For those who suffer from stress what are some of the symptoms you experience?

I've posted this a couple of times before. Stress can literally wipe out a person's immune system, leaving them susceptible for anything, even cancer. The stress of losing my family caused me so much stress that I got sick. I was healthy, and within six months, I was filled with pain and suffering.
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The Effects of Stress on Your Health

Stress has far-reaching consequences to the breakdown of the human body. It goes beyond simply depleting your C and B vitamins; stress breaks down your glands and knocks out your immune system.

Dr. Alfred Coodley of the University of Southern California Medical School says that stress is the most widespread medical problem in America today. It's a major contributing factor in 100 percent of diseases.

Stress can knock out your immune system. Stress can make you sick by wreaking havoc on your immune system, allowing disease to strike much more easily. Stress causes the white blood cells of the immune system to be greatly altered, and this allows sickness to set in, says Dr. Robert S. Brown, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Selye did extensive experimental work with rats that had been subjected to stress. The rats were subjected to many kinds of stress that we, as humans, face every day: too much heat, cold, frustration, hunger, fatigue, and unpleasant situations. In each instance, there was a control group not subjected to these stresses. When both groups were autopsied, the comparisons were startling.


Glandular Breakdown

The adrenals and thymus glands, which help control the body, as well as the stomach linings of the rats exposed to undue stress, were almost unrecognizable. These organs were gorged with blood, misshapen, enlarged, and diseased. In the control group (those not exposed to undue stress, the same organs were smooth and healthy. The changes in the rats exposed to stress had not been caused by bacteria, virus, poison, or disease, but by emotions that had produced similar ravaging effects.

The thymus and adrenal glands are two very important parts of the human immune system. Most people are being confronted with an incredible number of stresses that were unknown a hundred and fifty years ago.

When a breakdown of the immune system occurs, it can lead to a range of illnesses that stretches from a common cold to cancer.


Disease

Dr. Selye believes that stress is the most common cause of disease. This is understandable, as we begin to examine the variety of daily stresses to which we are exposed. If the alarm goes off late, if we miss a bus, if the mortgage comes due, if we have an argument with someone, if we overwork and become overtired, if we hear bad news, if we cut our finger, if the car battery goes dead, if a woman gets a run in her stocking? All of these situations are ones that produce stress.

When organs are disturbed in their functions by stress, they cannot keep the body running smoothly. Dr. Selye says that stress can upset the glandular system and lead to arthritis, blood pressure, diabetes, coronaries, ulcers, allergies, kidney trouble, and a host of other conditions. Yet, the owner rarely suspects the cause. At first, the body can bounce back. However, if pressured too far, and too long, irreparable damage may occur. Dr. Selye believes that the degenerative or aging disease may also result from the cumulative effects of stress.


Dr. Hans Selye won the Nobel Prize for his research on what stress does to the human body (Selye, H.,The Stress of Life, McGraw-Hill, New York, N.Y. / Selye, H., Canadian Med. Assn. J. 61, 553).

Shortness of breath, migraine headaches, shaking and tremors, sleeplessness, no appetite or craving for "comfort foods", bad skin and hair, cancor (sp?) sores, stomach/intestinal upset, seizures, memory loss, mental confusion.....you name it.

Stress is going to kill me, that I do know.

I have struggled with extreme panic disorder since I was a kid (I'm 30 1/2 now). Hyperventilating, rapid heartbeat, feeling like I'm losing control, churning stomach, crying...

Anger, frustration, sadness, hopelessness, confusion, bitterness. Those are some of the symptoms I have suffered with over the years dealing with stress.

I've had shortness of breath, palpitations, chest tightness/pain, grinding teeth,
headaches, choking sensations, and a host of other stuff.

It's not fun, for sure. And what makes it worse is that you never know if these symptoms are "just stress" or something more dire, which of course, adds to your stress!

THanks for the replies.

I have been under a lot of stress. It doesn't seem like it's going to end anytime soon. I have been dealing with stomach pain, chest pain, racing heartbeat, headaches, crying, fear, trembling and sadness that has made my depression and anxiety worse.

THanks for the replies.

I have been under a lot of stress. It doesn't seem like it's going to end anytime soon. I have been dealing with stomach pain, chest pain, racing heartbeat, headaches, crying, fear, trembling and sadness that has made my depression and anxiety worse.

I hope you feel better very soon.

THanks for the replies.

I have been under a lot of stress. It doesn't seem like it's going to end anytime soon. I have been dealing with stomach pain, chest pain, racing heartbeat, headaches, crying, fear, trembling and sadness that has made my depression and anxiety worse.
:bighug: Don't forget, Jenny, you're not alone. I struggle with those same symptoms myself, and it is scary. Let us know how everything turns out!!

When I'm stressed, my face usually breaks out and I get really irritated at everything.

My life is pretty stress free

My life is pretty stress free

Ahh, so YOU'RE the one! :lol:

I'm having a symptom (skin/lip infection) that is probably due to stress. I went to the dentist this morning and my dentist mentioned that it looks like I have a lip/skin infection. He said usually that kind of infection is brought on by stress. I was given a prescription for cream o hopefully clear it up.

My life is pretty stress free

Same here, or I like to think it is. I mean I do worry about things once in a while, especially about money, but thankfully, I've never experienced some of the symptoms that some of you had posted!!

My heart goes out to all of you!!;)