Everyone deals with stress. Why wouldn’t anyone be stressed? Through school, work, commitments, and much more, we all have things to worry about. What people don’t often talk about is the harmful effects stress can have on our bodies. There was a point in my life where I felt trapped in a dark overwhelming hole and couldn’t get out of it. After being able to manage my stress levels, I felt happier and healthier when I was around people and keeping myself busy.Â
This started towards the end of my freshman year of college. I didn’t have the best experience and my mental health was starting to decrease. I was also dealing with some drama and issues going on at home. Little did I know that stress would apply some harmful effects to my body.Â
Firstly, I didn’t even notice I was stressed. I didn’t cry or react to anything. All my tears had dried up and nothing seemed real anymore. I just felt numb all the time. I often used work as a distraction just to get my body moving and shift my focus elsewhere. During that summer, I barely talked to anyone and felt completely isolated. I was also extremely anxious about returning back to school my sophomore year. Overthinking was giving me headaches and making my stomach hurt. But that was only the beginning.
I returned to school and actually made an effort into making new friends and enjoying my classes. I noticed a few months later that I was not getting my normal menstrual cycles. I went to the doctors and they prescribed me a prescription as an attempt to make the cycle normal again. It didn’t work and I had to get a blood test to get my estroradio blood level tested. On top of all that, I found myself dealing with a busy schedule and barely having any breaks.Â
When I went back to the doctors, there was a lot to unpack. I had been diagnosed with Secondary Amenorrhea. Not only that, but my hormones were unbalanced, my reproductive system shut down, I had low estroradiol, and damage in bone density. My body was supposedly in survival mode due to the high tension of stress and being underweight. I remember sitting there shocked when all this information was spiraling out of control in my head. The doctor had asked me if there was anything going on at home or at school to cause this stress. Of course there were still things going on.
For the next few weeks, I focused on recovering my body. I had to get multiple blood tests for my hormones. This caused me to develop the fear of needles and IVs. I was prescribed pedestrian and estrogen pills for my bone density and physical track. I even had a scheduled MRI appointment to check the stress developed in my brain.
The good news is that all of the results from the tests came back normal. My cycle returned back to normal and the issues with my family and school were resolved. I was put on medication and vitamins to keep my body balanced and healthy. I was wondering if there had been something wrong with me. I’ve also grown up not having to take any prescription medications for any needs. I never had anxiety, but it was so weird to think that stress almost killed me inside.
As of now, I’m feeling more alive than I did before. I’ve been able to manage the stress and surround myself with friends and family. College has also gotten so much better and has provided me with more opportunities. Sometimes when I feel myself getting stressed, I still worry about how my body will be affected. I’ve done a better job prioritizing my mental health by allowing myself to take time to rest. I hope this story will make others with stress not feel alone and know that it’s not the end of the world. Everything always works out in the end.