Stress
The pressures on the average family are tremendous with expectations set by television and the newspapers to keep up with the neighbours, buy the latest television, a new car, a bigger house. All of these pressures leading to frazzled nerves, short tempers, sleep deprivation, ritual overindulgence, financial worries - stress has the ingredients it needs to ferment.
Stress is not "normal”. Essentially, stress is the tension created when people respond to excessive work, family, financial or other pressures. There is a myth that stress results when too many bad things happen, but it can just as easily occur when there are good things happening – job promotions, house moves, marriage, childbirth etc.. Stress can be either immediate, in response to a particular situation or event, or cumulative, building up over time until a crisis point is reached. Psychological symptoms include anxiety, impaired concentration, mental confusion, poor judgment, frustration and anger, while physical symptoms include muscle tension, headaches, low back pain, insomnia and high blood pressure. If left untreated, these symptoms may lead to serious physical and psychiatric illness.
Stress is often referred to as the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. Your body’s stress response occurs automatically whenever you feel threatened. Your pituitary gland steps up its production of a hormone which is like an alarm signal going off in the brain which then alerts your adrenals, a gland situated above your kidneys, to release stress hormones into the bloodstream. In the early stages, stress can rev up your body and spirits; if it continues and you don’t have a chance to recover, your physical and mental health will deteriorate.
Everyone reacts to stressors differently. Some people are naturally relaxed about everything, while others react to the slightest issue. Adverse life experiences in the past may decrease an individual’s ability to withstand stress in the present, and people who were exposed to extreme stress in childhood are often more vulnerable to stress as adults. There is a vast amount of research linking these so called "life events" to depression. If lest untreated, stress can precipitate a serious depressive illness.
Stress is rife in the Western world: over two-thirds of GP visits are for stress-related illnesses and stress has been cited as a contributing factor in coronary artery disease, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver, some accidental injuries and suicide. Additionally, stress aggravates conditions like multiple sclerosis, diabetes, addictions and family issues.
So, how do you cope with stress? Consider the following plan to help you de-stress and enjoy life.
Take control:
You don’t have to do everything asked of you. "No" is a difficult word to say, but it can be very empowering if used appropriately! Do what matters to you and those you love and jettison the rest.
Expect disaster:
You will forget to buy something important, the dog will scoff the sausage rolls and a loved one will become irritable, perhaps after too many drinks. So what? Will it matter in the morning?
Limit your alcohol intake:
It does not help you to cope with stress, it’s full of empty calories, plays havoc with your blood sugar, is bad for your skin and leaves you dehydrated and depressed.
Uncover the essence of life:
Love, caring and joy!
Be kind:
Particularly if your family has been divided by separation or divorce. Be supportive of and generous toward your ex- and as uncritical and flexible as possible. Your children will love you for it.
Remember:
It is relatively easy to change yourself but not easy to change others - if your boss is unreasonable and work is intolerable, consider the options open to you, perhaps drawing up a list of 'pros & cons' for change.
Imperfection is normal!
Life can be amazing, appalling or average, frequently for reasons which are out of our control.
The key to positive mental health:
To acknowledge the issues facing you, develop a realistic coping strategy, relax when things go wrong and recognise when to let go.
- Recognise the difference between real crises and simple hassles:
Try to laugh when trivial things go wrong.
- Don't feel you have to do it alone:
If your stress levels are consistently high and self-help strategies aren’t working, seek professional help. Clinical stress is a very real mental health issue which needs to be addressed for your psychological, emotional and physical well-being. Suffering in silence is destructive – obtaining help is a positive step toward well-being.
- Symptoms of depression should not be ignored!
They will rarely just go away without help. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness!
NOTE:
It is important that the information presented here is intended as general information and is NOT an alternative to a detailed discussion with the professionals in charge of a patient’s care.
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