Stress Symptoms: Effects on Your Body and Behavior

What is Stress?

Stress is a natural part of life. It can also have a profound impact on our health if it’s prolonged or severe enough. There are many ways a person can experience stress. Stress is a normal part of everyone’s everyday life. It is a part of school, work, and family and can be a huge source of anxiety. Everyone has stress to some degree in their lives, but how you manage stress is the key! Stress has become an epidemic affecting people of all ages. Excess stress can affect your health both mentally and physically.

There are many forms of stress and not everyone presents stress the same way. But, what causes stress? what are the signs and symptoms of stress? How can we manage stress? How can stress manifest in people? And what are some tips for dealing with stress? The answers to these questions are in the paragraphs below.

Types Of Stress

Stress types is mainly categorised into three types-

Acute Stress

Acute stress is the most common type of short-term stress. It is frequently referred to as the fight or flight response, and it is a response to an imminent threat. Noise, danger, crowds, and isolation are all common causes of acute stress.

Episodic Acute Stress

Those whose lives are always hectic and demanding are more likely to experience acute stress on a regular basis. These people are usually in a hurry and try to juggle too many tasks at once. People who worry a lot are more likely to experience episodic acute stress.

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is described as a form of anxiety that develops over time as a result of either internal or external stimuli. Financial difficulties, the death of a loved one, long-term relationship concerns, and having a demanding job or work schedule are all common reasons for chronic stress.

Effects of Stress on Our Body and Mind

Continuous activation of the stress response causes wear and tear on the body when a person is under long-term (chronic) stress. Stress symptoms appear in the form of physical, emotional, and behavioral manifestations. 

Physical stress symptoms include

• Body aches
• Faster heartbeat
• Sleep deprivation
• Headaches and dizziness
• Frequent Jaw clenching
• Underperforming immune system

Mental stress symptoms including

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Panic Attacks

People who experience chronic stress are often prone to substance abuse as a coping mechanism. They can also become addicted to gambling, overeating, impulsive shopping, etc to give them a sense of control over their life. 

There is neither a definite diagnosis nor a definitive test to determine if a patient is feeling stressed. It is subjective to the patient experiencing it. 

 What is the best treatment for stress?

You can’t prevent stress, but you can keep it from becoming overwhelming by using the following tactics on a regular basis:

• When you start to feel stressed, exercise. Even a brief walk can help you with stress management.
• Take a minute at the end of each day to reflect on what you’ve accomplished rather than what you haven’t.
• Make daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Narrowing your perspective will make you feel more in charge of both immediate and long-term responsibilities.
• Talking to a therapist or your healthcare practitioner about your concerns is always a good idea to work towards Stress Management.

Regency Health has an extensive Psychiatry wing where experienced psychiatrists will help you navigate through life and help you answer the constant question of how can I reduce stress. To know more about Psycharity at Regency Healthcare.