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Can a person develop stress intolerance?

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I am a middle-aged male with a history of (among other things) GAD, Panic Disorder, Hypochondria, OCD, Tourettes, Social Anxiety and ADHD.

Over the years (and decades) I have found that it has taken less and less to make me feel completely stressed out and overwhelmed. I can remember at one time only being stressed out by really serious or bad things but these days, it can be something as trivial as a simple trip to the grocery store and suddenly I'm a basket case going over all of the terrible possabilities and trying to analyze every angle and aspect of the trip until I just end up not going at all to relieve the stress of going in the first place.

The things that at one time I wouldn't think twice about doing are now things I wouldn't dream of doing because there is just too much "risk" and the exhausting process of having to analyze everything, looking for anything that could possibly go wrong and having to leave my safe zone for the scary unknown world of trying new things. Worrying, fretting, going crazy inside with fear over every little thing (even FUN things)...every minute detail, etc.

Sometimes I feel like I'm going mad. I have visitors coming that I haven't seen in years and all I can do for weeks on end is worry that this or that will go wrong and have gotten to the point where I am so stressed out that what should be a really fun time is turning into a stressful nightmare.

I have noticed this has gotten much worse over the years to the point where it is taking less and less for something to stress me out and send me into a complete downhill spiral. Could this be stress intolerance that has built up over the years?. Maybe adrenal fatigue?. Maybe just anxiety or OCD?. Anyone else feel this way?. It's like I can't even have fun or enjoy life anymore because everything is a worry. Need guidance please )-:

- Thanks, JJ
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replied May 3rd, 2012
Experienced User
I get that feeling sometimes, where any little thing can just really stress me out. In my case, it's usually because I've been sitting on something unspoken for too long, or missed therapy (or heaven forbid a med dose). But that's not always it, and I do think that overall it's starting to become worse, it takes less for me to get overwhelmed like that. I know it's been worse since my new diagnosis, but that's likely the associated stigma.
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