Stress and The Domino Effect

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Disclaimer: This article is for general information and awareness only and does not constitute medical, legal, or employment advice. Stress, anxiety and trauma can cause or worsen many physical symptoms, but symptoms such as breathlessness at night, choking or gasping during sleep, chest pain, a consistently high resting heart rate, fainting, bladder changes, or new neurological symptoms should always be discussed with a GP, specialist nurse, or appropriate healthcare professional. In an emergency, seek urgent medical help.

The Hidden Impact on Disabled People and Entrepreneurs

Stress is not “just in the mind.” It can affect sleep, heart rate, bladder function, autoimmune conditions, mental health, work performance, relationships, and quality of life, especially for disabled people, carers, employees under pressure, and entrepreneurs trying to survive constant demands.

When Stress Becomes Physical

Stress is often spoken about as though it is simply feeling worried, busy or overwhelmed. In reality, stress can affect the whole body. It can disturb sleep, increase heart rate, cause muscle tension, headaches, stomach problems, chest tightness, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, low mood and a sense of being unable to cope. Mayo Clinic notes that unmanaged stress can contribute to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes.

For some people, stress may feel like a racing mind. For others, it may appear as physical symptoms: waking in the night, feeling short of breath, needing to urinate more often, having palpitations, feeling dizzy, experiencing digestive problems, or feeling permanently exhausted.

This is why stress should never be dismissed. The body and mind are connected, and when the nervous system is constantly in “fight or flight” mode, the body can start sending warning signals.

Can Stress Cause Symptoms Similar to Sleep Apnoea?

Stress does not usually “cause” obstructive sleep apnoea in the same way that airway obstruction, anatomy, weight, alcohol, smoking or other medical factors can contribute to it. However, stress and anxiety can cause sleep disruption that may feel similar to sleep apnoea symptoms.

For example, a stressed person may:

• Wake suddenly during the night.
• Feel short of breath or panicky.
• Experience a racing heart on waking.
• Have poor-quality sleep.
• Feel exhausted during the day.
• Struggle with concentration.
• Wake with headaches or tension.

Sleep apnoea itself can involve breathing stopping and starting during sleep, gasping, snorting or choking noises, waking frequently, loud snoring, daytime tiredness, poor concentration, mood changes and morning headaches. These symptoms should be checked because untreated sleep apnoea can affect long-term health.

The important point is this: stress can mimic, worsen or sit alongside sleep-related breathing symptoms, but it should not be assumed to be “only stress.” If someone is waking up gasping, choking, snoring loudly, or feeling dangerously tired during the day, they should seek medical advice.

High Resting Heart Rate, Palpitations and Anxiety

A high resting heart rate can be frightening. Stress and anxiety can trigger adrenaline, which may make the heart beat faster. People may notice palpitations, chest tightness, trembling, sweating, dizziness, nausea, or a sense of panic.

The NHS lists a more noticeable or unusual heartbeat, difficulty sleeping, restlessness, tiredness, stomach problems and dizziness as possible symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder. Panic attacks can also cause a racing heartbeat, chest pain, shortness of breath, trembling, chills, hot flushes, nausea and a fear of dying.

However, a persistently high resting heart rate should not be ignored. It may be linked to stress, but it may also relate to anaemia, thyroid problems, infection, dehydration, medication, heart conditions, pain, menopause, sleep apnoea, or other medical issues. If in doubt, it is better to get checked.

Stress and Overactive Bladder Symptoms

Stress can also affect bladder habits. Some people notice they need to urinate more often when they are anxious, under pressure, or unable to relax. Others may wake repeatedly at night to pass urine, which then worsens tiredness and anxiety the next day.

An overactive bladder involves a frequent or urgent need to urinate. The NHS explains that urge incontinence is usually linked to overactivity of the detrusor muscles, which control the bladder.

Stress may not be the only cause of bladder symptoms. Frequent urination can also be linked to urinary tract infections, diabetes, medication, pregnancy, menopause, prostate issues, neurological conditions, bladder irritation, caffeine, or pelvic floor problems. For people with multiple sclerosis, bladder urgency can also be part of the condition itself.

Stress, Anxiety and Trauma: The Hidden Triangle

Stress, anxiety and trauma often overlap.

Stress is usually a response to pressure, demand or threat.

Anxiety is the fear, worry or nervous system response that may continue even when the threat is not immediate.

Trauma is the emotional and physical impact of distressing or frightening experiences, especially where someone felt unsafe, powerless, violated, trapped or unsupported.

