Mental illness Isn’t Always Mental
Dealing with physical symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve had whole-body shaking. Sometimes it happens with a harsh word or having to make a stressful phone call. However, sometimes it occurs for no reason at all.
My grandfather, mother, and I have suffered from depression and anxiety our whole lives. I remember my mom taking me to grade school, and I was so upset about it that my stomach hurt. I threw up in her car, and she got angry, which only made it worse.
Growing up, I thought my anxiety was my fault from something bad I did. I’d admonish myself for being so weird and began to avoid people. I could spend a whole day shaking like a leaf and blaming myself for it, trying to decipher what I’d done to make it happen.
Most people don’t understand how depression can cause physical symptoms. Well-meaning people would say, “Why are you shaking so much? It’s not even cold out.” Willing my body to stop betraying me did no good, and sometimes I’d just shake harder.
One of the most common physical symptoms of depression is fatigue. This affected me more when I was older. It wasn’t unusual for me to take several naps a day at times. I’d try to sleep because sometimes it would reset my brain and make the shaking stop for…
