When Stress Boils Over

Monday, October 10th, 2011

We all have days when we feel we are going to 'blow a fuse' or have just had enough and can't wait to get home and crawl back under the duvet.

But when does a bad day turn into stress and what if the stress takes over?

National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD) on the 2nd November highlights the need to recognise your stress levels and take action now.

Mental health issues, including stress, anxiety and depression, are the reason for one in five visits to a GP.

What Is Stress

Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure.

Pressure turns into stress when you feel unable to cope.

People have different ways of reacting to stress, so a situation that feels stressful to one person may in fact be motivating to another.

Many of life's demands can cause stress - especially work, relationships and money problems, and when you feel stressed, it can affect everything you do.

Stress occurs when you are unable to cope with pressure.

Any type of mental pressure can cause stress. It can be brought on by a single event, a build-up of several small things or pressure you put on yourself.

Some common causes of stress include:

money problems
job worries
relationships
death of a loved one
family problems
exams

Sometimes, there are no clear causes of stress. Some people naturally feel more frustrated, anxious or depressed than others, which can cause them to feel stressed more often. Stress

Stress hormones
Stress causes a surge of hormones in your body: mainly cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline.

These stress hormones are released to boost your ability to deal with pressures or threats, you may have heard of this described as "fight or flight".

Once that pressure or threat has passed, your stress hormone levels usually return to normal.

However, if you are under constant stress, these hormones remain in your body causing the symptoms of stress.

Symptoms of stress
Symptoms of stress often build up gradually before you start noticing them.

Stress can affect how you feel, how you think, how you behave and how your body works.

It affects people in different ways but if you are stressed you may have some of the following symptoms:

Your feelings: you may feel;

irritable
anxious
low in self-esteem
have a low mood

Your thoughts: you may find that you;

have racing thoughts
worry constantly
imagining the worst
go over and over things

Stress

Your behaviour: you may notice you're;

having temper outbursts
drinking more
smoking more
on the go all the time
talking more or faster
changing your eating habits
feeling unsociable
being forgetful or clumsy
being unreasonable
struggling to concentrate

Your body: you may be suffering from;

headaches
muscle tension and pain
stomach problems
sweating
feeling dizzy
bowel or bladder problems
breathlessness
dry mouth
sexual problems

It is important to learn how stress affects you as this will help you figure out what coping techniques work best for you.

It will also help you avoid resorting to unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking and comfort-eating.

Stress can affect how you feel, how you think, how you behave and how your body works. Sleeping problems, sweating, loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating are common signs of stress.

Managing stress

Stress is not itself an illness but it can cause serious illness if not tackled. It is important to recognise the symptoms of stress early.

This will help you figure out ways of coping and save you from adopting unhealthy coping methods.

Spotting the early signs of stress will also help prevent it worsening and potentially causing serious complications, such as high blood pressure, anxiety and depression.

While there is little you can do to prevent stress, there are many things you can do to manage stress more effectively, such as learning how to relax, taking regular exercise and adopting good time management techniques.
Maxiumum Size Logo
If you've tried self-help techniques and they aren't working, make an appointment to see your GP.