Chronic stress, depression and abdominal pain and increased appetite - how to deal with it, who to go to, is it from cortisol?
I'm a 21-year-old girl. I've always experienced everything "twice", especially the worse ones. High school intensified everything. I had suicidal thoughts, I didn't want to go to school, and when I came home from school, I would burst into tears. In addition, in 2018 I found out about my dad's illness (epilepsy). I had no idea about it before. Dad had a seizure when I was home alone with him (mom works 24-hour shifts). I was so stressed that I was shaking all over. And from then on, my health problems with stomach pain began. After many visits to the doctors and after many tests, it was found that everything was fine. And the pain didn't go away. I started looking for help on the internet, on various forums, and I found out that such ailments can be caused by chronic stress. So I decided to see a psychologist. There, after taking tests, I found out that I had depression and high levels of anxiety. I was told to see a psychiatrist for medication, and I did. I take them all the time, but I don't go to therapy (a certain situation discouraged me from seeing the psychologist). I also have a problem with eating. There are times (especially on days when I'm home alone with my dad) that I could eat non-stop. Since the beginning of the year, in addition to the situation with my dad, I have also had more stressful situations. Because of this, I am constantly snacking and I have gained almost 8 kg. My questions: 1. Can chronic stress cause increased appetite? 2. Can stress cause an increase in cortisol? 3. If I tested my cortisol levels and it turned out to be elevated, what should I do? Who to go to?