You thought you were fine. Tired, sure — but fine. Then the migraines started. Then the back pain that won’t go away. Then the doctor visits where everything comes back “normal” but nothing feels normal.
If you’re caring for aging parents while raising your own children, your body is absorbing a level of chronic stress that most medical professionals still don’t screen for. And it’s not in your head — the research is unambiguous about what sustained caregiving does to your physical health.
This isn’t another article telling you to take a bath and drink more water. This is what the science actually says about the physiological cost of being everything to everyone.