What were / are your physical signs and symptoms of stress?

[Soggybaps]

As the title says really.. what were your physical symptoms of stress and anxiety?

I have the following issues which I think are related to stress and anxiety:

• hair loss (and I’m talking a ball of hair that fills the palm of my hand) every day
• tight chest / breathless like I can’t take a deep breath
• stabbing pains in my right eye
• Twitchy
• aching neck
• stiff / clicky jaw
• fatigue
• brain fog / cannot retain info
• tearful and overwhelmed over silly things

would be interested to hear others symptoms because I keep thinking there’s something wrong with me or im dying. It sounds stupid when I write it down!

Anxiety and stress, not to mention your other maladies, can all be attributed to perimenopause/menopause, thyroid problems and long Covid/post viral fatigue, or even a combination of all of them.

Change in diet -no perceived time or headspace for meal planning or cooking

Hair loss
tightness in the chest
broken sleep
lack of appetite
brain fog
nightmares
permanent tiredness
constantly on a state of alert
rapid heart beat
knotted stomach

@doublec i am only 30 so I don’t think it would be menopausal. Interesting about thyroid though. I’ve had my levels checked a couple of years ago and told everything normal but worth maybe having more checks.

Can't face eating normal food and just want to eat toast, cake and biscuits.

Tight chest, breathing problems, panicky feelings

Tearful, burst into tears easily

Want to sleep all the time

Zoned out mentally, can't take in info, reduced understanding, confusion.

Hope you are OK OP, please do get some help, get signed off work, get out in nature, rest, go for a gentle walk X

Palpitations so violent I was sent for an emergency ECG
panic attacks in bed
insomnia
Scalp breaks out
fatigue
mouth ulcers
Feelings of agitation and ‘wrongness’ in my body

@Soggybaps I went through menopause in my 30s, so I do automatically think of this. It is worth having your thyroid checked again, our bodies aren't static, things change and it might be your levels have shifted. Be advised that the UK's thyroid range is much broader, so in the uK, your level might be deemed fine, but in the rest of the world, not so much.

Either way, anxiety and stress is often caused by hormones. If you're taking the Pill or other hormone-based contraception, might be worth changing that too.

Hope you are able to get to the bottom of this and start to feel better soon.

I think it’s always wise to rule out physical problems with some blood tests rather than attributing things to stress or any other psychological issues.

Some of my friends have had
“stress” that turned out to be heart arrhythmia, low iron and brain plaque respectively

Suggest a visit to GP (if you can get an appt!) Tell them all this. They are all palpable symptoms. Excess cortisol/adrenaline/other stress related chemicals have an actual impact on your body. It's not all just 'in your mind' although can begin there.
For me: Feeling very tired, migraines, forgetting the names for things (i genuinely feared young onset alzheimers for a while) loss of sex drive, feeling anger, loss of confidence and self esteem. Lack of ability to concentrate and make sense of what I was reading. Driving anxiety, feeling spacey. I also lost some hair.

If you are a reader can I suggest The Body Keeps The Score? Excellent book.

What helped: time off work to rest, got help with the thing that was stressing me as I thought I could do it all, getting some counselling and lots and lots of walking. My partner was wonderful and looked after me and cooked wholesome food for 10 days or so, and then I was well enough to start picking life back up again.

Good luck!

Yes I agree with @Nonplusultra too, sorry meant to say that's why go to GP.

When I was going through an incredibly anxious time, I'd find when I washed my hair that a lot more would fall out than usual. It stopped once I got the anxiety under control.

Also, tight chest, frantic breathing, lack of appetite, sleeping a lot more. And a few weeks before I really felt anxious, I got a mild case of shingles. My GP was surprised about that, and kept suggesting I must be under a lot of stress as it was unusual for someone my age to have shingles, but I insisted I was fine. It must have all been silently brewing inside and I should have seen the shingles as a warning to address my mental health, but I ignored it and a few weeks later I was in the middle of a MH crisis. So please OP, don't ignore any physical signs, and if you're really stressed or anxious speak to your GP. Don't leave it until you are at breaking point!

Muscle twitching
Pins and needles
Racing heart
Can't sleep
Can't eat (except junk food)
Teeth clenching
Shaky feelings

A lot of what's on your list but instead of my hair falling out I came up in a huge, weepy rash all over my scalp. It was awful. I then got a rash up my arms and it started on my face as well. My shoulders were also very achy from being tense.

It took me a while to realise it was all related to my stress (which should have been obvious because I was on the verge of a total breakdown). It could be worth seeing a doctor with your symptoms but mine immediately threw antidepressants at me which I didn't find that helpful.

It does sound like stress but I would go and get tested. A number of other things can cause this, including vitamin deficiencies.

@doublec interesting… I will deffo ask the question when I eventually get in to see my gp..!

@Coral569 ouch that sounds nasty - it’s scary what can happen to our bodies under certain circs…

thank you all for your input. I have spoken with my boss who has been incredibly supportive and I have self certified for 7 days. I feel relieved and exhausted / wiped out.

phoning gp tomorrow x

Most of the above plus stress excema

@MaudGonneOutForAFag the chest pains are something that really catch me off guard… like I’m being stabbed with a carving knife. Horrid feeling!

Psoriasis is usually mine. I always have it mildly on my knees but when I'm stressed it comes out in small dots on my stomach, arms and legs.