Our bodies are so wise and we've been conditioned to ignore discomfort in a patriarchal society. Weight gain is my signal that I am not paying attention to those deeper needs. Truly caring for my own needs instead of sublimating to those old patterns are inspiring and empowering me to FIGHT rather than despair over these perilous times.
When I was in an increasingly toxic and unsustainable relationship I began to trip and fall with regularity. It was as though my body was saying that the relationship was “tripping me up” in life. Once that relationship ended, so did the tripping.
Over a decade ago, at age 45 I found myself furiously trying to recapture what my company was after a merger went wrong. I was shocked when I received the call that I had breast cancer. I ate organic and went to Soul Cycle after all. It was a wakeup call to say the least. I still have the business, but I am no longer willing to "do what it takes" to make it a success in the business world. I measure success differently now.
Panic attacks in my office. Wish I’d paid attention sooner to my unhappiness at my former job, but the love of the mission kept overruling the unhappiness until it finally didn’t.
In my 30s, a bout of Valley Fever. In my 40s, discoid lupus. In my late 50s, VIN3 (pre-cancer) on my perineum. And vertigo in all 3 decades. Always when I’ve lost my boundaries and built up great resentment.
I see so many recurring signs here, and many of us have felt so isolated because we thought we were alone in experiencing these kinds of physical symptoms. Thank you all for sharing!
I've had a couple of significant times in my life when there were physical and mental signals. The first was when I was diagnosed at the age of 28 with Crohn's disease. I had been feeling burned out and not wanting to face several things going on in my life, and I truly believe it manifested in my body as Crohn's. It didn't help that I was genetically pre-disposed to Crohn's due to my Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and I think that's often what happens (like with Shannon's eczema). Our bodies have certain predisposed weak points and when our stress levels are too high this is where it can show up.
I also had another time in my early 40s when I was feeling low-grade depression for many months and could not pull myself out of it. Not even with exercise, which usually works as my natural antidepressant. It took therapy to help me figure out what was going on and work through it.
It has been proven time and again that we can absolutely have somatic responses due to an abundance of stress.
As for currently seeing any symptoms? I've spent years coaching others while I continue to build my own coping skills, so when I start to recognize things feeling out of whack I'm more able to pull a tool out of my toolbox to help me get back on track. And I've definitely had to do this daily over the last few months to get out of bed every day given what we're all experiencing in the political realm, and especially as women being treated as second-class citizens.
I also find having/building a strong social support network and creating a safe and non-judgmental space, such as this one, is critical to helping us heal.
My mind knew what needed to be done but I kept talking myself out of it. So...Intense brain fog, like I was slowly swimming through the day. I couldn't focus. Also gastro issues. The brain fog cleared up within a few weeks of quitting my job. The gastro issue...that's taking some time to heal! Stress does not play and the body 100% keeps score!
Noticing isolated pain spots on my body. A black dot appeared on my thumbnail, an irritation on my heel, a shoulder spot. These are not large spots--some have visibility, some do not. Most appear while I'm in bed, especially on arising. "Oh! A new spot"---but they reappear in the same general area, subsiding in the morning or a bit later. Crazy!
At 50 years old my body was chronically fatigued. This was partly due to a purposely exhausting exercise regimen I subjected myself to, but insomnia, depression, and chronic body aches were part of my daily existence. They had been for decades. When my thoughts began to turn towards much darker and destructive actions, it became apparent I needed to make a drastic change.
And that's when I realized transition was the only recourse I had available. I still maintain a vigorous exercise routine, but all the rest of it has disappeared (age related body aches aside).
The body knows even if the mind is unwilling to see the path.
I absolutely agree with everyone else here who has talked about their bodies telling them, because if I'm listening, I have the same experience. For me, the turning point has been when I can truly acknowledge whether I'm being valued as a person or whether I'm being valued for my function, and it has been in those moments where I've allowed myself to recognize the latter that I've been able to make a big shift in order to value *myself* as a person.
I was 36 when lost a job that I thought I loved. It kept me so busy that I barely had time for much else. Several months after I left, I noticed a cyst in my breast, which Ive had before. It was bothering me, so I scheduled an appt with my gyn, who referred me for a diagnostic mammogram. It turns out that I DID have cysts, but I also had a tumor in my right breast. Had I been working in my former job, I would have completely ignored the cysts and probably wouldn't have found the tumor until I could have felt something in my right breast. I feel like leaving my job saved my life in so many ways, but it taught me to listen more closely to my body.
OH, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer ON Dobbs decision day!
I think I only process trauma by somatizing it. After my Dad died when I was 6 years old, I broke my arm, ankle, my foot and contracted measles, mumps and chicken pox, in one year. After my brother was killed, I tore my rotator cuff and damaged my Achilles. Since my Mom died I’ve injured my hip (ligament) and also ended up in the ER after a landscaping accident. Other times of major life upheaval have resulted in spastic colitis and psychosomatic rash/itching. Yoga and meditation are so valuable to me in regard to handling stress and life changes. I always make progress and find relief when I am committed to those practices. The concept of mindbody and the idea that psychological disturbances result in physical changes is a primary concept I believe in. I try to practice taking a gentle route to express and release the energy that is not serving me, and I listen to my intuition for guidance to a happier life.
Our bodies are so wise and we've been conditioned to ignore discomfort in a patriarchal society. Weight gain is my signal that I am not paying attention to those deeper needs. Truly caring for my own needs instead of sublimating to those old patterns are inspiring and empowering me to FIGHT rather than despair over these perilous times.
I'm glad you're able to see the signs, Debra!
Crying in a bathroom stall. It was time to come out of the closet.
