Understanding Your Physical Condition And Related Emotions  

Get to know the relationship between personal, physical and emotional symptoms.

You can watch the video or keep reading. 

In the past sessions, we learned that anxiety can show up in many different ways, including in our body.

For example, a jittery stomach on your way to the hospital; or sweaty palms when you are overwhelmed thinking of all the things you need to do but can’t.

You may also be experiencing additional physical symptoms too – the ones directly related to your illness, or the underlying causes (such as if you have diabetes also).

Here is a list of symptoms that other people with ESRD / your illness ((your preference as to which you refer to)) often talk about.

Some of them you may have frequently, and others you may experience less frequently.

If your symptoms are not on the list, feel free to write them down in the additional boxes.

Likewise, if you see symptoms that you have never heard about or experienced before, do not worry – everyone is different. 

• Glance through the list and think about which symptoms you can identify with, and which symptoms have been bothering you in the past fortnight.

Bone Pain

Changes in frequency of urination

Chest pain

Difficulty sleeping

Digestion problems

Easy bruising

Fatigue 

Finding it hard to think

Headaches 

High blood pressure 

Itchy dry skin

Loss of appetite 

Metallic taste in your mouth

Muscle twitches or cramps

Nail changes

Nausea

Pain 

Shortness of breath 

Stomach soreness 

Swelling of hands, feet and / or ankles

Vomiting

Weakness

Now, if you notice carefully, some of these physical symptoms might correspond to particular emotions too.

So, you would also be right to start thinking that a lot of how we think and feel emotionally is related to how we feel physically, and vice versa. 

For instance, people who have swelling of their feet or hands may notice feeling more sad or anxious on that day. Headaches may make you feel frustrated or irritable.

• Write down which emotions these physical symptoms might be connected with for you. 

See the list / diagram below for common emotion words. 

Similar to understanding anxiety, we can predict, prepare and regulate our mood better if we can understand what physical symptoms might create what emotions.

If your blood pressure rises, perhaps we will be able to predict that you will feel more stressed or anxious.

If you have a loss of appetite, maybe we know you will be more likely to feel down that day.

If we have this information, it will help you better explain your mood on days when you are not feeling well.

It will also help those around you, to support you better.