STRESS - Let's talk about it!

It is very common to hear the word stress now a days. In fact I feel at times, that to be under stress is an in thing. It may seem odd but the fact is some people like to show that they are under so much stress or so burdened with work and use it as a yard stick of their success.

So What exactly is Stress?

Stress is a feeling experienced by an individual when he is exposed to pressure situations like, time deadlines, performance appraisals, exams, untimely events like death, illness, or losses. It is natural at times like these to feel anxious, restless, low, worried or disinterested, irritated or at loss.

Is it not a natural thing?

To experience stress under pressure circumstances is natural and normal. In fact at times it helps motivate us and increase our performance; for example during the exams, when it is known as “EUSTRESS” or good stress.At times even positive events like marriage, going to high school or promotion are known to trigger stress.

When faced with stress our natural ability to face situations and deal with them then kicks’ in. It’s like the saying: “when things are tough, the tough get going”. But at times the situations keep piling up or one is unable to deal with them successfully. This then leads to a state of poor performance at work, or in studies or it leads to frequent fights at home, with colleagues and can trigger a mental illness. To cope with it at times people start taking drinks, smoking or increasing the intake of the same. These are the signs that stress has become an illness, when it is called as “DISTRESS”.

What are the signs of disstress?

Body symptoms:

• Feeling tired.
• To understand and differentiate normal from abnormal behavior.
• Having difficulty sleeping.
• Going off your food.
• Stomach aches.
• Headaches.
• Aches and pains in your neck and shoulders.

Emotions/Feelings:

• Feeling sad, restless or worrying unnecessarily.
• Being irritable, losing your temper easily.
• Finding it hard to keep your mind on work.

If I am distressed does it mean that I am weak?

It means that there is a state of imbalance in the brain chemicals which makes you ineffective in coping with the situation. It can happen with anyone.

How Stress Affects the Brain?

Stress and stress hormones produce both beneficial and harmful effects in the brain. These influence s of emotional responses. Certain areas in the brain are remodeled on exposure to stress. The commonly affected areas arehippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex.

How can one manage stress?

These are few things that you can do to deal with stress.

• Don’t suffer in silence! It makes stress harder to deal with.
• Talking to somebody you trust can really help you to deal with stress and to work out how to tackle the problems that are causing it.
• GET OUT OF THE EMOTIONAL TRAP. Start writing a list of all the things in your life that are making you feel stressed– write them down on a piece of paper. Then take each one in turn and list all the things you could do to tackle it. This can help you sort things out in your head. Problems look easier to deal with one at a time than in a big jumble in your head!
• Take a break - do something that you really enjoy.
• Do something relaxing, for example take a hot bath or watch a film.Do some exercise! This produces chemicals in your body called ‘endorphins’ which make you feel good!

Do I need to see a Doctor?

Signs that you may need help in coping with stress are:

• You think about not going to school/ work, running away or harming yourself.
• You feel low, sad or tearful.
• You have a decreased/ reduced appetite and find it difficult to sleep.
• You have recurrent worries, feelings and thoughts that constantly worry you and make restless.
• You start increasing the use/ start using drugs or alcohol to handle stress.

How does the doctor treat stressful situations of a patient?

The doctor accesses you for the severity of stress. Based on the severity, he; in consultation with you would then plan out a treatment which can include medications, relaxation exercises and counselling.