Ok So How Can I Tell If I Am Stressed
If you suspect you might be stressed or if you have been told by others that you are stressed, dont ignore it. Take our simple test below to ascertain whether you are stressed or not.
Simply go through the list below and tick, honestly, each bullet point that applies to you.
- You feel less eager to go to work after the weekend
- You are less patient with others
- You often are moody
- You have stomach problems
- Your blood pressure is higher
- You have lost a lot of weight
- You have gained a lot of weight
If you have ticked less than 4, you might just be exhausted rather than stressed.
If you have ticked more than 4, theres a high chance you are stressed.
Now that you know if you are likely to be stressed or not, lets try and find out how much stress youre under.
Your Hair Is Starting To Fall Out
If youre waking up with more than a few strands on your pillow, you may be suffering from alopecia areata. This is an autoimmune skin disease;brought on when the bodys immune system attacks the hair follicles. It causes small round patches of hair loss on the scalp. Its not dangerous, but its likely to be associated with a severe stressor, like an assault or significant traumatic event in ones life, says Dr. Colgan. This disease is more likely to occur in young women or adolescent girls.
What to do: In most cases, this is typically a temporary condition and your hair will grow back once stress is minimized. But dont be afraid to talk to your doctor about whats going on, says Dr. Colgan. While your MD might recommend injectable scalp steroids to help with hair growth, its best to have an examination. The hair loss could possibly be a sign of a scalp fungal infection, a bacterial function or even a thyroid disorder.
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When Should I Talk To A Doctor About Stress
Talk to your doctor about stress if you are feeling overwhelmed, are reliant on drugs or alcohol to cope with the feelings of stress, have thoughts of hurting yourself, or are experiencing other related conditions, like anxiety or depression. Your doctor can provide advice for better managing your stress, prescribe medication, or refer you to a mental health professional for further diagnosis and treatment.
The National Institute of Mental Health . 5 Things You Should Know About Stress. Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/. Accessed July 15, 2021.
Child Mind Disorder. Acute Stress Disorder Basics. Accessed 4/11/2021.
U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Acute Stress Disorder. Accessed 4/11/2021.
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Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Cholesterol
Whether or not youre stressed, its smart to see your primary care physician once a year for a complete exam, including a check of blood pressure, heart rate, weight, cholesterol, and thyroid hormones. And dont let a doctor brush off your stress.
When women have heart palpitations, doctors are more likely to think that theyre either experiencing stress or anxiety, or that theyre hysterical in some way. As a result, women tend to be underdiagnosed with heart disease, says Dr. Haythe. And this happens despite the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. A good rule of thumb: If unusual symptoms persist for more than a week or two, see your physician.
Symptoms Of Uncontrolled Stress
Like in any medical condition, the starting point towards the resolution of the problem that is stress is symptom recognition. Stress is your bodys way of protecting you; it is a normal physiological response to any threatening event that comes your way. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing harm to your health and life in general. Below are some of the common warning signs and symptoms of too much or uncontrolled stress. If you seem to be experiencing many of the symptoms listed, then it likely indicates that you are not coping with the stress in your life effectively.
Cognitive Symptoms.
Cognitive symptoms refer to problems that have anything to do with brain processes like thinking, attention, perception, memory, reasoning, and problem solving. The most commonly observed cognitive symptoms of poorly managed stress are as follows:
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Memory problems
If you make your own coffee in the morning, chances are youre only making the same boring kind everyday. Now its time to put an end to the cynical habit and turn you into an instant coffee connoisseur.
For those who dont know, there are officially 38 different ways to make coffee. All, except decaffeinated versions will give you the same buzz that can either make you extremely productive or give you anxiety.
The only difference here is taste. And when it comes to coffee, taste matters. A lot.
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Job Loss And Unemployment Stress
Losing a job is one of lifes most stressful experiences. Its normal to feel angry, hurt, or depressed, grieve for all that youve lost, or feel anxious about what the future holds. Job loss and unemployment involves a lot of change all at once, which can rock your sense of purpose and self-esteem. While the stress can seem overwhelming, there are many steps you can take to come out of this difficult period stronger, more resilient, and with a renewed sense of purpose.
How Can I Help My Dog Handle Stressful Situations
In order to differentiate stress signs from normal behavior, you must be familiar with your dogs regular demeanor. Then you can tell if he is licking his lips because he is anxious or because he wants a treat.
When relaxed, he will have semi-erect or forward-facing ears, a soft mouth, and round eyes. He will distribute his weight evenly on all four paws. Distinguishing normal behavior from stress signs will help you quickly and effectively diffuse an uncomfortable situation.
