So, what actually is stress?
Stress is a natural response to pressure that is happening in someone’s everyday life. There can be small to large situations in an individual’s life that could cause stress from mild to severe. It is usually triggered once a person starts to either take on an adventure that is completely new to them or an event that could threaten their sense of self. People that feel they can’t have full control of a situation will start to feel stressed.
How someone deals with stress in their life is different as we are all unique individuals. The ability to cope with stress depends on a number of factors such as genetics, personality, environment, economic status and more. When we start to encounter stress in our life, our body will produce stress hormones that trigger a fight-or-flight response thus activating our immune system. This is only natural as it allows us to react quickly to situations that could cause us danger.
Often, stress can be a natural motivator for people and actually be useful. It allows some humans to push and achieve goals such as running, landing a new job or more. Once the stressful event is over then the stress hormones will return to normal and you won’t feel any lasting symptoms.
However, people will deal with an enormous amount of stress daily that puts the weight of the world on their shoulders that they can’t accept. It can leave people in a permanent state of fight and flight which can leave an individual emotionally drained and unable to cope throughout their day-to-day life. Having heavy stress long-term can physically and mentally damage a person.
That is why it is crucial if you are suffering from permeant stress that is causing you great distress in your daily life that you reach out for professional mental health help that can create tailored treatments in order to manage your symptoms better.
The most common signs & symptoms of Stress
Stress can make an individual act differently and show different emotions depending on the person. There can also be symptoms that relate to the body due to mental stress. People handle their stress in different ways so people will show different signs & symptoms compared to other people. When someone is stressed, many people will be able to pick up that someone is suffering from stress but other times a person can struggle with stress and you may not pick up on it till it boils into something a lot more serious.
- Change of personality
- Depression
- Lack of emotion
- Racing thoughts
- Nervous
- Overwhelmed
- Anger
For those who are already suffering from existing mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, it can become a whole lot worse when under added stress. There can be more severe symptoms such as suicidal thoughts – if you are starting to feel that you can not keep yourself safe then do not hesitate and reach out for professional help today to start successfully managing your symptoms to live a more fulfilling life today.
What makes someone stressed?
Everyone will arguably feel stressed at a point in their life whether it’d be mild stress or severe stress, there may be a situation or event that causes you to display symptoms of stress. The most common reasons why an individual is stressed include money problems, divorce, losing a loved one, workplace environment and more.
Stress does not have to happen in negative situations but even positive life changes can cause someone to feel stressed such as moving to a new home, gaining a new job, going on holiday and even going on a date with your partner!
People when they feel stressed can often isolate themselves from others around them including family and loved ones. They may feel that they can’t speak about their problems for a number of reasons whether it’d be they feel they’d be seen as weak or they don’t want to add any burdens on people. By holding in your stress, you run a higher risk of affecting your physical and mental health in a negative way.
What are the different types of Stress?
Some recognised types of stress that people deal with are:
This is the term associated with stress that is short-term, it can either be positive or more distressing. This type of stress can be experienced in your day-to-day life. It will often pass when the situation passes.
People who suffer from chronic stress will feel like their stress will never escape and it won’t end regardless of the situation. Chronic stress can come from big negative experiences such as bad marriage or a stressful job. People can suffer from chronic stress if they have experienced very traumatic experiences or childhood abuse.
Episodic Acute Stress is a form of acute stress that will run rampant and can take over your life which can create a life of ongoing distress.
This type of stress can motivate people and is known as positive stress which can keep individuals energized. It is closely associated with getting a surge of adrenaline when doing activities such as job interviews, snowboarding and more.
Stress treatment options
When dealt with and managed effectively stress can help us positively respond to challenges that we may face in our life. Our professional psychiatrists are able to successfully help those suffering from stress find ways tailored to their personality to be able to manage their stress in a more positive way.
It is crucial to talk to a mental health expert beforehand so they can learn more about your current situation, how your stress has developed and if you are already suffering from other underlying mental health conditions that could be adding to your current stress.
There is no specific medication that people can be prescribed if they are suffering from stress but there are many different treatments available for individuals with stress that can help manage it more effectively so they can start living a more productive lifestyle today.