Interestingly this is measurable. I have a garmin watch and whenever children are close for 15 mins, I get a relaxation reminder telling me to do breathing exercises. So this mental defect manifests itself physically.

A stress response is a stress response. Maybe you have a bit of a mind/body disconnect - I realized I did many years ago in therapy when I was upset about something and he asked where I felt it and I asked what he meant. I’ve worked on it since, paying attention to whether I feel a tightness in my stomach, chest, butterflies, etc. It’s helped me notice patterns I didn’t before.