“If your dog is stressed,;first remove him from the stressor.”
If your dog is stressed, first remove him from the stressor. Find a quiet place for him to regroup. Resist the urge to overly comfort him. If you want to pamper him with petting or treats, make him earn them first by performing an activity . Responding to routine commands distracts the dog and provides a sense of normalcy. It is amazing how comforting sit, down, and heel can be to a worried dog.
If your dog becomes consistently stressed, see your veterinarian. After ensuring that your dogs behavior does not have a medical basis, your veterinarian may refer you to a trainer or veterinary behaviorist to evaluate stress-related issues. They may also prescribe anxiety-reducing medications if appropriate.
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You Rarely Take Lunch Breaks Or Coffee Breaks Even A Bathroom Break Is A Luxury
As a human being, you need decent food, sleep, exercise, and social time. Too bad your work self didnt get the memo. If you feel so pressured at work that even your most basic needs have fallen to the wayside, youre overly stressed, notes Stevan E. Hobfoll, Ph.D., chairperson of Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. Luckily, science has the answers: Research shows that working out mid-day ; listening to music ; and just taking deep breaths can help reduce the production of cortisol.
The Consequences Of Long
If we are not taught healthy ways to manage the unpleasant sensations of stress, we might respond with unhealthy self-soothing or even if we do know but we just ‘dont want to deal with it right now’ we might try to ‘escape’ rather than actually deal with the root cause.
Of course some escapism, especially talking to friends or perhaps watching something funny on TV can help restore our emotional balance but at that point it is important to deal with the cause of the stress, otherwise were simply papering over cracks rather than doing anything truly effective to help our own growth.
If we are not taught healthy ways to manage the unpleasant sensations of stress, we might respond with unhealthy self-soothing.
Further, burying negative emotions ie simply ignoring it – can lead to a number of mental health issues. If you never resolve the issue, it can result in ineffective behaviour strategies to cope, such as avoidance of the person, people, or place which causes the discomfort which in turn can lead to isolation, and that can lead to social anxiety, anxiety and depression.
Further, if you do not deal with emotions in a healthy way, you may engage in self-medication to help supress them, such as drugs, alcohol or over-eating and this can have huge physical consequences including detrimental effects on the brain and body.
To overcome and recover from stress try the following tips:
Acknowledge your feelings
Find an outlet
Ask for help
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You Lie In Bed Staring At The Ceiling
If you typically feel too wired to fall asleep at night, work stress may be to blame . When stress hormones are amped up all day they don’t cease just because you’re suddenly ready to sleep, notes Hanna. Taking breaks throughout the day helps your hormones chill. Also, stay off the email before bedtime; that blue light emanating from your computer screen or smartphone can hinder the production of melatonin, the hormone that makes you doze off. What helps: Set your alarmfor an hour before bed, suggests Hanna. That signals its time to back away from technology and unwind.
Your Sex Life Is Suffering
While you or your partner might not be aware of it, stress and tension are the leading causes of erectile dysfunction. A lot of men walk into my office and say they want Viagra, but oftentimes Ill tell them I dont think a pill will help their problem when I believe its stress thats causing the issue, says Dr. Colgan. Its a vicious cycle, aserectile dysfunction can also cause more stress for the person experiencing it. And since theyre stressed, sometimes guys will start drinking alcohol to reduce their inhibitions, but Ill remind them that this is a muscle relaxer, so it wont help them perform better in their sexual relations, he says.
What to do: Identify whats causing the problem.I tell patients, the body and mind are like significant others: When one doesnt feel well, the other sympathizes, says Dr. Colgan. If youre having a rocky relationship, increased financial stresses, or lost your job, its illogical to think that with all that worry and tension in your life, your body is going to stand by idly and not act differently.
Dr. Colgan also recommends talking with your partner to let them know whats going on in order to work through the problem. I tell them the answer isnt a pill. The solution is for you and your partner to communicate so you can help them understand that youre under a lot of stress and tension right now. If you can work to relieve that tension, your sex life should improve as well.
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Youre Simply Not Enjoying The Things You Used To
One of the many emotional symptoms of stress is a general feeling of malaise. If youre dreading doing things you once lovedlike working out, spending time with friends, or simply talking a walknot only you could you be stressed, but you could also be suffering from depression.
Depression is precipitated by long-term, chronic exposure to stress, researchers published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health wrote in a 2012 study. As the researchers noted, while experiencing high-stress situations, the body may again release stress hormones and that could inhibit a persons ability to experience joy in daily activities.
