Physical manifestations of stress and emotions.

**Oros Ull** · 04-13-2012, 04:49 AM

Does this happen to anyone else?

For the most part I am entirely healthy but I worry and stress out over things so much that I give myself ulcers and skin problems and all sorts of other crap.

I was wondering if this happens to others, if so what happens.

Sometimes if I worry about my appearance or something to much it will cause me to break out in hives or I will develop some weird rash and it won’t go away until whatever was causing the stress goes away and I am able to relax.

Or I will worry so much about something I will give myself stomach problems, ulcers, headache, heart palpitations and what have you.

I use this trick to an advantage sometimes, My emotions when I let them run rampant all cause physical symptoms, and sometimes I can use them to increase stamina or strength, focus ect.

But most of the time it’s a reaction rather than being induced and I just inadvertently end up physically damaging myself through psychosis. .

I was just curious if this is normal or just one more thing to add to list of reasons to suspect I’m not really human.

**DrCiao** · 04-13-2012, 04:55 AM

Could your skin problems and rash be related to diet or a specific food allergy?

I don't think stress causes ulcers and skin problems. Usually it can be targeted towards a specific bacterium that you can be susceptible towards if your body is suffering from a vitamin deficiency.

**Oros Ull** · 04-13-2012, 05:25 AM

I take all kinds of vitamins and I eat a very well rounded diet.

I’ve made sure and they are always psychological. I don’t take medications or anything either.

It’s weird. Pretty much as soon as I get over the cause it will go away.

It’s not an allergy.

**omniblade** · 04-13-2012, 07:48 AM

I get panic attacks. Sometimes those give me ulcers and lots of physical pain.

**Polymath20** · 04-13-2012, 08:11 AM

Your description is fairly common. Stress boosts cortisol levels, which in term throws off your immune system. Inflammation reactions are more common when stressed. It is fairly common for old joint injuries to flair up during extreme stress. Acne (a type of inflammation) is also common.

Also, if you are under stress, make sure you are still eating and drinking enough.

**DrCiao** · 04-15-2012, 07:23 AM

	Originally Posted by Oros Ull To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I take all kinds of vitamins and I eat a very well rounded diet. I’ve made sure and they are always psychological. I don’t take medications or anything either. It’s weird. Pretty much as soon as I get over the cause it will go away. Could it be that the the symptoms cause the psychological distress and then you associate them with the ending when they disappear? It’s not an allergy.

	Originally Posted by Polymath20 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Your description is fairly common. Stress boosts cortisol levels, which in term throws off your immune system. Inflammation reactions are more common when stressed. It is fairly common for old joint injuries to flair up during extreme stress. Acne (a type of inflammation) is also common. Also, if you are under stress, make sure you are still eating and drinking enough.

Thank you Doctor Polymath. I'm reminded of that adage- 3 doctors- 3 different opinions.
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Intake of caffeine or stimulants can also boost cortisol levels- without psychological stress per se, although "speed or meth" probably also increases psychological stressors.

That is also why meth or adderall addicts often suffer from acne or other skin problems- it's the fact that the drugs boost cortisol levels- but also depletes the body's iodine levels- to make way for fungi, bacteria and viruses to enter the system for potential infection.

**loki233** · 04-15-2012, 12:19 PM

I get sick when I'm stressed out, once I even puked blood. Not cool. My dentist also told me that canker sores can show up because of increased stress, so I suppose stress/emotions can have all sorts of odd effects.

**Amphorian** · 04-16-2012, 07:37 AM

Yeah, I get skin problems when highly stressed and more migraines. Meditation of some sort is the best I find. I myself enjoy going on walks and talking with a fellow friend while walking. Doing some physical activity helps me as an Se user. You should probably find some Te calming down methods (organizing your issues externally?) and try meditation.

**Brida** · 04-16-2012, 10:29 AM

Story of my life. Got really ill around 2005-2006 after a seriously difficult year I and was pretty sure that I was going to die from my symptoms. Nope, still alive. Went through tons of tests and doctors diagnosed me with "hyperventilation syndrome", which I still have problems believing was the correct diagnosis. (Though it probably was. Maybe. And Im saying maybe, because my blood tests always showed increased inflammation levels, ESR, which Cortisol, a stress hormone, can increase. Also, stress=inflammation.) After a year of constantly changing symptoms, I finally went to a neurologist who told me that I was fine. 2-4 months later all my symptoms ended. And I had a bunch! Constant nausea, eye pain, headaches, vision problems, increased sensitivity etc.

