Perspective: June 2019

Stress: Facts, Causes and Remedies

Stress symptoms may be affecting our health, even though we might not realize it - Representative Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

Overview - Stress in relation with Anxiety and Depression

Stress and Anxiety are two common factors that we all encounter in our life. If we analyze and try to figure out two common mental health problems, chances are ended up with anxiety and depression. Despite the fact they are commonly referenced in conversation, we struggle to differentiate those different medical conditions. This is because many of us with some degrees of stress may develop anxiety syndromes and over the time it may lead to depression and vice versa. A major portion of people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with anxiety disorder and those disorders sometimes have direct or indirect link to stressful conditions they had passed or are passing through in their life. Therefore it is very important to identify the exact condition to diagnose and treat the mental health condition.

Relationship of Stress with Anxiety and Depression

Stress may be a source of anxiety and depression but it is not necessary that every anxiety and depression is associated with stress. Stress is initially physical reaction to any kind of threat or demand .This process is rapid and instantaneous to a given condition which might be real or imaginary. But sometimes we may fail to cop up the demand and may fall into the trap of mental condition which obviously turns to anxiety and other mental health conditions.
Stress is the reflex action of the body in response to demand, which protects us from threat. It helps us to stay focused, energetic and alert in emergency situations. Stress is the physical condition that helps us to meet the challenges.
But beyond a certain point, stress becomes a burden, stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to our health, mood, productivity, relationships and our quality of life.

Over Stress may lead to Anxiety and Depression

In today's demanding world, we tend to get stressed out frequently, our body may exist in a heightened state of stress, most of the time. And that can lead to serious health issues
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Our nervous system however is not well equipped at distinguishing between emotional and physical threats. If we are over stressed over an argument with an associate, a job deadline, or a mountain of debts, our body can react as life-or-death situation. The more our emergency stress system is activated, the easier it becomes to trigger, making it harder to shut off.

Our internal system produces significant quantities of chemicals which are called stress hormones called cortisol, adrenaline and non-adrenaline. The obvious fall out of these reactions are increased heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, high blood pressure, sweating and preparedness. These physical changes alert us either to take the event forward or withdraw from it.

In today's demanding world, we tend to get stressed out frequently, our body may exist in a heightened state of stress, most of the time. And that can lead to serious health issues. Health problems caused or exacerbated by chronic stress includes :

Depression and Anxiety

Insomnia

Body aches of any kind

Significant weight loss or gain

Skin disease

Thinking and Memory problems

Autoimmune disorder

Reproductive issues

Heart problems including irregular pulse beating

Digestive problems

Very interestingly stress can easily creep up on us. We get used to it and feel familiar or even normal about it. In most of the cases we fail to notice how much it's affecting us even as it takes heavy price.Therefore we need to know and be aware of the signs and symptoms of stress overload.

Cognitive Symptoms

Memory related issues

Lack of concentration

Pouring of negative thoughts

Unjustified worrying

Anxious or racing thoughts

Poor Judgement

Poor judgement lead to substance abuse.
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Behavioral Symptoms

Eating disorder

Irregular sleeping pattern

Social withdrawal

Posing irresponsibility

Nervous twitches

Substance abuse

Angry outbursts

Physical Symptoms

Body Pain

Fatigue

Loose Motion or Constipation

Dizziness, Nausea

Chest Pain associated with rapid heart rate

Frequent cold and running nose

Loss of libido

Emotional Symptoms

Loneliness and isolation
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Depression or general unhappiness

Anxiety and agitation

Moodiness irritability or anger

Feeling overwhelmed

Loneliness and isolation

Other mental and emotional health problems

The situations and pressures that cause stress are known as stressors. We normally think of stressors as being negative, such as exhaustive work schedule or a rocky relationship. However anything that puts high demands on us can be stressful. These includes lots of positive events like getting married, carrier building events, buying a house or receiving a promotion. Sometimes students find it tough to deal with upcoming examinations and results.

Causes of Stress

However not all stress is caused by external factors but also by the internal set up of human mind; and hence, self generated. When we think or worry excessively on a uncertain situation which may or may not happen or have irrational, over pessimistic thoughts about our or others life. It is largely depended on our perceptive to see, read and interpret things around us. On a same event some may feel joyous but some may feel anxious and obviously the event would produce different mental conditions, varies with different psychological set ups.

