Stress
All of us experience some kinds of stress in our day to day lives- work, illness, travelling, relationships etc. Even in happy occasions one can experience stress such as a wedding, promotion at work, having a baby. Every person’s threshold to take stress varies and even in the same person it will be different with age, stage in life, support systems and such.
When the pressure of daily life begins to feel overwhelming, and you experience unrelenting, chronic stress, it’s time to seek help.
Symptoms of Stress :
Stress can cause a number of symptoms and being aware of these symptoms can help you understand when to seek help.
Physical symptoms :
- Headache
- Eye pain and blurred vision
- Neck pain
- Weakness and lethargy
- Malaise
- Upset stomach
- Chest pain
- Palpitations and racing heart beat
- Teeth grinding
- Low self drive
Psychological symptoms :
- Restlessness
- Nervousness
- Irritability
- Feeling jittery
- Poor sleep
- Inability to focus
- Memory problems
- Poor judgement and decision making skill
- Feeling unhappy or depressed
- Feeling anxious
Behavioural symptoms :
- Social isolation
- Excessive drinking (alcohol)
- Using drugs
- Chewing nails, pen
- Losing temper easily
- Increased or decreased appetite
- Sexual issues
Common causes of stress:
While each of us views every situation differently, there are some situations that are almost universally stressful. These include :
- Death of a spouse
- Divorce
- Separation
- Death of a close family member
- Death of a child
- Major injury or illness
- Loss of job
- Loss of social status
- Marital Issues
- Imprisonment
- Retirement
Consequences of unaddressed stress:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Memory issues
- PTSD
- Anger issues
- Spoilt relationships
- Altercations with colleagues at work or at home
- Sleep issues
- Social isolation
- Psychosis
- Suicide
- Physical ailments – hair loss, diabetes, hypertension, weight gain, poor immunity, frequently falling sick