Physical side effects of long-term stress?

Over about 7 years I’ve had a few periods of intense anxiety and depression, the longest period being almost 8 months. Constantly being in “fight or flight” mode has left me with a worn out body - even moderate stress will provoke debilitating nerve pains, chest pain/acid reflux, and stomach/bathroom issues. I’m so tired of being in pain, it feels like I’ve aged decades in only a few years. It feels so pathetic to explain to people when fairly minor stressors basically bring my life to a halt. I’m worried I’m reaching a point where it’ll be impossible for me to function normally again. Has anyone had similar experiences and have advice to share? Thanks greatly in advance!

I totally relate! I've got several mental health issues, and I've lived most of my life in fight/flight/freeze/fawn (mostly the last three). I've struggled a lot in the past decade with sleep issues and fatigue even when I do sleep, and I brushed it off as school stress, but the fatigue got worse a year ago and now fluctuates between "tired but okay" to "so exhausted I can barely hold a conversation or get out of bed; basically a complete zombie". I've also had a fair amount of back pain for a lot of my life, but had also dismissed it as a combo of bad posture and stress until it got worse. A little over a year ago (when the fatigue began to be worse) I started also having widespread muscle stiffness, joint pain, and occasional brain fog. All of these things really impact my functioning when the symptoms flare.

I don't have an official diagnosis yet, but my doctor thinks it's probably fibromyalgia (where the central nervous system is hypersensitive)--a lot of people who have it have it because of trauma. Looking at tips from other people who deal with chronic pain/fatigue and fibromyalgia specifically has been helpful for helping me manage my issues somewhat while I wait for more help from my doctors. I've experienced all the things you mentioned experiencing and I got prescribed a medication for acid reflux that seems to be working (prior to that I would just keep pepto bismol pills in my bag). I also try to always have something to snack on because sometimes eating can help (although sometimes it has the opposite effect, so be careful). For muscle or joint aches I sometimes use a CBD balm from the brand Colorado Botanicals. For muscle stiffness/knots I have a TheraCane. Unfortunately I haven't really found anything to help with stomach problems or fatigue yet, but that's next on my list. General things that help me are an electric blanket/heating pad, good quality pillows, and a TENS unit.

I think there's more things I've tried but I need to go to bed now since I have to wake up early. Take care!

Has anyone had similar experiences