth clenching/grinding to the extent that after a stressful meeting with my manager the side of my face that I clench my teeth most went numb and my vision went (temporarily) in one eye. The GP was worried i was having a stroke.

Squits and vomiting often both at the same time. I very rarely used to be sick but since covid it started. Awful digestive issues but that has improved considerably. A collapsible bucket is often my best friend.

Joint problems, chronic tiredness and clicking jaw. Also bad palpitations.

Years of stress with Healthcare senior role and a very sick daughter took its toll on me. I was diagnosed with cancer that I’m still fighting 7 yrs on.
I believe very strongly there is a link but no solid medical evidence for proof.

Same.

My hair was falling out in clumps. I only realised today in the shower that it's not happening now anything like it used to. The most recent stressful time was 2 years ago.

I got IBS. With awful nausea in the morning, like a tummy bug, but it eased as the day went on.

I got rashes the size of a 50p coin.

Palpitations.

Panic attacks...just shaking, frozen, cold sweats.

I am so much better now. I changed jobs, the pandemic ended (I was an essential worker during it, in a very stressful job) and I left a very toxic group. Slowly healing now.