If you find yourself experiencing any of these symptoms, its time to talk to a health professional. That way, you have someone on your side to help you find ways to de-stress and get back to living your life your way.
How To Manage Physical Stress Symptoms
Although we don’t yet understand the root cause of the relationship between the mind and physical symptoms, it is certainly clear how we should deal with it.
There are really two important parts of managing the situation: ruling out a physical problem and getting the right psychological help.
The most common psychosomatic symptoms can also be borne from significant physical illnesses so thorough examinations are crucial and often some scans or blood tests too. This is imperative, for example, with abdominal symptoms. Even in the context of stress and anxiety, it is still important to see a doctor so a more significant physical cause is ruled out. Stress can certainly cause a change in your bowels, but so can cancer. Both doctors and patients need to be aware of the dangers of brushing symptoms off just as “stress”.
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Emotional Symptoms Of Stress
On a physiological level, the negative emotional response is the stress response. Adrenaline starts pumping, heart rate heightens, you may get clammy your body is preparing to fight or flee. This can be sustained for only a certain level of time for each person before it leads to exhaustion.
Think of the stress response as a rubber band being stretched if you continue for too long it either breaks, or it becomes flaccid either way it no longer functions as a rubber band. Constant stress can therefore result in physical damage including heart attack or stomach ulcers.
There is also collateral damage associated with stress including:
- You might end up avoiding or refusing invitations because you feel overwhelmed but they might have helped you relax or ‘get away’ from the feelings of stress .
- Lack of concentration/irritability/lack of sleep may affect your work performance and relationships.
- You may be modelling ineffective coping mechanisms to your children/your teams.
Other emotional symptoms can include moodiness, low self esteem, black and white/all or nothing thinking, self criticism, anxiety and a feeling of not being in control.
- Irritability.
- Changes in eating habits often over or under eating and subsequent stomach distress.
- Supressing our immune system so we may be more susceptible to illness, or find it harder to recover.
Other symptoms can include teeth grinding which can also contribute to lockjaw, headaches, and toothache, and a lack of libido.
When To See The Doctor For Stress
Over time, stress can have a major impact on your physical or mental health. If you have tried to manage your stress on your own but are still struggling, reach out to your doctor. They may be able to offer more techniques or refer you to a mental health counselor for additional support.
Call your doctor immediately if your stress is causing you to have suicidal thoughts or use drugs or alcohol more frequently. They can provide resources and guidance to help you manage your stress.
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Importance Of Recognizing Stress Symptoms
Its important to learn how to recognize when your stress levels are actually getting out of control. Stress is deceptive. It has its way of creeping up on you so you get used to it and you start to feel a certain sense of familiarity with it. If you are not mindful of your body, you may just be surprised to see that it has already taken its toll on you and has already caused a great deal of harm.
For instance, people who are constantly exposed to high levels of stress may think that they have grown accustomed to the pressure and high surge of adrenaline, but the truth is, there is no such thing as getting used to stress. When you thrive on stress, its just difficult for you to discern the symptoms of stress; but this does not mean that your body is not responding to stress. Eventually, something within you will malfunction.
It is important to recognize stress before it actually develops into a serious health problem. And;while stress affects different people in many different ways, there are certain factors and symptoms that are common among the general population.
Buy Yourself Time And Space
Allowing your brain time to adjust and “come down” from stressful activities helps your system to regulate in a healthy way. If you’ve been jumping from virtual meeting to lunch prep and immediately into a stressful family phone call, remember to add a little space. Pause before answering your phone, give yourself a five-minute breather between work and family time, set an alarm to remind you to stretch a few times a day, and find ways to delegate some tasks. Each little bit helps.
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Getting Help For Depression
If you think you might be depressed, take a depression screening. Print out the results or e-mail them to yourself and then show them to a counselor or doctor.
To get help, start with your student health center or counseling service on campus. Most community colleges provide limited free mental health services and can refer you to local providers for longer-term treatment. You can also talk to your family doctor. Your local Mental Health America affiliate can refer or in some cases provide services as well. To find the nearest MHA affiliate, call 800-969-6642 or go to Find An Affiliate.
Remember, depression and other mental health conditions are nothing to be ashamed of. Depression is not a sign of weakness, and seeking help is a sign of strength. Telling someone you are struggling is the first step toward feeling better. You will need the help of a mental health professional to beat depression. Talk therapy, antidepressant medication or a combination can be very effective.
In crisis? If you or someone you know is in crisis now, seek help immediately. Call 1-800-273-TALK to reach a 24-hour crisis center or dial 911 for immediate assistance.
