Learning to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress

I used to think stress always looked like a dramatic meltdown. You know, ugly crying, yelling into a pillow, eating a bag of cheese curls while binge-watching trashy TV. (Been there, no regrets.)

But stress is sneakier than that. She doesn’t always knock loudly. Sometimes she’ll tiptoe in wearing soft slippers and set up shop in the muscles, brain, everything, like a toxic roommate who never pays rent and eats all the good snacks.

She’ll show up when I walk into a new doctor’s office already bracing myself to explain myasthenia gravis (MG) again. She’ll be there during weeks with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy appointments, when my calendar looks more like a battlefield than a schedule. She’s the reason my jaw clenches when someone chirps, “But you don’t look sick!”

And here’s the kicker: Sometimes I don’t even feel stressed. I’ll be bopping along thinking everything’s hunky-dory while my body will be like, “Ma’am, we are not OK.” My eyelids will start to play peekaboo, my limbs will feel like Jell-O, and I’ll find myself horizontal, whether I planned to or not.

Recommended Reading

February 9, 2024 Columns by Mark Harrington

Why reducing stress is important for MG patients

Learning to talk back to stress

Living with MG means that stress doesn’t just hang out in my brain; it throws a party in my entire body.

I’ve learned to watch for the sneaky signs, like when I wake up already tired, when I start mixing up words, or when my body feels like it’s carrying a backpack full of bricks. That’s not just the MG doing its thing; that’s also stress.

I used to try to push through it by smiling and saying I was OK when I wasn’t. But now I’ll pause and listen. I’ll call out stress like a nosy neighbor: “Girl, I see you, and you are not welcome here today.”

I’m not saying I’ve got it all figured out. I still have days when I overdo it, forget to breathe, or try to carry the world on my shoulders. But I’m getting better at naming the stress, lightening it, and honoring my boundaries. Sometimes that means taking a nap. Sometimes it’s ignoring my to-do list in favor of pajama pants and a TV show. Other times it’s just saying, “This is a lot right now,” and letting that be enough.

So if you’re feeling off lately, don’t brush it off; it might be stress sneaking up in disguise.

Let’s promise each other something: When our bodies start talking, we’ll listen and give ourselves grace before we reach full-puddle mode on the couch.

Stress may be stealthy, but we’re onto her.

Note: Myasthenia Gravis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Myasthenia Gravis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to myasthenia gravis.