The NHS describes PTSD symptoms as including difficulty sleeping, feeling very anxious, hypervigilance, low mood, irritability, headaches, tummy problems and pain without an obvious physical cause.

This matters because trauma can keep the nervous system switched on. A person may overthink, scan for danger, anticipate rejection, fear mistakes, avoid confrontation, struggle with sleep, become sensitive to criticism, or feel physically unwell when under pressure.

Overthinking is not simply “worrying too much.” It can become a survival response. The brain tries to predict every possible outcome in order to prevent harm. This can be exhausting and can lead to insomnia, headaches, digestive upset, irritability, panic symptoms and burnout.

Can Stress Cause OCD Symptoms to Heighten?

Stress can make obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms feel more intense and harder to manage. OCD usually involves a cycle of intrusive thoughts, distressing feelings, and compulsive behaviours or mental rituals carried out to reduce anxiety. The NHS describes OCD as commonly involving obsessions, emotions and compulsions, where intrusive thoughts can create anxiety or distress and compulsions may be used to try to relieve those feelings.

When someone is under prolonged stress, the brain may become more alert to perceived danger. This can make intrusive thoughts louder, increase doubt, trigger overthinking, and make compulsions feel more urgent. For example, someone with contamination OCD may feel a stronger need to wash, clean or avoid certain places. Someone with checking OCD may feel driven to repeatedly check locks, emails, appliances, documents or messages. Someone with harm-related intrusive thoughts may feel more frightened by thoughts they would normally recognise as unwanted and irrational.

Stressful life events, trauma and major change can also play a role in OCD symptoms. Research has found that stress and traumatic experiences can contribute to the onset and worsening of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while compulsive behaviours may then maintain the cycle over time. The International OCD Foundation also notes that stress is often an exacerbating factor for OCD and that even positive life changes, such as a new job, marriage, a child, or moving home, can disrupt routine and increase stress.

This can be especially difficult for disabled people, carers, employees and entrepreneurs who may already be living under constant pressure. A high workload, uncertainty, financial worries, health concerns, moving home, grief, trauma, relationship breakdown, medical appointments, or lack of support can all increase stress levels. For someone with OCD, this may lead to more reassurance-seeking, more avoidance, more checking, more rumination, more cleaning, more intrusive thoughts and more difficulty switching off.

Overthinking is also closely connected. OCD can make the mind search for certainty, but stress makes certainty feel even harder to reach. The person may replay conversations, worry they have made a mistake, fear they have harmed someone, question whether they said the wrong thing, or feel unable to rest until they have checked or resolved the thought. Unfortunately, the more the person tries to neutralise the fear, the stronger the OCD cycle may become.

It is important to remember that heightened OCD symptoms are not a personal failure. They are often a sign that the nervous system is overloaded. Support may include speaking to a GP, requesting therapy, using CBT with Exposure and Response Prevention where appropriate, reducing unnecessary stressors, setting boundaries, improving sleep, and asking for reasonable adjustments at work or in education. The NHS states that OCD treatment may include psychological therapy, usually CBT, and medication in some cases.

Stress does not mean someone is weak, dramatic or “not coping properly.” For a person with OCD, stress can turn the volume up on intrusive thoughts and compulsions. Taking stress seriously is part of protecting mental health, physical health and daily functioning.

Common Causes of Stress

Stress can happen for many reasons, and what feels manageable to one person may feel overwhelming to another. Common causes include:

☎️ Consumer‑Related Stress Examples (Call Centres)

• Endless automated menus: Being forced through long, confusing phone menus before you can speak to a human.
• Long waiting times: Sitting on hold for 20–60 minutes with repetitive music and no updates.
• Being transferred repeatedly: Explaining your issue multiple times because each department claims it’s “not their area.”
• Scripted responses: Staff reading from scripts instead of listening, making you feel unheard or dismissed.
• Poor communication: Agents give conflicting information, unclear instructions, or fail to document your issue.
• Language barriers: Difficulty understanding accents or being misunderstood, increasing frustration and anxiety.
• Aggressive or rude agents: Feeling belittled, rushed, or spoken to disrespectfully when you’re already stressed.
• Pressure tactics: Being pushed into upgrades, add‑ons, or contracts while you’re trying to resolve a problem.
• No accountability: Agents promising callbacks or resolutions that never happen, leaving you stuck.
• Technical issues: Dropped calls, poor audio quality, or systems “being down,” forcing you to start again.
• Feeling trapped: Knowing the only way to fix the issue is through the call centre, even though the process is exhausting.

