Smarie78

I am just curious. I recently developed a case of Psorisis that has spread all over my torso. Basically looks like chicken pox. I've never had anything like this before.My preliminary doctor asked about any increase in stress levels recently and I shared with him what the last few years of my life has been like. He noted that these illnesses tend to thrive on stress. I'm not saying I blame my qualifier at all for this, but it did make me wonder the toll that addiction takes on the loved ones own health, not just mental.

My sister always said she was surprised that given my experience with him I didn't get a anxiety episode (I have a history of severe anxiety episodes that have hit a couple times in my life). But now with this recent skin issue I can't help but wonder if the pressure cooker finally blew as I have been doing so well trying to hold myself together through this.

Anyone experience changes in their health that were suspected to be from the stress of another's addiction? Not saying he caused it just curious!

hopeful4

I developed major skin issues late in my marriage. I can say that they have gotten 99.9% better as I believe they were also triggered by stress. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorders as well, but went to YEARS of treatment for these issues , and still continue as needed.

I too am not blaming any situation for this, but it did miraculously crop up when things were at their worst and got much much better when the stress decreased.

NYCDoglvr

I should hope not. In Alanon I learned I was responsible for bringing an alcoholic into my life. Don't mean to sound snarky, but recovery only begins when we take responsibility and make the changes that enable a have the life we dream of.

Ariesagain

Yes...shingles that were so bad I was in the ER on morphine. Ruptured ovarian cyst, ditto. Staph infections on my face. Reflux. IBS.

Stress is a killer.

Clover71

Yes. I too developed skin issues (lichen planus) during a difficult period of time that involved many life stressors.

Nola0250

Yes. I think my body was trying to get my attention for a few years. I had lots of stuff that got suddenly and dramatically about 90% better as soon as I made the decision I was desperately trying not to make!

Jeepgirl79

Crazy that this is posted. I have had stomach issues and back pain for the past two months on and off. Now a bladder infection that won't clear.

I am normally a completely healthy person. But I think the stress is tolling on me.

It may be a fluke that I got sick these times, but that it's hanging around...not a coincidence IMHO.

firebolt

I had migraines, insomnia, horrible acid reflux, and was so stressed out at times that I couldn't think straight.

I get a little acid reflux now when I don't eat right, and one or 2 migraines a year compared to one or 2 a month. I sleep well, and can let things go as they come. It's painful to me now that I was choosing to put myself through it all for the sake of having a relationship with someone I had no business being with!

spookyboo22

Amen

Ladybird579

I had many things wrong with me but thinking back my kids fared worse. One developed Psorisis, one type one diabetes which noone in the family had, one had ulcerative colitis and is now better, one a heart defect so bad she nearly died ( now better with no meds), one had hair down to her waist and a whole thick length of it went grey literally overnight from root to tip after exah had cpr. She has to color it now. One was obese but lost it all as soon as exah was out the picture. He's normal weight and healthy now. Don't even start me on their mental health issues. Hell I never even joined the dots until now My poor kids.

Smarie78

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
And again I was not putting this on the addict I was simply asking what kinds of physical ailments you may have noticed as a result of the toxicity of being around addiction. Sure this can’t be proven to say, I wouldn’t have gotten Psoriasis if we hadn’t been together, but I have been curious about the toll of stress on me since I have a tendency to pretend I am fine and everything is fine when inside Im a mess.

Nata1980

Very recently I realized my hives outbreaks are related to XAHs jabs, revisionist history tirades and other outbursts. I took matters in my own hands and no longer speak to him other than strictly child related issues. Much better

Right aftet sh@t hit the fan with his last relapse both myself and DS were constantly sick, DS had pneumonia 😢

h00ped

I battle psoriasis and eczema too. Glad Gabor Mate was already mentioned, you may also find the free, online book by Dr. Ted Grossbart helpful (Google "skin deep PDF")

Our skin is our barrier to the world, and if our emotional barrier is under stress, the skin can be affected for sure.

