SO WHAT’S ALL THIS ABOUT STRESS?

Stress is a word that is banded around a lot these days, usually in the negative. Most people view it as something that must be avoided. Your partner, friends and work colleagues all may say that they are under stress. But what is stress? How does it affect you? How do you recognise it?

When a person believes demands placed on them outweigh their ability to cope they will experience stress.

The technical name for these demands is “stressors “and the wear and tear on the body is the stress. You may think of stress as a relatively new phenomenon; in fact it has been with us for millions of years. Many years ago when men and woman lived in caves life-threatening situations occurred on a daily basis. Cave dwellers hunting for food were regularly exposed to physical dangers. Sabre tooth tigers, lions and other hostile predators might be just around the corner. Faced with one of these threats the body reacts immediately - there is a rush of adrenaline, heightened muscle tension, faster heart rate and raised blood pressure. Blood pumps to the muscles and brain causing the body become alert and as strong as possible, for in order to survive a hunter would have to respond by either fighting the threat or running away from it. This is called the “fight or flight response” and is activated whenever a person is faced with an emergency. Physiologist Walter B Cannon first described it over one hundred years ago.

The “fight or flight response” is still experienced by people today and is of course appropriate whenever we are faced by a real life emergency. However, unlike our ancestors, we are rarely faced with such life threatening situations. Screaming children, nagging bosses and work deadlines are very unpleasant but hardly life threatening. The problem is that nature does not know this and will produce the same fight or flight response. This leaves the body in a high state of arousal but unable to act.

So if everyday pressures mount up and a person is in this state for long periods of time the body soon suffers and the experience becomes distress.

THE THREE STAGES OF STRESS

The first scientist to carry out major research on stress was Doctor Hans Selye. Over fifty years ago he described a model of stress he termed the “General Adaptation Syndrome”. According to Dr Selye there are three stages to the syndrome a person will go through when experiencing a stressful event.

Stage one. Alarm
During this first stage the person experiences alarm, immediately a complex cascade of biochemical events occur and the stress hormones called adrenaline and cortisol are pumped into the bloodstream.

Stage Two. Resistance
At stage two the body’s heightened physical responses create an increase in activity so that the person either leaves the situation, or stays and attempts to cope by resisting or adapting to the stressful event.

Stage three. Exhaustion
By this stage the person has been reacting to the stressful event for so long that they have become overwhelmed, their energy is finally depleted and the result is exhaustion. It is then that people become vulnerable to the health problems that are associated with stress. When the alarm bell rings you need to take some action and learn to deal with stress before stress deals with you!

THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Stress can manifest itself in many different ways, so recognising the signs are an important first step in dealing with your problems. Generally the symptoms will manifest themselves in five different ways which we describe as emotional, mental, physical, behavioural and health problems. So without wishing to cause you too much stress lets take a look at them.

The emotional symptoms
The emotional symptoms include,

• Anxiety. Nervousness. Worry.Depression.
• Anger. Irritability. Guilt. Moodiness.
• A loss of enjoyment in life. Loneliness.
• Feeling tearful. A loss of humour...
• A lack of confidence. Isolation.
• A dissatisfaction with your job.

The physical symptoms
The physical symptoms include,

• Feeling restless. Feeling uptight. Jumpy.
• High blood pressure. Palpitations.
• Muscle tensions in the neck and back.
• Headaches. Poor sleep. Fatigue. A lack of energy.
• Pain. Dry mouth. Weakness. Dizziness. Trembling.
• Grinding of the teeth. A frequent need to pass water
• Diarrhoea and constipation. Butterflies in the stomach.
• A loss or increase in appetite. Ringing in the ears. Cramp.

The behavioural symptoms
The behavioural symptoms include,

• Impatience. Impulsiveness. Hyperactivity.
• Short temper. Aggressiveness. Accident-prone.
• Avoiding difficult situations. An increase in smoking.
• The use of prescribed drugs. The use of illegal drugs.
• Alcohol abuse. Absenteeism. Poor work performance.
• Loss of sex drive. Uncooperative. Overworking.
• Compulsions and obsessions.

The mental symptoms
The mental symptoms include,

• Frequent lapses in memory. Constant negative thinking.
• Being very critical of yourself. An inability to make decisions.
• Difficulty getting things done. An increase in susceptibility to criticism.
• Distorted ideas. Very ridged attitudes. Difficulty concentrating.

Health problems 
Stress is often associated with an increase in physical heath problems including,

• High blood pressure. A higher than usual susceptibility to colds and flu.
• Migraines. Irritable bowl syndrome. Ulcers.
• Stomach disorders. Heart attacks. Angina. Strokes. Asthma. Skin rashes.