🔌 Consumer‑Related Stress Examples (Utility Providers: Electricity, Water, Gas)

• Long call‑centre waits: Being stuck on hold for 20–60 minutes just to resolve a simple issue.
• Unexpected bill spikes: Sudden increases in electricity, water, or gas charges without a clear explanation.
• Confusing tariffs: Complex pricing structures that make it hard to understand what you’re actually paying for.
• Meter reading issues: Estimated bills, faulty meters, or being asked to submit readings repeatedly.
• Service outages: Power cuts, water interruptions, or gas supply issues disrupting daily life.
• Poor communication: Providers failing to notify you about outages, repairs, or billing changes.
• Disputes over charges: Arguing about incorrect bills, unexplained fees, or charges for services not used.
• Difficulty switching providers: Complicated processes, delays, or fear of losing service during the switch.
• Aggressive debt‑collection letters: Harsh wording or threats even when the issue is due to their own error.
• Mandatory home visits: Engineers needing access to your home for meter checks or repairs force you to rearrange your day.
• Letting unfamiliar engineers in: Feeling uneasy when a stranger must enter your home for gas safety checks, boiler repairs, or meter replacements.
• Fear of safety issues: Worrying about gas leaks, electrical faults, or water contamination while waiting for an engineer.

🛍️ Other Consumer-Related Issues:

• Unexpected price increases: Groceries, utilities, subscriptions, or services suddenly cost more than usual.
• Confusing contracts: Mobile phone plans, insurance policies, or service agreements with unclear terms.
• Poor customer service: Being ignored, spoken to rudely, or passed between departments.
• Delayed deliveries: Parcels arriving late, lost items, or misleading tracking updates.
• Faulty products: Items breaking quickly, not matching descriptions, or arriving damaged.
• Refund disputes: Retailers refusing refunds, offering store credit only, or delaying reimbursements.
• Hidden fees: Charges added at checkout, unexpected admin fees, or unclear surcharges.
• Subscription traps: Free trials that auto‑renew, difficult cancellation processes, or unclear billing cycles.
• Misleading advertising: Products that don’t match the marketing claims or exaggerated benefits.
• Long queues: Waiting in supermarkets, pharmacies, or customer service lines.
• Out‑of‑stock items: Essential items are unavailable, forcing you to change plans or pay more elsewhere.
• Price comparison overload: Too many options, unclear differences, or fear of choosing the “wrong” product.
• Aggressive sales tactics: Pushy staff, upselling, or pressure to buy add‑ons you don’t need.
• Complicated returns: Needing receipts, packaging, forms, or long return windows.
• Warranty confusion: Not knowing what’s covered, how long it lasts, or how to claim.
• Data privacy worries: Apps asking for too much information or having unclear privacy policies.
• Unreliable service providers: Plumbers, electricians, or tradespeople who cancel, overcharge, or don’t show up.
• Pharmacy or healthcare purchases: Medication shortages, confusing labels, or unexpected costs.
• Food quality issues: Spoiled items, incorrect orders, or restaurants not meeting expectations.
• Transport ticketing stress

❤️‍🩹 Personal Issues:

• Unexpected noise: Sudden loud sounds (sirens, neighbours, alarms) that jolt your nervous system and interrupt calm.
• Household mess: Clutter, dirty dishes, or a space that feels out of control can create mental overload.
• Running late: Time pressure for appointments, school runs, or errands.
• Transport delays: Late buses, cancelled trains, traffic jams, or long queues.
• Unexpected bills; Surprise expenses, price increases, or confusing charges.
• Minor health symptoms: Headaches, fatigue, aches, or flare‑ups that disrupt your routine.
• Household maintenance issues: Leaks, broken appliances, or anything that suddenly needs fixing.
• Family disagreements: Tension with children, partners, or relatives over small things.
• Pet problems: Illness, accidents, behavioural issues, or unexpected vet needs.
• Social obligations: Feeling pressured to attend events, respond to messages, or “be available.”
• Loneliness spikes: Moments when silence or lack of connection feels heavier than usual.
• Technology glitches: Phone issues, slow internet, lost passwords, or malfunctioning devices.
• Weather changes: Heatwaves, storms, humidity, or sudden temperature drops.
• Unexpected visitors: Door knocks, deliveries, or people arriving without warning.
• Food-related frustrations: Burnt meals, missing ingredients, or dietary restrictions limiting choices.
• Errands piling up: Groceries, prescriptions, returns, or admin tasks accumulating.
• Bad news consumption: Distressing headlines, social media negativity, or overwhelming information.
• Sleep disruption: Noise, temperature, nightmares, or insomnia affect your next day.
• Feeling physically unsafe: Dark streets, unfamiliar areas, or unsettling encounters.