My personal theory is that individuals who are mainly concentrated on their mind center tend to develop way too much distance between their mind & body which can then lead to psychosomatic health problems. The body usually informs the mind if something is off, physically or emotionally, but if the mind thinks it has better things to think about it; it will just ignore the body until the body literally starts "acting up." Panic attacks as an example are in my opinion a result of stress/bottled feelings and physical tension. So, what helps? After the 05-06 health scare, I started practising grounding meditation (mindfulness is great too) and did lots of dancing, which helped a lot. Physical activity forces you right back into the body and that is why it helps in building that bridge between the mind and body. Also, I worry about things excessively too (which is why Im in therapy), and staying in the present moment really helps if you indeed worry too much. Now I just deal with everything at the last minute! Hahaha! So once again, meditation helps a lot.

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one link about Mindfulness meditation and lowered ESR levels in patients with Arthritis.

**Fishism** · 04-17-2012, 04:31 AM

Cortisol is only your friend if you're trying to outrun a dinosaur or you've pissed off the wrong drunk dude in a crowded bar. Elevated cortisol (the stress/fight or flight hormone) has a way of screwing up many biological systems, including blood sugar levels. My doctor thought I was diabetic because of elevated glucose levels, but it turns out it's just perpetually elevated cortisol from being wound up like a top all the time and Tasmanian Devilling my way through this life.

I once read a book called "The Culture of Desire" where the authors concluded that the global increase in depression and stress leave from jobs is due to the fact that our brains have too much time to focus on the wrong things because social/technical advances have taken care of the time spent on survival. Pouring water from a tap frees up a lot of that time spent walking to and from the river with buckets. We're using this free time to bombard ourselves with more input, not all of it healthy and it's overtaxing and confusion our brains that have yet to evolve to catch up with our new technology and deal with this new free time and all of the options that comes with it.

**Szepi311** · 04-17-2012, 06:58 AM

	Originally Posted by Polymath20 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Your description is fairly common. Stress boosts cortisol levels, which in term throws off your immune system. Inflammation reactions are more common when stressed. It is fairly common for old joint injuries to flair up during extreme stress. Acne (a type of inflammation) is also common. Also, if you are under stress, make sure you are still eating and drinking enough.

What I wanted to add to the above is:
When you are stressed you could crave sugar, which could in turn cause more inflamation, which will drive the acne, and the whole cycle perpetuates.

Since I started snacking on two dried prunes and a glass of water mid morning and may repeat it in the afternoon, I noticed less sugar cravings.

Of Course, I am not ignoring the stress that is driving my own skin problems. So meditation and exercise could be also helping with the sugar cravings.

My skin is showing steady improvement.

**Nightmare** · 04-17-2012, 05:49 PM

I also get panic attacks, and stress often 'pools' in areas such as the back of my neck and my knees.

**Noelle** · 04-17-2012, 07:29 PM

I don't have much to add except that I am a habitual health-tanker due to stress. Weirdly, I rarely ever 'feel' stressed out, my body just slowly starts feeling sicker and sicker until I feel like utter crap with absolutely no sickness. (Usually constantly tired, no appetite, stomach problems, constant headaches.) And my immune system is normally iron clad, usually I only get sick when I have umpteen things going on.

I need some serious de-stressing tips.

**deckard** · 04-17-2012, 07:38 PM

Tension headaches - tap gently around the ears with the tips of your fingers.

Antioxidant powders remedy quite a bit, and fast.

Raw eggs help to re-coat the lining of your stomach to resist acid build up.

Cardio exercise if you have the time.

**Szepi311** · 04-18-2012, 07:37 AM

	Originally Posted by nightmar149 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I also get panic attacks, and stress often 'pools' in areas such as the back of my neck and my knees.

Ah, and it may not even all be your OWN stress.
Better Days ahead!