OpheliaKatz

Oh yeah. Insomnia, back pain, headaches, vision problems, fertility problems, weight gain, hair going white suddenly. ALL of it started happening when I was with my A. When I finally got away, the insomnia, back pain, fertility problems, weight gain suddenly got better. I thought those things were permanent too. I also mysteriously became less short sighted and my optometrist confirmed that my glasses are the wrong prescription for me now. And from time to time I find a white hair that isn't white at the root... however, I think that for the most part, there is no way to reverse the greying process. I think my body knew it wanted out of the relationship sooner than I did.

OpheliaKatz

That's an excellent link, thank you.

dandylion

Did anyone ever notice how rapidly a president ages, once they enter office.....and, then, how they start to look years younger, after they leave the presidency?
Stress, I think......

FireSprite

That still sounds an awful lot like blame shifting to the addict, could just be the wording is getting tangled & not translating in this forum.

I think it's more a result of living in ANY state of dysfunction for an extended period of time. My mother has manifested the most unbelievable myriad of health issues as a result of refusing to deal with her sexual abuse for decades. Everything from issues with her eyes to her skin to having seizures for years for absolutely no traceable reason that her Drs can find.

But she does NOT want to even consider how emotional healing or therapy could alleviate these problems, instead she clings to the distraction (albeit negative) that it constantly brings.

Gabor Mate is amazing & beyond that there are 2 really great books on this topic that I've read:

The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk MD


ETA: And here's a great older thread on this topic in case any one is interested:

https://www.soberrecovery.com/forums...ical-part.html (Recovery: the physical part)

thousandwords53

Insomnia, Anxiety, Weight loss

Pre-recovery- anxiety, palpitations, sweats, emotional eating/eating disordered, weight gain, insomnia..

teatreeoil007

Not meaning to give out medical advice, but I think your Dr. is right that it tends to thrive with stress.

Speaking for myself: I notice certain things tend to crop up when I am under more stress than usual and they are first of all skin related. My complexion is not as good....Conversely, I feel when my stress is being dealt with well and I don't know...I just look better. I would say the most common thing I battle with when under stress is insomnia...and things that stem from the insomnia. I've never had psoriasis, but I know a few people who have rosacia and I also note that they seem to get stressed out rather easily and they have told me that stress plays a factor in the severity of their rosacia.

Obviously, in your case, being with an addict is stressful. So, what can you do to alleviate the stress in your life?

Smarie78

Never heard of Gabor Mate but anxious to check it out. I am not sure if it's just my wording, but there seems to be some sensitivity around calling this blame shifting when I am just asking what if any, kinds of physical ailments people experienced while being in a toxic relationship. In no way did I ever infer that I was angry or spiteful or that qualifier is who made me sick. I was simply stating that I noticed some health issues coming to surface and wondered if it could be related to the trials gone through living around the disease of addiction. As we know, being around the disease wreaks havoc on lives of the loved ones. I am always curious since people will ask me how I can stand it all for so many years and seem completely normal and disaffected. That maybe, just maybe, my body is the thing that I can't pretend is ok.

I remember as a kid when I had my first breakdown of depression with anxiety, my therapist learned about some of the issues I harbored in my earlier years and never brought to the surface. She said the panic attacks and all the ugly symptoms that came with them, were a result of my body reacting to stress I wasn't coping with despite the 'brave face'. That sooner or later my body was bound to breakdown if I kept going like nothing was wrong.

Does that make sense? I hope I am not coming off defensive, I just feel like my thread was misunderstood as blame, when it was really just a post on how high stress situations could make us sick. I know for me that the last three years have taken me to places that were very dark. I was mugged once at gunpoint several years ago and that was actually less scary and traumatizing than what these recent years have brought. Again, I am not trying to play victim, just sharing the challenges that I know I made the choice to stay in, and how they impacted me inside and out.