Stress
Stress COUNSELLING | THERAPY | WIMBLEDON | LONDON
Modern life is extremely demanding and feeling stressed or under pressure is very common. We are continuously asked to juggle work, family, social relationships, financial pressures and more, so it’s not surprising that we become stressed!
Many of us tend to ignore, or don’t even realise the amount of stress we are under until we experience more serious warning signs, or health related difficulties developed as a result of these constant pressures.
It is important to keep in mind that some element of stress can be helpful in keeping us focused and on point in situations that require our full attention. However, stress becomes problematic when is constant and you feel overwhelmed.
Understanding Stress
The experience of stress is a very subjective one. When we say, “it’s stressful” or “I’m stressed” we all know what that feels like, but we are not necessary able to explain exactly why that is or what exactly we mean by it.
Usually we use these words to describe the experience of being under pressure (the pressure can be perceived or real) and not feeling having enough resources to cope; or to describe our reaction of being under pressure, the feelings we have in these situations that we find hard to cope with.
It is vital to keep in mind that the constant and continuous experience of stress can have a significant negative impact on your physical and mental health. Thus, it is very important to reach out for help as soon as we start noticing the first signs of stress.
Although different, stress and anxiety can very often feel the same. This is because, similarly to anxiety, stress is a physiological response to threat or demands and both trigger the “fight or flight” response (to know more about the fight or flight response see Anxiety and Anxiety Disorder) and therefore from a physical perspective both experiences can feel very similar.
What are the main symptoms of Stress?
Stress can have a negative impact on both your psychological and physical health. Research shows that stress is associated to several mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, emotional problems and relationship difficulties, and to physical health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, digestive problems, appetite and weight problems, insulin resistance bodily aches, suppressed effectiveness of immune system and more.
The most common psychological symptoms include:
Feeling irritable
Feeling aggressive and impatient
Feeling anxious
Feeling afraid
Loss of interest in socialising and connecting with people
Finding difficult to switch off
Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
Low mood
Constant worry
The most common physical symptoms include:
Feeling tense – muscular tension
Change in breathing rate – hyperventilating or shallow breathing
Sore eyes or difficulties in eyesight
Difficulties sleeping – finding hard getting to sleep or staying asleep
Lack of sexual desire or loss of enjoyment
Headaches
High blood pressure
Digestive difficulties – heartburn or indigestion
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Nausea
Dizziness
Grinding teeth
Hair loss
Skin condition
Chest aches
What causes stress?
There are many causes of stress and people can become stressed for different reasons.
The most common causes are related to:
Being under pressure – whether real or perceived
Going through big life transition or changes
Worry about specific situations
Times of uncertainty
Lack of work, enjoyable activities or connection
Having responsibilities that feel overwhelming
Not having enough control on a specific situation
However, whether or not you will feel stressed in the situations may depend form different factors which include:
Your perception of the situation – linked to your self-esteem, past experiences, and your personal approach to problems
Your emotional resilience
The kind of pressure you are under
The support you have around you
Your level of experience in dealing with such situation
Therefore, what makes you feel stressed might not be a problem for someone else and vice versa. Further, it is important to keep in mind that stress can also be caused by a mixed/build-up of small little pressures, which might make it harder to identify the exact cause.
Therapy for stress
Once we are stressed, it becomes very hard to switch off or slow down due to the physiological changes (releasing more stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline) that occur as a response to demands or threat.
As seen above, this can have a significant negative impact on the health of the individual. A constant and excessive release of cortisol and adrenaline can cause serious damage to the body. Moreover, as we try to cope with stress, we may develop some unhealthy habits – e.g. smoking or eating too much - that can negatively impact on our health and create significant health issues in the long-term.
Furthermore, if ignored, or undertreated, stress can lead to burnout. Burnout is caused by constant and excessive stress, and can leave you feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and hopeless, experiencing a lack of motivation, interest and enthusiasm for your work and/or personal life. At this point, it is essential to seek professional help, make significant lifestyle changes and address both your physical and mental health needs.
Psychotherapy is highly effective in the treatment of stress. There are different therapies that have proven to be effective in the treatment of stress such as
CBT is one of the most used therapy in the treatment of stress, helping you identifying negative thinking patterns and also providing you with important stress management tools and skills.
Working with a qualified psychologist you will learn to identify your stressors and develop healthier ways to manage them. Further, a qualified mental health professional will support you in identifying what changes to your lifestyle might be needed to counteract the negative biochemical effects of the stress response that take a toll on your health, and help you built emotional resilience.
To know more about stress and its treatment or to book an appointment please contact me.