🧰 Additional Consumer‑Related Stress Examples (Contractors, Engineers & Letting Strangers In)

• Contractor reliability worries: Stress from tradespeople who cancel, arrive late, or don’t communicate clearly.
• Engineer repair uncertainty: Not knowing whether the repair will be done correctly, how long it will take, or what the final cost will be.
• Letting unfamiliar people into your home: Feeling uneasy or vulnerable when someone you’ve never met must enter your personal space.
• Trusting a stranger with your property: Worrying about damage, mistakes, or lack of care when a contractor handles valuable or fragile items.
• Pressure to accept quotes: Feeling rushed or intimidated into agreeing to repairs or prices you’re unsure about.
• Fear of being overcharged: Concern that a contractor may inflate costs, add extras, or exaggerate the work needed.
• Disruption to your home routine: Noise, mess, or having to rearrange your day because someone is working inside your home.
• Safety concerns: Worrying about personal safety, especially when alone or when the contractor behaves oddly or unpredictably.
• Unclear technical explanations: Feeling overwhelmed when engineers use jargon or fail to explain what’s wrong in plain language.
• Unexpected additional work: Contractors discover “extra issues” that increase cost, time, or disruption.
• Small personal setbacks

📊 Workload and Workplace Pressure

Being under constant pressure at work can be damaging, especially where a manager or boss “needs everything done” without considering the employee’s capacity, disability, health, workload, or reasonable timeframes.

Examples include:

• Unrealistic deadlines.
• Too many tasks at once.
• No proper breaks.
• Being expected to answer messages outside work hours.
• Fear of losing your job.
• Poor communication from management.
• Bullying, micromanagement or criticism.
• Lack of reasonable adjustments.
• Being made to feel guilty for being unwell.

The Health and Safety Executive states that employers have a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work by carrying out a risk assessment and acting on it.

Where a mental health condition or disability has a substantial and long-term impact on day-to-day life, employers may also have duties under the Equality Act 2010. Acas explains that employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and that adjustments may include changes to working arrangements, duties, breaks, workload management and support.

🏠 Moving Home

Moving home can be one of the most stressful life events. It involves paperwork, finances, packing, contracts, uncertainty, utilities, repairs, and sometimes disputes with sellers, landlords, agents or solicitors. For disabled people, moving home may also involve accessibility, stairs, transport, medical equipment, care needs, fatigue and disruption to routine.

💔 Divorce or Relationship Breakdown

Divorce and separation can affect housing, finances, children, pets, emotional stability and identity. Even where separation is necessary, it can still cause grief, anger, fear and exhaustion.

😓 Grief and Bereavement

Grief can affect the body as well as the heart. It may cause insomnia, chest tightness, appetite changes, crying spells, anxiety, low mood, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Grief is not linear, and it can resurface during anniversaries, birthdays, legal matters, family disputes, or quiet moments.

🥊 Trauma and Abuse

Trauma may come from violence, abuse, neglect, bullying, discrimination, accidents, medical trauma, financial trauma, or living for years in unsafe situations. Trauma can make people hyper-alert, easily startled, mistrustful, withdrawn, angry, tearful, numb or physically unwell.

💷 Financial Pressure

Debt, bills, rent, mortgage payments, business costs, benefit delays, legal fees, energy costs and food insecurity can keep the body in a constant state of stress. Financial stress can be especially severe for disabled people who may already face extra costs for transport, heating, equipment, medication, support and accessible living.

🫶 Caring Responsibilities

Carers often carry invisible pressure. They may be managing appointments, medication, emotional support, household tasks, advocacy, finances and emergencies, often while neglecting their own health.

🩺 Health Anxiety and Chronic Illness

Living with a long-term condition can itself be stressful. People may worry about symptoms, test results, relapses, appointments, medication side effects, loss of independence, employment, relationships and the future.

💻 Digital Overload

Emails, notifications, online portals, messages, reminders, invoices and admin systems can overwhelm people. For disabled people or those with anxiety, OCD, ADHD, autism, trauma or fatigue, digital overload can become another source of stress rather than support.