**Atamagahen** · 04-18-2012, 07:41 AM

Yes. My Fi does noticeably manifest itself at times, and it can be quite strong.

**Amphorian** · 04-18-2012, 09:35 AM

Something further to add. My sister learned in her sociology class, about 90% of our physical problems are related to stress.

I'm not sure about the statistical number, but stress is a big factor in physical aliments regardless. Might want to look at diet, sleep, amount of vitamin D and water intake as well.

**gracious** · 04-18-2012, 09:42 AM

Yes, I also manifest stress physically.

For about the past year I have been wearing a mouthguard at night to relax my jaw muscles as the clenching during stress was causing excruciating pain in the joint and down my neck.

The mouthguard did me a world of good until the past few weeks and now it is flaring up again. It's very hard to get any relief from it. I will see my dentist in a few weeks and I guess we'll see if there's something more I need to do.

04-13-2012, 04:49 AM	#1
Oros Ull Veteran Member [76%] MBTI: INFJ Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 3,075	Does this happen to anyone else? For the most part I am entirely healthy but I worry and stress out over things so much that I give myself ulcers and skin problems and all sorts of other crap. I was wondering if this happens to others, if so what happens. Sometimes if I worry about my appearance or something to much it will cause me to break out in hives or I will develop some weird rash and it won’t go away until whatever was causing the stress goes away and I am able to relax. Or I will worry so much about something I will give myself stomach problems, ulcers, headache, heart palpitations and what have you. I use this trick to an advantage sometimes, My emotions when I let them run rampant all cause physical symptoms, and sometimes I can use them to increase stamina or strength, focus ect. But most of the time it’s a reaction rather than being induced and I just inadvertently end up physically damaging myself through psychosis. . I was just curious if this is normal or just one more thing to add to list of reasons to suspect I’m not really human.
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04-13-2012, 04:55 AM	#2
DrCiao Member [33%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,344	Could your skin problems and rash be related to diet or a specific food allergy? I don't think stress causes ulcers and skin problems. Usually it can be targeted towards a specific bacterium that you can be susceptible towards if your body is suffering from a vitamin deficiency.
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04-13-2012, 05:25 AM	#3
Oros Ull Veteran Member [76%] MBTI: INFJ Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 3,075	I take all kinds of vitamins and I eat a very well rounded diet. I’ve made sure and they are always psychological. I don’t take medications or anything either. It’s weird. Pretty much as soon as I get over the cause it will go away. It’s not an allergy.
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04-13-2012, 07:48 AM	#4
omniblade Member [48%] MBTI: ENTP Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,929	I get panic attacks. Sometimes those give me ulcers and lots of physical pain.
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04-13-2012, 08:11 AM	#5
Polymath20 Core Member [413%] MBTI: ENTP Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 16,526	Your description is fairly common. Stress boosts cortisol levels, which in term throws off your immune system. Inflammation reactions are more common when stressed. It is fairly common for old joint injuries to flair up during extreme stress. Acne (a type of inflammation) is also common. Also, if you are under stress, make sure you are still eating and drinking enough.
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04-15-2012, 12:19 PM	#7
loki233 New Member [01%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 34	I get sick when I'm stressed out, once I even puked blood. Not cool. My dentist also told me that canker sores can show up because of increased stress, so I suppose stress/emotions can have all sorts of odd effects.
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04-16-2012, 07:37 AM	#8
Amphorian Core Member [311%] MBTI: ISTP Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 12,457	Yeah, I get skin problems when highly stressed and more migraines. Meditation of some sort is the best I find. I myself enjoy going on walks and talking with a fellow friend while walking. Doing some physical activity helps me as an Se user. You should probably find some Te calming down methods (organizing your issues externally?) and try meditation.
Amphorian is offline post a comment