External Causes of Stress

Financial Pressure

Relationship Problems

Being too busy

Work or School

Major change in life

Children and Family

Internal Causes of Stress

Negative self-talk

Unrealistic perfectionism

Too much expectations

Inability to handle uncertainty

Lack of flexibility

Rigid thinking

Too much pessimism

All-or-nothing attitude

The widely regarded Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale outlines the most common stressful events of life that may cause serious illness :

Death of Spouse

Examination Results

Divorce

Marriage Separation

Imprisonment

Death of a close family member

Major injury or illness

Marriage

Job loss

Marriage Reconciliation

Retirement

Types of Stress

The American Psychological Association classifies three different kinds of Stress. They further specify :

Stress management can be complicated and confusing because there are different types of stress — acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress — each with its own characteristics, symptoms, duration and treatment approaches

Repeated instances of acute stress over a long period can become chronic and harmfu
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Acute Stress

This type of stress is short term. It occurs from demand of recent past and anticipated demands and pressure of the near future. Acute stress is thrilling and exciting in small doses, but too much is exhausting. With recent or upcoming events we may feel upset or stressed but when it is resolved, the stress would be removed or reduced.
Because it is short term, therefore it won't damage extensively. However, repeated instances of acute stress over a long period can become chronic and harmful. The most common symptoms are :

Emotional Distress - some combination of anger or irritability, anxiety and depression, the three stress emotions

Muscular Problems including tension, headache, back-pain, jaw-pain and the muscular tensions.

Stomach, gut and bowel problems such as heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome.

Transient over-arousal leads to elevation of blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, heart palpitations, dizziness, migraine headaches, cold hands or feet, shortness of breath and chest pain.

Acute Stress is very common and it is treatable.

Episodic Acute Stress

People who frequently experience acute stress or whose lives present frequent triggers of stress, have episodic acute stress.
People with too many commitments and poor organization may find themselves displaying episodic stress symptoms. It is common for people with acute stress reactions to be over aroused, short-tempered, irritable, anxious and tense. Always in a hurry, they tend to be abrupt, and sometimes their irritability comes across as hostility. Interpersonal relationships deteriorate rapidly when others respond with real hostility. The workplace becomes a very stressful place for them.
The cardiac prone "Type A" personality described by Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman is similar to an extreme case of episodic acute stress. Type A's have an

excessive competitive drive, aggressiveness, impatience, and a harrying sense of time urgency.and free-floating, but well-rationalized form of hostility, and almost always a deep-seated insecurity

Such personality characteristics would seem to create frequent episodes of acute stress for the Type A individual.
This type of stress can trigger high blood pressure and heart ailments.

Chronic Stress

Unlike acute stress , chronic stress is most harmful and grinds away over a long period of time. It destroys bodies, minds and lives day after day, year after year. It wrecks havoc through long term attrition.
Ongoing poverty, a dysfunctional family, or an unhappy marriage can cause chronic stress. When a person sees no possible solutions of a miserable situation, it is the stress of unrelenting demands and pressures for seemingly interminable periods of time, stops seeking solutions.
Sometimes it can be caused from traumatic and early childhood experiences that sit in the subconscious mind and remain forever painful and present.

When a person sees no possible solutions of a miserable situation, it is the stress of unrelenting demands and pressures for seemingly interminable periods of time, stops seeking solutions.
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Chronic Stress may remain unnoticed, as the person can become used to it. It can become the individual's personality, making them constantly prone to the effects of stress regardless of the scenarios they come up against. People are immediately aware of acute stress because it is new, they ignore chronic stress because it is old. familiar and sometimes comfortable.
People with chronic stress wear down to a final, fatal breakdown that can lead to suicide, violence, heart attack, stroke and perhaps even cancer. Because physical and mental resources are depleted through long-term attrition, the symptoms of chronic stress are difficult to treat and may require extended medical as well as behavioral treatment and stress management.

Factors of Stress Tolerance

It is very important to know how much stress we can bear and stay well. This 'how much' differs from person to person. The following factors influence the stress tolerance level :

Support Network - a strong family member, friends and social circle give immense support when in need. This network base works relentlessly to overcome the stress related tensions and the affected persons get help and association when they feel lonely and isolated. The American Psychological Association encourage people to develop networks of social support. For example, by talking to neighbors and others in the local community, or joining a club, charity, or religious organization.

Sense of Control - a strong sense of controlling the situation, confidence to overcome the fall out of under going tension is a great characteristics to fight stress. Otherwise if the people believe they have little control over life events then it is very likely stress will rule their lives.

Attitude and Outlook - How we look to our life events and its challenges . If we are able to look at the beneficial effects of positive life events , we are more likely to handle stress reasonably and overcome stress related fall outs.

Dealing Emotions - Our disability to deal with emotions like sadness, anger, troubled situations may trigger stress and agitation, sometimes violent reactions. We must consciously nurture our ability to handle emotions positively; and this can help us increase our stress tolerance limit and bounce back to normal from adversity.