HOW TO ASSESS YOUR STRESS

Read through the list of symptoms and make a note of those that you feel apply to you. Being aware of your symptoms can be a useful sign that stress is on the increase. By applying the stress reducing techniques described in other articles you will be able to monitor the reduction in your symptoms. It is not the purpose of this web site to diagnose mental health problems, however there are some conditions and symptoms that need to be taken seriously.

These include depression, anxiety, panic attacks, burnout, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

If you are are experiencing any of the following, for your own peace of mind consider seeing your doctor.

• If you are feeling depressed.
• Have lost your appetite.
• Feel that life is not worth living.
• Feel overwhelmed with anxiety.
• If you have lost your energy.
• Experience heart palpitations.

It is also important to seek advice about any physical symptoms such as weightloss, stomach pains, and blurred vision.

THE STRESS GAUGE

One of the most effective ways to measure the amount of stress you are experiencing is to use a “stress gage”. When you have a fever you take your temperature, it makes sense to do the same for your stress levels. The advantage of the stress gage is that it is fast and simple and can be used in virtually any situation.
As you can see from the diagram below zero stands for no stress everything is just fine. Thirty means that some stress is being experienced, fifty denotes a moderate amount, seventy is high and finally one hundred is extreme stress.

STRESS GAUGE
O       30       50       70       100

Whenever you are experiencing stress, for example if you are held up in a supermarket queue or have a pile of unfinished paper work, ask yourself the following, “How much stress am I experiencing now?” Is it thirty, fifty or one hundred percent? Once you have started to use the stress reducing exercises on this web site you will be able to take ”before” and “after” readings and become familiar with the techniques that are most effective for you in your particular situation.

WHAT IS TRIGGERING YOUR STRESS?

The events and circumstances that trigger stress are many and varied. They are caused by external events (such as noise and traffic) and also by our inner thoughts and attitudes about events. Listed below are some major courses of stress.

Work stress
It has been suggested that work is the biggest cause of stress in the western world today. The pace of change in the way we work has never been as great. People have to cope with new information technology longer working hours and short-term contracts. A job is no longer for life. As job insecurity increases people are more likely to remain in a job that is perhaps safe but not necessarily suited to them. It is important to examine the sources of stress at work and whenever possible improve your strategies for coping.

Family and relationship stress
People can experience high levels of stress in their relationships. From marital conflict and difficult children to alcoholism and violence the problems can be wide and varied. These issues need to be properly addressed otherwise the consequences can be serious and lead to separation and divorce.

The stress of bereavement
The loss of a loved one is a devastating life experience. When we lose someone close it is natural to go though a process of mourning. The emotions and stages of the grieving process will vary from person to person. First there is the initial shock of the loss and at this time it is common to experience a feeling of numbness. Anger, guilt, and despair follow as the reality of the loss deepens. This is followed by recovery as the person accepts the bereavement and begins to rebuild their life. It is important to acknowledge the grief and talk to someone close.

The stress of financial problems
Financial problems obviously cause an enormous amount of stress. The loss of a job, an addiction to gambling or mounting bills can lead to family tensions. Ignoring the problem will only make matters worse. When faced with money worries it is important not to panic. Instead talk to your debtors and set a realistic budget.

The stress of change
Changes in your life however big or small whether positive or negative can create stress. Major life changes such as starting a new job, getting married or moving house can challenge our abilities to cope. This is particularly true if we experience too many changes in a short period of time. Although change is an inevitable part of life it makes sense to plan ahead. Whenever possible do not take on too much at once.

Environmental stress
Our environment can be a big factor in the cause of stress. We have to contend with crowded trains, noisy traffic and polluted cities. These conditions can lead to health-related problems such as asthma, allergies and migraine headaches. We cannot easily escape the environment we live in. However healthy eating, exercise and regular breaks can help us to better cope with the stresses and strains of city life.
Although I have listed some of the major triggers of stress you may want to think about other causes that are are specific to you.

YOUR ATTITUDE COUNTS

It is genuinely believed that problems are caused by external stressful events, and to a large extent this is true. As we have seen from the triggers listed previously external events do play a part in the stress we experience. However, it is important to take into consideration our attitude towards these events. The way we think about a situation can have a direct bearing on the amount of stress we experience.

Let us consider the common experience of being stuck in traffic. As we observe the different drivers in their cars we may notice many of them getting very worked up. Some are sounding their car horns and even shouting at the traffic, as if that would magically move it on. Others remain calm taking the time to listen to some music or chat to their passengers. This is an example of people reacting to the same event in opposite ways with different emotions and behaviours. The drivers who became upset are interpreting and labelling the experience of the traffic hold up in a way that is certain to cause distress. It is a fact that our negative thinking causes a large part of the stress we experience. In other articles on my site you will be able to learn how to change your thinking.

This article is an excerpt from my book identifying understanding and solutions to stress published by Caxton Editions.