Can stress/high cortisol levels be linked with extreme chronic bloating and gas? i have been suffering from anxiety all my life.

Absolutely, but...: Feeling full of "gas" may reflect malabsorption of food (like gluten, lactose), intake of poorly digested food, or choosing foods known to promote gas (beans, fizzy drinks). Sometimes its more complicated--a stomach emptying too slowly, bacterial overgrowth syndrome, delayed intestinal function, partial obstruction from any cause, infection, rectum problems, and pelvic pathology outside the gut.