Stress - Do you suffer from stress?

Stress - Do you suffer from stress? Do you know what causes it?

Stress- Definition

'Mental or physical tension that results from physical, emotional, or chemical causes.'

Stress is the condition that results from life and/or work pressures. It's all too easy for some people to say that they suffer from stress but what most actually mean is that they feel inappropriate amounts of pressure at certain times. Stress can come on slowly or suddenly and presents usually as a combination of symptoms.

Symptoms of Stress

Stress normally manifests itself as a range of quite distinct symptoms such as insomnia, headaches or migraine, muscle aches, mood swings, digestive problems, anxiety, morbid thoughts, panic attacks or depressive thoughts for example.

It is common for stress sufferers to experience panic attacks, anxiety and phobias. Having developed these conditions, the stress sufferer can experience a wide range of both physical and psychological thoughts and sensations, often misdiagnosed by medical practitioners in isolation.

Many stress sufferers experience a small group of symptoms which can be misdiagnosed by doctors who, regrettably, do not take a look at the larger picture surrounding the development of the stress symptoms by the sufferer. In isolation, these stress symptoms are often mistreated by practitioners.

Addressed quickly, stress symptoms, anxiety and panic attacks can be eradicated quickly and permanently given the correct treatment methodology.

Types of Stress

Stress can be caused by a wide range of stressors or catalysts. Stress often occurs during periods of work pressure, after bereavement, divorce, moving house or other stress inducing life situations.

Some stressors are easier to eliminate than others. Work practice stress can be eliminated by adjusting your work practice but life issues such as abuse, divorce or other personal problems can give rise to situations which are not so simple to overcome.

Stress and Anxiety

The Link between stress and anxiety is strong; in fact the majority of stress sufferers who visit their doctor are diagnosed with anxiety. Stress and anxiety account for more days off work than any other condition.

Causes of Stress

Stress is caused by perception, not fact. If you perceive your task at hand or situation as threatening or overwhelming, your reaction to it will also be negative.

If the stressful situation is perceived as a welcome challenge or something for which you are prepared, the pressure of the task at hand will not manifest itself negatively and you will not develop any of the symptoms of stress. This explains why some people thrive on stress and others suffer at its mercy.

Stress Treatment / Cures

Drugs / Medication

There are no medicinal cures for stress. Stress, as mentioned earlier, is caused by an inappropriate perception of the task at hand; no drug exists which can alleviate the problem. Once stress conditions are formed, some doctors will try to remove them using drugs, but this is untargeted and inappropriate treatment.

Stress conditions can only be successfully treated using behavioral techniques, administered by professional, qualified and experienced support specialists.

 

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy can assist in undermining stress related conditions, but is sporadic, inaccessible and takes a lot of valuable time to administer. Psychotherapy is used mostly to identify and discuss the source of mental illnesses. Stress is not a mental illness.

 

Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies can offer stress sufferers some respite during their condition, but are far from curative. Coupled with other mechanisms, alternative therapies can be very useful, especially when used alongside massage, yoga or meditation for example.