Listen To Your Body

Sometimes your body is trying to tell you something and you just aren't understanding. So a little bit of background on me… I break out in hives. Like a lot. It started when I was in college, it was sophomore year i believe. If i'm remembering correctly that is which doesn't always happen because it's been so long since its first happened. When I first broke out in hives I was shocked but not overly surprised at the same time. I have always had really bad allergies and so I would break out in rashes whenever I came into contact with one of my allergens. What did surprise me was how large they were. I have something called giant urticaria. That basically means that when I break out in hives, they're really big. Meaning they are almost always different sizes but i've had some that are bigger than my hands before.

One of the really frustrating things about hives is that unless you have a known allergen that you KNOW causes them, there isn't any root cause that the doctors can come up with. I've seen multiple different doctors and each time they simply give me something to manage the symptoms but tell me that they can't determine the root cause of the issue. This has been going on back and forth for about five years now. I wish i could say that i've gotten used to it but sadly it's not something I think you can ever get used to. It becomes something you learn to live with and you cherish the moments when you're not having a breakout but it doesn't seem to ever fully go away.

Now in college, I did determine that I was actually allergic to my detergent which was a relief when I figured that out. No longer did I have to keep waking up to huge itchy red marks all over my body. Little did I know how wrong I was. Over the last five years, I've broken out in hives at random times over and over again. Oftentimes it's stress related but sometimes I don't feel as though I'm stressed and my body is clearly telling me to slow down. I think that people often don't realize the toll that stress or anxiety can have on your body until it starts manifesting itself as physical symptoms.

I read this quote the other day though that said “your mental health is just as important as your physical health”. That could not be more true. Your body is going to put up with your shenanigans for as long as it can, just like any normal person can. It will start off by whispering to you, then talking, then raising its voice, and then it will start yelling at you. My hives are my body's way of yelling at me. Being bipolar and having anxiety makes me not as aware of my stress levels as some other people. I'm fairly used to being anxious on an almost daily basis so it takes a lot for me to look in the mirror and realize ‘wow i'm stressed’. I look at my hives as my body’s way of telling me to slow down, take a deep breath, and tell myself that everything is going to be okay.

Whether or not your body is at the point of yelling at you, be careful to realize that it may be trying to tell you something sooner than you realize. Now disclaimer, i am not a doctor so if you're having any issues health wise please go see somebody and make sure you are okay. My doctor is one of my favorite people because I am VERY open with them and go often and early.

Some early signs of anxiety in people are:

Cancelling plans last minute

Headaches

Tight muscles

Clenching your teeth

Overthinking

Pay close attention to what your body is trying to tell you. Oftentimes we miss the signs because we think that they aren't important but they may be your body's way of trying to warn you before you end up at the point where you are covered in hives.

I guess the point i'm trying to make is take care of yourself and really listen when your body tries to tell you to slow down. Slowing down is not a bad thing and sometimes it's needed. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health and can sometimes bleed over and start affecting your physical health if you're not careful.

Don't let it get to the point where you feel out of control. Take control of your mental health and take control of your body.

AND don't forget that if you ever need anybody to talk to reach out to somebody. A friend, counselor, family, or me if you want to connect, I'm always here. Because nobody should have to go through this journey alone.