Do you wake up each day with low energy?
Do you notice that small hiccups in your day seem to “set you off” and can cause feelings of anxiety?
Does your mind race at night?
These are all symptoms of chronic stress and anxiety which typically point to other more serious health imbalances.
Chronic stress has become an epidemic and is the most common complaint reported by primary care physicians.
The way your body experiences stress is much more complicated than most people realize.
While emotional/mental stress is usually the focus of most conventional treatments (which typically aim to lessen these symptoms through antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs).
They fail to address the other forms of stress that can have long-term damaging effects.
This includes chemical stress from the thousands of toxins most people are exposed to weekly, environmental toxins like EFM and mold exposure, physical stress from injuries or stealth infections that haven't properly healed, or physical stress from overexercising and undetected hormone imbalances.
The stress response is a complex system that involves the brain, nervous system, and the adrenal glands consulted the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis.
When the brain perceives stress, it signals the adrenals to make cortisol and the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and epinephrine (adrenaline).
Optimal cortisol levels are highest in the morning to help us wake up and lowest in the evening to promote sleep.
Long-term stress leads to chronic activation of the HPA axis, which disrupts the cortisol levels as well as levels of DHEA, melatonin, and epinephrine which can keep us in a physiological stress cycle that can be hard to break.
Nearly every organ including the gut, brain, thyroid, and male and female reproductive system can be impacted, leading to a multitude of symptoms including cognitive issues like anxiety.
People often feel wired but tired, have difficulty sleeping, and oftentimes experience heart palpitations, anxiety, body aches, muscle pain, unexplained weight loss or weight gain, low libido, thyroid imbalances, poor exercise tolerance, and recovery, brain fog, or cravings for salt and sugar.
Oftentimes, these symptoms may be ignored by your doctor when they don't find anything obvious in conventional blood tests – which rarely pick up imbalances in your gut, hormone levels, or exposure to viruses, heavy metals, and mold as well as other toxins that can cause them.
Cortisol increases blood sugar and over time can lead to insulin resistance or pre-diabetes. Thus, the immune system becomes suppressed, allowing for chronic inflammation and increased susceptibility to viral infections. Over time, high cortisol levels can also suppress digestive function which is at the core of your immune resilience and energy production, leaving you feeling drained and more susceptible to long-term illness.
Chronic stress can be fueled by a multitude of things – including lack of sleep, a diet high in processed and junk foods, consuming too many stimulants (like caffeine and sugar), a rigorous work schedule, emotional trauma from unhealthy relationships, or death of a loved one, over-exercising, and a general lack of fun or loving relationships.
Chronic internal stress (usually to blame for anxiety) can also be caused by certain physiological imbalances that are typically overlooked by conventional practitioners such as undiagnosed stealth infections.
When it comes to stress, emotional and mental stress are just two of many areas that need to be addressed.
With the chronic stress cycle, functional medicine acknowledges the multifactorial causes – from lifestyle factors including poor food choices and food sensitivities, systemic gut and hormone imbalances, or a variety of unresolved traumas that haven’t healed. Plus, exposure to environmental toxins and even stealth infections are two other considerations that are typically overlooked by conventionally trained practitioners.
When it comes to chronic stress, it’s important to work with a functional medicine practitioner who follows a truly holistic and inclusive approach while conducting the correct lab testing to determine exactly where your imbalances exist.
Once you receive the results from your comprehensive testing, we pair this with a personalized healing protocol that also includes the important lifestyle changes needed to break the chronic stress cycle. We excel at helping people just like you find the right tools to fit into their lifestyle so that can break the stress cycle and lead a calmer, more productive life while rejuvenating their health.
If you have been experiencing symptoms relating to chronic stress or anxiety, schedule a free discovery consult today!
Your safety comes first. Get urgent help right away for chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, signs of stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, speech trouble), a “worst headache,” or if you feel unsafe or have thoughts of harming yourself or others—call 988 in the U.S. or go to the nearest emergency department. If panic-like symptoms are new or severe, you should be seen to rule out medical causes. For ongoing but non-emergency symptoms, we’ll build a step-by-step plan that supports sleep, nutrition, movement, nervous-system regulation, and any targeted therapies. If you already take medicines for mood, sleep, blood pressure, diabetes, or thyroid, we coordinate with your prescribing clinician so changes are safe and sensible.
Stress is your body’s response to a demand; it often settles once the trigger passes. Anxiety is persistent worry or fear that can linger and affect daily life. Many people have both—our plan tackles each layer.
Yes. Sleep problems, thyroid imbalance, anemia, blood-sugar swings, pain, infections, and some medications can amplify stress and anxiety. We look for these contributors and address what we find.
Not always. Some people improve with foundations (sleep routine, protein-and-fiber meals, steady movement, stress tools) plus therapy skills. If medication is appropriate, we coordinate with your prescriber.
Predictable sleep/wake times, daylight in the morning, a balanced breakfast with protein, a short daily walk, and simple breathing practices are powerful starters. We keep it simple and build from there.
Caffeine late in the day and alcohol near bedtime can worsen sleep and next-day anxiety. We’ll right-size both and swap in calmer routines.
Yes. Skills-based approaches (CBT, mindfulness-based strategies) have strong evidence. We can align lifestyle changes with therapy so gains last.
Overdoing high-intensity work can backfire for some people. We start with brisk walks and light strength work, then add intervals as energy and sleep improve.
Telehealth is available after your first in-person visit at Vitality Family Health in Oak Brook, Illinois.
We review your goals and history and outline smart first steps. We can go over specific tests, treatments, and services as part of that consult.
You may also want to read about Adrenal Dysfunction, Chronic Fatigue, Thyroid Imbalances, Insulin Resistance, and Chronic Inflammation, since these areas often overlap with stress, energy, mood, and day-to-day recovery.
Medically Reviewed By: Dr Kori Feldman, M.D.
Vitality Family Health & Wellness Partners is located in Oak Brook, Illinois, and serves patients throughout the Greater Chicagoland Area and the entire state of Illinois. These areas include but are not limited to the downtown Chicago area, surrounding suburbs, central, northern, and southern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin and Northwest Indiana.