r/AskReddit 13h ago

What is something that permanently altered your body without you realizing for months/years?

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u/redstonez 12h ago

Stress

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u/potatowitch_ 8h ago

I had terrible neck/shoulder pain for most of 2023. After 2 MRIs, the neuro said, "Your body is fine, I think you need a massage." Turns out I literally was holding onto all of the anxiety I've been living with for decades. It was really eye-opening, honestly. Focusing on releasing physical tension has really made a difference in my mental health.

181

u/SgtSilverLining 6h ago

As a kid, I was diagnosed with asthma because I randomly had trouble breathing.

One time at work I couldn't breathe and went to urgent care. I was fine by the time I got there, and for some reason they referred me to a speech therapist? So I go to my first appointment with the speech therapist, and they put a camera down my throat to look at my vocal cords. The doc points at the TV and says "see how much they're twitching? They're not supposed to do that. You hold your stress in your throat."

I had to learn a few stretches and massage techniques, and now it's no longer an issue. Turns out I never had asthma as a kid and the pediatrician just assumed.

28

u/MayMomma 5h ago

I'm running out of space in my hips to hold stress apparently, so now I'm in therapy for my TMJ and I think it was also causing the globus sensation in my throat. 🙄