Reality Checking - We should try to know about a stressful situation which will help us to deal with our own stress.

Stress Management Self Help

There are various ways of looking over stressed conditions. As we have previously discussed, in today's world stressful events are inevitable and we cannot avoid those events but certainly we can practice to look at them differently and make ourselves ready to fight diligently without harming our physical and mental health..

Here are some lifestyle choices we can take to prevent and manage the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Look at the events differently

In order to do this my favorite technique is The Wisdom of Wei Wu Wei - A Secret Art of Non-Doing <Please click on the link to know more. Wei Wu Wei literally means action through inaction. The idea of Wu Wei is a part of Taoism whose central philosophy is known as The Way..

Sometimes things appear to be stagnant and a bad fit.We struggle beyond belief in something. Perhaps that is a sign that we need help. Or maybe we should simply focus on our efforts elsewhere or in a different way. This is especially true if there are things in our life that already put us in a state of flow.

Creation is here described as an evolution outward, from undifferentiated consciousness into differentiated consciousness, from mind into matter. Pure consciousness is, as it were, gradually covered by successive layers of ignorance and differentiation, each layer being grosser and thicker than the one below it, until the process ends on the outer physical surface of the visible and tangible world. Read here to know > How Can We Achieve A Balance Of Our Negative and Positive Energies- Yin and Yang

Breathing and Relaxation Technique

Yoga, Meditation, Breathing Exercises (Pranayam) slow down the system and help us to relax. Observe breathing - exhale and inhale slowly, to observe how the air is entering our body, how it enriches our whole body and how it is passing out through the nose. It is proven that if we can observe our breathing consciously within few moments we feel relaxed.

Breathing exercise for Stress Relaxation

It is proven that if we can observe our breathing consciously within few moments we feel relaxed
Photo by Fabian Møller on Unsplash

In extreme conditions like Fight-or-Flight situations if we take 2 or 3 long breaths slowly - it would immediately reduce nervous tension and we can make better decisions which certainly help us to counteract the detrimental effects of stress.
Make Yoga and Meditation a routine work and live better. Learn 'Deep Breathing' (preferably from experts) and practice regularly.

Visit and walk in nature

Nature is the source of our well-being. Find a park nearby, make a 30-minutes time, visit regularly see and observe greenery, feel and love them. Inhale fresh air and relax. This is a very effective relaxation process and easy to adopt. By doing so it is also possible to develop a strong social network which provides help in need.

Just Relax
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Swimming is also a very good exercise of releasing muscle tension and tone the overall body functions and being a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise plus alleviating stress.

Socialize

Participate in social activities, talk to family members, friends, colleagues about your thoughts and worries which will help you let off steam . It may be possible that we may find hard and confronted with the feeling. But after talking we may find there is an easy solution that we had not thought of .
Engaging ourselves with some social works is also very beneficial for mental health.

Practice Slow Movement

Slowing Down is the Smartest Way to increase the Happiness Quotient - The slow movement, which is about promoting slowing down the pace of life, has started in several cities, especially in Western Europe. This movement was started in 1986 by Carlo Petrini His protest sparked the creation of slow food movement . Over time, the slow food movement became an important part of the sun-culture, which impacted several important facets of human life.

Now is the time to decide about what kind of life we want for ourselves - a life of maddening speed, which is aggressive, controlling, superficial, stressed and impatient, or a life that can be calm, receptive, intuitive, patient, reflective, helping us establish meaningful connections with work, people, culture and food- pretty much everything. The choice is clearly ours.

Ask Wisdom and cultivate Intellectual Humility

Wisdom is an understanding of what is important and this understanding reflects beholders thought and actions. It encompasses a wide range of activities, we are able to recognize when we encounter it. However it can be challenging to articulate the exact characteristics that make an individual wise.

Intellectual Humility is knowing ourselves, understanding the limit of our own knowledge. It is a state of willingness to learn , openness to knew ideas. In the rapid changing world this trait said to be most effective phenomenon. In an opposing situation intellectually humble person is more likely to learn from disagreement.

Final Thought

It is important to find active ways to manage stress. Inactive ways to manage stress - such as watching television, Internet surfing or playing video games - may seem relaxing but they may increase stress over the long term.
Ensure enough sleep, maintain good food habit, balanced diet. Avoid caffeine, tobacco ,alcohol and other substances. These will help to cope up stress related problems.
If you are able to understand that the stress is the possible cause of your discomfort and distress and when you have taken steps to control your stress but the symptoms remain then you must visit your Doctor. The healthcare provider may guide you for your recovery. Or consider seeing a professional counselor or therapist, who can help you identify sources of your stress and learn new coping tools.

There are various effects of stress on our body which needs to be addressed and should not be ignored.