Content Warnings: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), academic stress, psychogenic pain
Dear friend,
It’s currently finals week, and I’m at my breaking point. I don’t know what it is, but when I’m bombarded with exams and papers, my brain decides that it’s the perfect time to start meditating on my past traumas and experiences. I’m not sure if it’s a stress response, but there are certainly more important things to me right now.
A few days ago, I was studying for one of my psychology finals, and I felt my body start to tremble. I have OCD, and I’ve brought it to a much more tolerable level, but sometimes I get these physical sensations, which seem to occur especially during times of stress.
The thing is, I’d say I have a pretty high threshold for mental pain, as I’ve struggled with my mental health practically my entire life and have managed quite well, but when it comes to my physical health, the smallest of things get to me. And here’s the issue: mental health isn’t just mental—if you suffer with it long enough, it starts to manifest in physical symptoms. I’ve always ignored this side of mental illness, but perhaps it’s time to take these symptoms head on.
From,
A friend