💼 Entrepreneurs and Stress: When You Are the Business

Entrepreneurs often carry pressures that are invisible to others. When you run a business, there may be no one to cover you when you are unwell. You may be responsible for marketing, accounts, clients, deadlines, emails, complaints, technical issues, legal risks, sales, social media and cash flow.

For disabled entrepreneurs, the pressure can be even greater. They may be trying to build income while managing pain, fatigue, mental health, mobility issues, sensory overload, medical appointments or fluctuating conditions. They may also feel they have to prove themselves more than non-disabled people.

Entrepreneurial stress may include:

• Not knowing when the next payment will come in.
• Feeling guilty for resting.
• Working late because daytime hours are taken up by caring or health needs.
• Trying to compete with larger businesses.
• Dealing with difficult clients.
• Fear of failure.
• Constant self-promotion.
• Administrative overload.
• Feeling that every task is urgent.

This is where boundaries become essential. A business owner cannot pour from an empty cup. Rest, structure, pricing, written terms, email boundaries and realistic workloads are not luxuries; they are survival tools.

Stress and Autoimmune Disease: Multiple Sclerosis as an Example

Stress can be particularly concerning for people living with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. MS is unpredictable, and symptoms can worsen due to fatigue, infection, heat, poor sleep, overexertion and stress.

The MS Society explains that an MS relapse involves sudden new or worsening symptoms caused by inflammation, usually lasting more than 24 hours, and that infection must be ruled out because it can cause similar effects.

The MS Society also notes that stress can make a person run down, affect sleep, and leave them more open to infections, which can trigger relapses or make MS symptoms worse.

This does not mean every stressful day will cause an MS relapse. It means stress can contribute to a chain reaction: poor sleep, exhaustion, lowered resilience, infections, worsening symptoms, and reduced ability to recover.

For someone with MS, stress may worsen:

• Fatigue.
• Pain.
• Brain fog.
• Mobility problems.
• Balance.
• Vision symptoms.
• Bladder urgency.
• Tingling or numbness.
• Muscle spasms.
• Emotional regulation.

This is why employers, families, universities, service providers and healthcare systems need to take stress seriously. For some disabled people, “just pushing through” can have serious consequences.

Other Illnesses and Conditions Linked to Chronic Stress

Long-term stress can affect many areas of health. It may contribute to or worsen:

• High blood pressure.
• Heart disease risk.
• Stroke risk.
• Diabetes risk.
• Obesity or weight changes.
• Digestive problems such as IBS-type symptoms.
• Headaches and migraines.
• Muscle tension and chronic pain.
• Insomnia.
• Anxiety disorders.
• Depression.
• Panic attacks.
• Burnout.
• Weakened immune resilience.
• Skin flare-ups.
• Bladder urgency.
• Menstrual or hormonal disruption.
• Flare-ups of existing chronic illness.

The body is not designed to live permanently in emergency mode. Occasional stress is part of life. Constant stress without recovery is different.

Disabled People and the Extra Burden of Stress

Disabled people often experience stress that is not caused by their condition alone, but by the systems around them.

This may include:

• Fighting for benefits.
• Explaining invisible disabilities.
• Medical appointments.
• Waiting lists.
• Transport barriers.
• Poor accessibility.
• Discrimination.
• Workplace pressure.
• Unhelpful attitudes.
• Being disbelieved.
• Financial insecurity.
• Care responsibilities.

Having to repeatedly prove disability.

Many disabled people are not only managing symptoms; they are managing society’s failure to accommodate them.

When organisations fail to make reasonable adjustments, ignore email-only communication needs, overload people with admin, or expect disabled people to perform as though they have no impairment, stress increases. That stress can then worsen health, creating a cycle of pressure, symptoms and further disadvantage.

What Can Help?

Stress cannot always be removed, especially when someone is dealing with illness, grief, poverty, trauma, work pressure or caring responsibilities. However, it can often be reduced, managed or better supported.

Helpful steps may include:

• Keeping a symptom diary to identify patterns.
• Speaking to a GP about sleep, heart rate, bladder symptoms or new neurological symptoms.
• Asking for workplace reasonable adjustments.
• Reducing unnecessary notifications and admin overload.
• Setting boundaries with clients, managers and family members.
• Prioritising urgent tasks and delaying non-urgent ones.
• Taking breaks before reaching a crisis point.
• Practising relaxation, breathing or grounding techniques.
• Reducing caffeine and alcohol if they worsen symptoms.
• Improving sleep routines where possible.
• Seeking counselling or trauma-informed support.
• Asking for help before burnout becomes a collapse.
• For workers, it may help to put concerns in writing. For example:

“My current workload is affecting my health. I would like to discuss priorities, deadlines and reasonable adjustments so I can continue working safely and effectively.”

