When Your Labs Are “Fine”… But You Don’t Feel Fine (#1 in series)
Doctors say your labs are fine.
But you don’t feel fine—far from it.
And that disconnect is where this starts.
There’s a moment many people reach that doesn’t get talked about enough.
You’ve done the labs.
You’ve gone to the appointments.
You’ve explained symptoms as clearly as you can—for yourself or your child.
And you hear:
“Everything looks normal.”
“It’s probably anxiety.”
And maybe part of you thinks… okay, maybe.
But another part of you—quieter, but steady—says:
something doesn’t fully explain what’s happening
That voice matters.
This Isn’t About Dismissing Anxiety
Let’s be clear about something first.
Anxiety is real.
It affects the body.
It can absolutely amplify symptoms.
But sometimes anxiety is:
not the starting point
not the full explanation
or not the most helpful lens when physical health symptoms are getting ignored
Because when everything gets filtered through that one explanation, important patterns can get missed.
A Different Question to Start With
Instead of asking:
“Why can’t I calm this anxiety?”
Try asking:
“What is the body actually responding to?”
That shift opens up a different kind of curiosity—whether you’re looking at your own symptoms or your child’s.
Questions to Help You Differentiate
These aren’t diagnostic tools.
They’re starting points for noticing patterns more clearly.
Do symptoms follow thoughts… or show up on their own?
Do they come after worry or stress?
Or do they sometimes appear:
out of the blue
before there’s been time to think about anything
when things actually feel calm
What actually triggers symptoms?
Not just emotional stress—but things like:
food
light
sound
movement
position (standing, sitting, lying down)
environments
What happens after pushing through?
If symptoms are ignored and you (or your child) keep going:
do they settle…
or do they build, spread, or linger?
Are symptoms consistent… or unpredictable?
Do the same things always trigger them?
Or does it feel like:
“this happened yesterday, but not today”
“I can’t find a clear pattern”
Do symptoms change based on time of day, eating, or environment?
Notice:
mornings vs afternoons
before or after meals
specific places or settings
Why This Matters
When symptoms don’t fit neatly into one explanation, it’s easy to start questioning yourself.
Or wondering if you’re missing something.
But asking better questions doesn’t lead to overthinking.
It leads to:
more accurate awareness
What This Series Will Walk Through
Over the next 10 posts, I’m going to walk through an early part of my own chronic illness experience.
Not to overshare—
but to show how these questions actually play out in real life.
How patterns start to emerge.
How things that seem unrelated begin to connect.
And how you can begin to advocate more clearly within medical and school systems for you or your child.
You’re Allowed to Stay Curious
You don’t have to force everything into one explanation.
You can hold both:
that anxiety might be part of this
and
that something else might also be going on
That’s not denial.
That’s thoughtful awareness.
If You’re Not Sure Where to Start
Support, if you want it
If you’re looking for more personalized support in making sense of symptoms—for yourself or your child—you don’t have to navigate this alone.
Dr. Jessica Riutzel-Schmidt, LCSW
Founder, NeuroFlexible Family
