Stress part 2
Signs and symptoms: How does stress manifest itself? In a ‘normal’ stress response the physical effects of stress could be lifesaving. This is the ‘flight or fight’ response when experiencing fear or threat where our body releases a rush of adrenaline giving us the impetus we need to fight the threat or fear or to run away. This is the body’s emergency response. Changes occur in the cardiovascular and metabolic system increasing pulse, blood pressure and sugar levels and blood is diverted to vital organs such as the lungs, heart and muscles. When suffering ongoing stress, the body instigates the ‘flight and fight’ response continuously and we experience a variety of symptoms which generally fall into four categories:
- physical - our body’s response
- behavioural - the things we do
- emotional - what we feel
- psychological - our individual thinking style
1. Physical symptoms
- aches and pains
- breathlessness
- change in menstrual cycle
- chest pain and/or palpitations
- constipation
- diarrhoea
- headaches
- indigestion
- muscle twitches
- nausea
- recurrence of previous illnesses/allergies
- skin conditions
- sleep problems
- tiredness
- tightness in chest
- weight loss or weight gain
2. Behavioural symptoms
- accident-prone
- change in sleeping patterns
- declining work performance
- drinkers and smokers increase habit
- inability to relax
- inability to express feelings
- loss of appetite
- loss of libido
- overeating
- over-reacting to issues
- poor time management
- poor judgment
- withdrawing from family and friends
3. Emotional symptoms/feelings
- anger
- anxiety
- decrease in confidence/self-esteem
- feeling helpless
- feelings of guilt
- feelings of shame
- feeling out of control
- increasingly cynical
- lack of enthusiasm
- mood swings
- poor concentration
- tension
4. Psychological symptoms /recurrent negative thoughts and expressions
- ‘I can’t cope’
- ‘I don’t know what to do’
- ‘I don’t seem to be able to get on top of things’
- ‘I keep forgetting where I put things’
- ‘I’m a failure’
- ‘I should be able to cope’
- loss of judgment
- ‘nobody understands’
- ‘what’s the point?’
- ‘why is everyone getting at me?’
Recognising what stresses us and an awareness of how our symptoms presents, will enable us to take action to minimise or reduce the effects. We will explore effective stress management in the forthcoming issues. Good health!