For entrepreneurs, it may help to create fixed working hours, written service packages, payment terms, waiting lists, automated replies and clear boundaries around response times.

When to Seek Medical Help

Stress can cause many symptoms, but it should not be used to explain everything away.

Seek medical advice if you experience:

• Waking up choking, gasping or stopping breathing during sleep.
• Loud snoring with daytime exhaustion.
• A consistently high resting heart rate.
• Chest pain or fainting.
• New bladder urgency, pain, blood in urine or signs of infection.
• New or worsening neurological symptoms.
• Severe anxiety or panic attacks.
• Symptoms of depression.
• Thoughts of self-harm.
• A sudden worsening of an autoimmune condition.
• New MS symptoms lasting more than 24 hours.

Getting checked is not a sign of weakness. It is self-protection.

Final Thoughts

Personal Experience of Recent Stress

The past few weeks have been marked by an escalating level of stress triggered by what should have been a straightforward appliance repair. When I phoned to arrange yet another appointment for my washer-dryer, the fourth call-out for the same recurring fault, I was informed that the motherboard had failed and would need replacing. The repair would take two weeks, leaving me without a functioning washing machine for the duration. For someone juggling caregiving, running a business, and managing health conditions, two weeks is not a minor inconvenience; it is a significant disruption with a domino effect on every part of daily life.

Compounding this was the complete absence of updates. I could not even check my account online because the company’s website was down. During the engineer’s visit, I was asked to provide a digital signature, yet no stylus was available, and I was wearing vinyl gloves. I had no idea what I was signing, and the resulting signature looked nothing like my real one. When I phoned the company to clarify, the AI Robot told me my details were not recognised. The second was a human call handler who insisted she would “escalate the matter” and that someone would call me back. When I explained that I prefer updates by email due to my work commitments and anxiety around phone calls, I was told this was “not possible”.

This refusal to provide reasonable adjustments shows a complete disregard for the duty of care. Companies often claim to support accessibility, yet in practice, they fail to accommodate even the most basic needs. The stress of dealing with yet another engineer, the fifth visit for the same unresolved problem, is beyond comprehension. My OCD has been severely triggered, my anxiety heightened, and the emotional toll has been immense.

It is difficult not to question whether the repeated failures to diagnose and fix the issue stem from incompetence or from the involvement of an insurer, with two companies potentially benefiting from prolonged call-outs. Either way, the impact on the customer is profound. The lack of accountability is staggering. Companies should face financial penalties for every proven complaint, especially when their actions cause measurable distress.

At this point, the frustration is so intense that if the machine is not fixed soon, I will be metaphorically beating my chest like a silverback gorilla 🦍, a reflection of just how pushed to the limit this experience has made me feel.

Stress is not imaginary. It is not laziness. It is not a weakness. It is the body’s response to pressure, threat, overload and unresolved trauma.

For disabled people, entrepreneurs, carers and employees under constant pressure, stress can become a serious health issue. It can disturb sleep, increase heart rate, affect bladder function, worsen anxiety, trigger overthinking, aggravate chronic illness and reduce a person’s ability to cope.

The answer is not simply to tell people to “calm down.” The answer is better support, better boundaries, safer workplaces, reasonable adjustments, trauma-informed care, and recognition that invisible pressure can create visible illness.

Nobody should have to become seriously unwell before their stress is taken seriously.

Further Reading & Resources

• https://iocdf.org/
• https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/how-stress-contributes-to-chronic-illness
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/becoming-resilient/202112/the-relationship-between-stress-and-chronic-illnesses
• https://www.simplypsychology.com/articles/psychological-effects-chronic-illness
• https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/stress/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/chronic-illness
• https://neurolaunch.com/ocd-and-stress/
• https://www.mssociety.org.uk/living-with-ms/physical-and-mental-health/mental-health/stress-and-anxiety
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/stress-and-multiple-sclerosis
• https://www.hse.gov.uk/
• https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents
• https://www.acas.org.uk/
• https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/stress
• https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-problems/understanding-anxiety/
• https://anxietyhelpbox.com/stress-anxiety-check-in-sheets/
• https://www.mindwell-leeds.org.uk/myself/exploring-your-mental-health/stress/the-stress-curve/
• https://neurolaunch.com/stress-charts/
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/understanding-the-stress-response
• https://www.healthline.com/health/stress-test-results-by-age-chart