What If It’s Not Just Stress? A Psychiatrist’s Perspective Most People Never Hear
Have you ever felt like you’re talking, but no one is listening? Maybe you’ve been feeling exhausted and unsure, bouncing from doctor to doctor, being told, “It’s just stress.” You can’t help but ask yourself, “Is it all in my head?” It’s a scene I know all too well from my office.
What if we’ve been asking the wrong questions all along? I truly believe, after over a decade in psychiatry, that feeling anxious, stuck, depleted, or disconnected doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your system is flagging something important. And we need to actually listen.
Psychiatry Is Investigation - Not Just Diagnosis
When someone tells me they’re not feeling like themselves - whether that’s racing thoughts, flat motivation, or that invisible weight pressing down on their chest - my job isn’t just to label it and move on. I want to understand:
What shifted before this started?
How’s your sleep?
When did you last feel joy?
What’s your relationship like with your body, your calendar, and your self-worth?
Many people feel like psychiatry is about receiving a diagnosis and a prescription. My approach is similar to detective work. Not because I’m trying to “find what’s wrong”... But because I’m trying to uncover what your body and brain are trying to say.
The Three-Layer Mental Health Check
When something’s off, I look through three lenses:
Your Body: Your symptoms shouldn’t be brushed off as “just stress” when they could actually be medical - like thyroid issues, nutrient deficiencies, or sleep disruptions. (This happens more often than you think!)
Your Mind: Are you stuck in old patterns - coping like your 12-year-old self, striving on autopilot, or narrating your life with beliefs you didn’t even realize you’d absorbed?
Your Environment: Even if you’re doing all the “right” things, a toxic workplace or chaotic home dynamic can undermine everything.
Your mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Life context matters - hugely. This is where the real magic happens - when we stop isolating symptoms and start connecting the dots.
It’s Not Always About The Obvious Thing
One thing I do is constantly listen for what’s not being said. That moment, you say, “I’m fine,” but your whole body says otherwise. The tone shifts when you mention your partner. The over-apology for simply taking up space in the room. Those subtleties often lead us to what actually needs attention, not just the surface issue but the real pattern underneath.
Here’s one thing I wish more people understood: sometimes, that “anxiety” isn’t anxiety. It’s adrenal fatigue. Or unresolved grief. Or a life that no longer fits.
You Don’t Have To Be In Crisis To Reroute
Mental health doesn’t start at the breakdown. It starts at check-in. If you’re feeling off right now, ask yourself:
What’s my body trying to tell me?
What thoughts have been circling?
What external pressures might be shaping how I feel?
And then go deeper:
Has something shifted recently?
Is this feeling part of an old pattern I’ve outgrown?
Could this be physical as well as emotional?
This is how you prevent the crash - by tuning in before the engine gives out.
Bottom Line
You don’t need a psychiatry degree to start thinking like this. You just need curiosity and a little self-trust. If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: Mental health is communication. And every symptom -emotional or physical- is part of your system trying to speak up.
Let’s stop dismissing it. Let’s get better at listening!
What’s Next
This season on The Mental Path Podcast, we’re breaking down these ideas into actual skills - how to calm your system, spot early signs of burnout, and build a daily rhythm that supports your mind, body, and mission.
You don’t have to wait for a crisis to start feeling better. Let’s build a new path, one that actually fits your life.
More on this topic: Season 3 premiere of The Mental Path Podcast (Episode 21), listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube