If you aren't sure whether stress is causing your symptoms, look at these causes and symptoms of stress that might go unnoticed. Can you relate to any of the causes of stress or recognize yourself in any of the symptoms of stress listed below? If so, stress is likely causing symptoms of mental, emotional or physical pain.

Causes of Stress

NOTE: Being a Highly Sensitive Person or an Empath heightens your chances of experiencing stress-related symptoms when routine care isn't taken to prevent the negative effects of stress. Also, if you're an HSP or Empath who has suffered adverse childhood experiences, your chances of experiencing stress-related symptoms rise. See ACE Score at the bottom of this page. 

Emotional/Mental Causes of Stress

• Significant life changes or events (marriage, divorce, pregnancy, relocation, health concerns, deaths)
• Illness and disease
• Relationship complexities (negative people, inflexibility, red flags, abuse)
• Children and family concerns
• Money and finances, as well as pressures at work or school
• Staying too busy
• Environment (home, office, city, state, country)
• Lack of support
• Lack of purpose, direction, or meaning
• Pessimism, victim mentality, perfectionism, and negative self-talk
• Avoidance of dealing with something emotionally painful
• Happiness deficiency
• Suppressed emotions
• Excessive need for approval
• Childhood experiences or environment
• Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, financial), including neglect
• Opression, including being the victim of narcissism
• Traumatic experiences (physical or emotional)

There is nothing as destructive as negative emotions (fear, guilt, shame, resentment, blame, rage, jealousy, contempt), especially when they are repressed, ignored, or dwelt on. Chronic negativity causes a host of physical symptoms, including Cancer. It's certainly not the only thing that causes Cancer, but it significantly contributes to the disease and can prevent healing. Why? Because emotions change DNA. After just five minutes, anger decreases immunity for five hours, while laughter increases immunity for 20 hours or more. Forgiveness is the beginning of healing. Often, it's ourselves we need to forgive to begin loving ourselves enough to move toward health and happiness. Forgiving others doesn't mean that what they did was acceptable or okay. It simply means you have decided to let go of the negative emotions so they don't hurt YOU anymore. You're not letting them off the hook. You're letting yourself off the hook. You have to. Otherwise, undigested anger only leads to autoimmune conditions and Cancer.

Spiritual Causes of Stress

• Spiritual disconnect (lack of purpose)
• Spiritual attachments, attacks, or possession
• Past life experiences
• Near death experiences (NDEs)

Physical Causes of Stress

• Addictions
• Drug or sugar withdrawal 
• EMFs (interferences in your electromagnetic energy field)
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Hormonal imbalances
• Poor pH balance
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Inner ear and lung disorders
• Genetic factors
• Hypoglycemia and Diabetes
• Neck and spinal misalignments or injuries
• Food and chemical sensitivities and allergies
• Medications, including anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications
• Damage to the amygdalae from injury or alcoholism
• Illnesses, bacterial, fungal and viral infections, such as Herpes Simplex Virus
• Enzyme deficiency and imbalances in the gut microbiome
• Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Symptoms of Stress

Emotional Symptoms of Stress

• Becoming irritated, frustrated, angered, or hostile easily
• Excessive defensiveness or suspiciousness
• Overreaction
• Low self-esteem and low self-worth
• Lonely much of the time.
• Moodiness, sadness, crying spells, anxiety and depression, or suicidal thoughts
• Apathy or emotional numbness
• Overwhelmed and feeling you have no control over your situation or life.
• Avoidance behaviors (including phobias)

Physical (Bodily) Symptoms of Stress

• Insomnia, fatigue, and low energy
• Muscle ache, loss, pain, or spasm (especially head, neck, shoulder, and back)
• Chest pain in the heart area, rapid heartbeat, and palpitations
• Indigestion, nausea, stomach pain, constipation, or diarrhea (often alternating)
• Frequent colds, infections, or herpes breakouts (a weakened immune system)
• Loss of interest in sex or the ability to perform
• Weight gain or loss without dieting
• A continuous feeling of nervousness, anxiety, worry, or guilt
• Trembling or shaking of the body, hands, or lips
• Frequent allergy attacks (and Histamine Intolerance)
• Tinnitus (ringing, popping, buzzing in the ear)
• Cold or sweaty hands and feet
• Blushing, sweating, and hot flashes
• Dry mouth and difficulty swallowing
• Clenched jaw and grinding teeth
• Frequently sighing (taking deep breaths) or difficulty breathing.
• Light-headedness, dizziness, faintness, or a feeling of being off-balance
• Panic attacks when danger is absent
• Being accident-prone

Cognitive (Mental/Thinking) Symptoms of Stress

• Constant worrying or seeing only the negative side of things
• Unrealistic expectations of self or others or excessive idealism
• Racing thoughts and the inability to turn off mind-chatter.
• Stuttering or stammering or rapid or mumbled speech
• Forgetting things or confusion
• Lack of focus or concentration
• Trouble being punctual
• Problems learning new information
• Irrational or disgusting thoughts
• Poor judgment, perspective, or decision-making ability
• Nightmares or recurring dreams
• Lying, justifying, or making up excuses​

Behavioral (Actions) Symptoms of Stress

• Procrastinating or avoiding responsibilities
• Eating too much or too little
• Obsessive or compulsive behaviors, such as repeatedly washing hands, excessive shopping, or gambling
• Using or increasing the use of stimulants or sedatives to cope, such as alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs
• Reduced productivity or activity
• Engaging in nervous behaviors, such as fidgeting, pacing, biting the inner mouth, nail-biting,
• Picking at the scalp, twirling or pulling out hair
• Skin-cutting or burning
• Letting appearance go
• Social withdrawal and isolation (and phobias)

Stress can make you experience symptoms from any of the four categories listed above. You may not recognize your symptoms as stress at the time. Getting a headache before taking a test at school, feeling nauseous during an argument with your spouse, or suffering a panic attack while standing in line to renew your license are all apparent symptoms of stress. But not feeling hungry (or ravenous when you've already eaten) and wanting to spend money (again) on things you don't need are also signs of stress.

Your symptoms may pass quickly or stick around and grow if you become chronically stressed or begin to fear your symptoms. Eventually, your symptoms can cause you to become less active, more isolated, and less productive, reducing your quality of life.

ACE Score (Adverse Childhood Experience)

Childhood toxic and chronic stress damages the structure and function of a child's developing brain. ACE scores tally the degree of such things as the following:

• Physical Abuse
• Verbal Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Physical Neglect
• Emotional Neglect

We only move out of our child brain and into our adult brain once we are 24-26 years old. Before this, we tend to "Freeze" in response to not feeling safe, rather than "Fight or Flight". The Freeze response can cause stress-related symptoms as a reaction to not feeling safe in your own body (you can't fight or getaway). Freeze mode, regardless of your age, makes it difficult to heal. We must feel we can fight or run from danger to feel safe. If you find yourself in Freeze mode, ask yourself what your body needs to feel secure and do whatever you can to move in that direction. 

Individuals with high ACE scores are more likely to suffer from nervous ills and disease in adulthood.

To discover your ACE score, click here.