04-16-2012, 10:29 AM	#9
Brida New Member [01%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 57	Story of my life. Got really ill around 2005-2006 after a seriously difficult year I and was pretty sure that I was going to die from my symptoms. Nope, still alive. Went through tons of tests and doctors diagnosed me with "hyperventilation syndrome", which I still have problems believing was the correct diagnosis. (Though it probably was. Maybe. And Im saying maybe, because my blood tests always showed increased inflammation levels, ESR, which Cortisol, a stress hormone, can increase. Also, stress=inflammation.) After a year of constantly changing symptoms, I finally went to a neurologist who told me that I was fine. 2-4 months later all my symptoms ended. And I had a bunch! Constant nausea, eye pain, headaches, vision problems, increased sensitivity etc. My personal theory is that individuals who are mainly concentrated on their mind center tend to develop way too much distance between their mind & body which can then lead to psychosomatic health problems. The body usually informs the mind if something is off, physically or emotionally, but if the mind thinks it has better things to think about it; it will just ignore the body until the body literally starts "acting up." Panic attacks as an example are in my opinion a result of stress/bottled feelings and physical tension. So, what helps? After the 05-06 health scare, I started practising grounding meditation (mindfulness is great too) and did lots of dancing, which helped a lot. Physical activity forces you right back into the body and that is why it helps in building that bridge between the mind and body. Also, I worry about things excessively too (which is why Im in therapy), and staying in the present moment really helps if you indeed worry too much. Now I just deal with everything at the last minute! Hahaha! So once again, meditation helps a lot. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. one link about Mindfulness meditation and lowered ESR levels in patients with Arthritis.
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04-17-2012, 04:31 AM	#10
Fishism Member [29%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,198	Cortisol is only your friend if you're trying to outrun a dinosaur or you've pissed off the wrong drunk dude in a crowded bar. Elevated cortisol (the stress/fight or flight hormone) has a way of screwing up many biological systems, including blood sugar levels. My doctor thought I was diabetic because of elevated glucose levels, but it turns out it's just perpetually elevated cortisol from being wound up like a top all the time and Tasmanian Devilling my way through this life. I once read a book called "The Culture of Desire" where the authors concluded that the global increase in depression and stress leave from jobs is due to the fact that our brains have too much time to focus on the wrong things because social/technical advances have taken care of the time spent on survival. Pouring water from a tap frees up a lot of that time spent walking to and from the river with buckets. We're using this free time to bombard ourselves with more input, not all of it healthy and it's overtaxing and confusion our brains that have yet to evolve to catch up with our new technology and deal with this new free time and all of the options that comes with it.
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04-17-2012, 05:49 PM	#12
Nightmare Member [29%] MBTI: INFP Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,184	I also get panic attacks, and stress often 'pools' in areas such as the back of my neck and my knees.
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04-17-2012, 07:29 PM	#13
Noelle Member [16%] MBTI: INFJ Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 640	I don't have much to add except that I am a habitual health-tanker due to stress. Weirdly, I rarely ever 'feel' stressed out, my body just slowly starts feeling sicker and sicker until I feel like utter crap with absolutely no sickness. (Usually constantly tired, no appetite, stomach problems, constant headaches.) And my immune system is normally iron clad, usually I only get sick when I have umpteen things going on. I need some serious de-stressing tips.
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04-17-2012, 07:38 PM	#14
deckard Member [46%] MBTI: IsTJ Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 1,840	Tension headaches - tap gently around the ears with the tips of your fingers. Antioxidant powders remedy quite a bit, and fast. Raw eggs help to re-coat the lining of your stomach to resist acid build up. Cardio exercise if you have the time.
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04-18-2012, 07:41 AM	#16
Atamagahen Veteran Member [50%] MBTI: INTX Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 2,000	Yes. My Fi does noticeably manifest itself at times, and it can be quite strong.
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04-18-2012, 09:35 AM	#17
Amphorian Core Member [311%] MBTI: ISTP Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 12,457	Something further to add. My sister learned in her sociology class, about 90% of our physical problems are related to stress. I'm not sure about the statistical number, but stress is a big factor in physical aliments regardless. Might want to look at diet, sleep, amount of vitamin D and water intake as well.
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04-18-2012, 09:42 AM	#18
gracious Core Member [341%] MBTI: INFJ Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,673	Yes, I also manifest stress physically. For about the past year I have been wearing a mouthguard at night to relax my jaw muscles as the clenching during stress was causing excruciating pain in the joint and down my neck. The mouthguard did me a world of good until the past few weeks and now it is flaring up again. It's very hard to get any relief from it. I will see my dentist in a few weeks and I guess we'll see if there's something more I need to do.
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