Our bodies always know. ❤️
When I was in an increasingly toxic and unsustainable relationship I began to trip and fall with regularity. It was as though my body was saying that the relationship was “tripping me up” in life. Once that relationship ended, so did the tripping.
So interesting how that works!
Over a decade ago, at age 45 I found myself furiously trying to recapture what my company was after a merger went wrong. I was shocked when I received the call that I had breast cancer. I ate organic and went to Soul Cycle after all. It was a wakeup call to say the least. I still have the business, but I am no longer willing to "do what it takes" to make it a success in the business world. I measure success differently now.
Love that, Christine!
Panic attacks in my office. Wish I’d paid attention sooner to my unhappiness at my former job, but the love of the mission kept overruling the unhappiness until it finally didn’t.
I'm sorry you had to go through that, Kate.
In my 30s, a bout of Valley Fever. In my 40s, discoid lupus. In my late 50s, VIN3 (pre-cancer) on my perineum. And vertigo in all 3 decades. Always when I’ve lost my boundaries and built up great resentment.
Wow! I'm so glad you're able to pinpoint what causes it.
I see so many recurring signs here, and many of us have felt so isolated because we thought we were alone in experiencing these kinds of physical symptoms. Thank you all for sharing!
I've had a couple of significant times in my life when there were physical and mental signals. The first was when I was diagnosed at the age of 28 with Crohn's disease. I had been feeling burned out and not wanting to face several things going on in my life, and I truly believe it manifested in my body as Crohn's. It didn't help that I was genetically pre-disposed to Crohn's due to my Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and I think that's often what happens (like with Shannon's eczema). Our bodies have certain predisposed weak points and when our stress levels are too high this is where it can show up.
I also had another time in my early 40s when I was feeling low-grade depression for many months and could not pull myself out of it. Not even with exercise, which usually works as my natural antidepressant. It took therapy to help me figure out what was going on and work through it.
It has been proven time and again that we can absolutely have somatic responses due to an abundance of stress.
As for currently seeing any symptoms? I've spent years coaching others while I continue to build my own coping skills, so when I start to recognize things feeling out of whack I'm more able to pull a tool out of my toolbox to help me get back on track. And I've definitely had to do this daily over the last few months to get out of bed every day given what we're all experiencing in the political realm, and especially as women being treated as second-class citizens.
I also find having/building a strong social support network and creating a safe and non-judgmental space, such as this one, is critical to helping us heal.
Thank you for sharing with us, Lisa. I'm so glad that you've found that having a network is helping you heal.
My mind knew what needed to be done but I kept talking myself out of it. So...Intense brain fog, like I was slowly swimming through the day. I couldn't focus. Also gastro issues. The brain fog cleared up within a few weeks of quitting my job. The gastro issue...that's taking some time to heal! Stress does not play and the body 100% keeps score!
Yes it does!
Nightmares. Daydreams. Pressure on the chest when lying down. Anger erupting at unpredictable times. Tears, too.
I'm glad you're able to pinpoint the symptoms so you know what's going on!
Noticing isolated pain spots on my body. A black dot appeared on my thumbnail, an irritation on my heel, a shoulder spot. These are not large spots--some have visibility, some do not. Most appear while I'm in bed, especially on arising. "Oh! A new spot"---but they reappear in the same general area, subsiding in the morning or a bit later. Crazy!
That is so interesting!
The body knows.
At 50 years old my body was chronically fatigued. This was partly due to a purposely exhausting exercise regimen I subjected myself to, but insomnia, depression, and chronic body aches were part of my daily existence. They had been for decades. When my thoughts began to turn towards much darker and destructive actions, it became apparent I needed to make a drastic change.
And that's when I realized transition was the only recourse I had available. I still maintain a vigorous exercise routine, but all the rest of it has disappeared (age related body aches aside).
The body knows even if the mind is unwilling to see the path.
Your last sentence is so spot on.
I absolutely agree with everyone else here who has talked about their bodies telling them, because if I'm listening, I have the same experience. For me, the turning point has been when I can truly acknowledge whether I'm being valued as a person or whether I'm being valued for my function, and it has been in those moments where I've allowed myself to recognize the latter that I've been able to make a big shift in order to value *myself* as a person.
I love this shift, Adrienne.
Dizziness caused by anxiety. I similarly had a full body rash that couldn't be explained.
It's amazing how our bodies try to show us what's going on internally.
I was 36 when lost a job that I thought I loved. It kept me so busy that I barely had time for much else. Several months after I left, I noticed a cyst in my breast, which Ive had before. It was bothering me, so I scheduled an appt with my gyn, who referred me for a diagnostic mammogram. It turns out that I DID have cysts, but I also had a tumor in my right breast. Had I been working in my former job, I would have completely ignored the cysts and probably wouldn't have found the tumor until I could have felt something in my right breast. I feel like leaving my job saved my life in so many ways, but it taught me to listen more closely to my body.
OH, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer ON Dobbs decision day!
Wow!! I'm glad you're listening more closely.
🤍
I think I only process trauma by somatizing it. After my Dad died when I was 6 years old, I broke my arm, ankle, my foot and contracted measles, mumps and chicken pox, in one year. After my brother was killed, I tore my rotator cuff and damaged my Achilles. Since my Mom died I’ve injured my hip (ligament) and also ended up in the ER after a landscaping accident. Other times of major life upheaval have resulted in spastic colitis and psychosomatic rash/itching. Yoga and meditation are so valuable to me in regard to handling stress and life changes. I always make progress and find relief when I am committed to those practices. The concept of mindbody and the idea that psychological disturbances result in physical changes is a primary concept I believe in. I try to practice taking a gentle route to express and release the energy that is not serving me, and I listen to my intuition for guidance to a happier life.
Wow!! But I love that you're able to turn inward for guidance.