Stress

Everyone in this world experiences some sort of stress at times – adults, teens, and even kids. But there are things you can do to reduce stress and manage the stress that's unavoidable. Stress is the condition that results when your transactions with the environment lead you to perceive a discrepancy, whether real or not, between the demands of a situation and the resources of your biological, psychological or social systems. For example, when you feel like there are too many pressures and demands on you, or you lose sleep and worry too much about your project you’re working on. Eating on the run because your schedule is just too busy also shows your stress. Stress is the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.

What causes stress for you may not be stressful for someone else. Sometimes stress is helpful as it can encourage you to meet a deadline or get things done. But long-term stress can increase the risk of diseases like depression, heart disease and a variety of other problems.

The situations that provoke stress are called stressors. Our body responds to stressors by activating the nervous system and specific hormones. These hormones speed up heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. Both negative and positive stressors can lead to stress. Some common examples of stressors include: sensory (pain, bright light), life events (birth and deaths, marriage, and divorce), responsibilities (lack of money, unemployment), work/study (project deadlines, tests and examinations), personal relationships (conflict, deception), lifestyle (heavy drinking, insufficient sleep), early life exposure (child abuse), etc.

According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, the adverse effects of stress impact 43 percent of American adults. Besides, nearly 47 percent of adults say they are concerned about the stress in their lives, with work and money leading the list of major stressors.

Common Stress-related Disorders
Common types of stress-related disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. But for those whose stress has hit a high point, there is good news. Recognizing sources of stress and employing stress management techniques may alleviate stress while reducing the risk of chronic physical and mental health disorders. Every kind of trauma, loss, and grief is now curable through stress management techniques, such as relaxation training, meditation, exercise, and anger management.

Some stressful situations become so extreme that they require special attention and care. Posttraumatic stress disorder is a very strong stress reaction that can develop in people who have lived through an extremely traumatic event, such as a serious car accident, a natural disaster like an earthquake, or an assault like rape.

Responses to Stress
Responses to stress include adaptation, psychological coping such as stress management, anxiety, and depression. Over the long term, distress can lead to diminished health or illness; to avoid this, stress must be managed.

Symptoms of Stress
Symptoms of stress can be divided into five different categories – physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and social – and are often elaborately interlinked. It may not be easy to list mental, spiritual or emotional symptoms in this short article but we can understand the physical symptoms and the effect on stress on human behavior, which can give us a good indication of the mental and emotional effect of stress on the human body.

The physical signs of stress may be reflected in the various body parts being affected. The major areas affected are the muscles, circulation and the digestive system. Some symptoms that may indicate stress are: Headaches, Muscle spasms, Teeth Grinding, Aching jaw, Indigestion, Nausea, Ulcers, Diarrhea, Constipation, Shortness of breath, Heart palpitations, Cold hands and feet and various Skin problems including acne, eczema, psoriasis.

Common Remedies and Techniques to Reduce Stress
It is important to learn to live with stress causing factors without being a victim thereof. Below are some of the common remedies and techniques to reduce stress:

• Change diet or reduce foods
• Good night’s sleep
• Unwind with muscle relaxation
• Visualization and meditation techniques
• Chiropractic techniques
• Yoga practice
• Tai chi chuan
• Alexander technique to make a strong back
• Positive thinking
• Acupuncture
• Aromatherapy
• Homeopathy

A combination of above techniques and the help of a family therapist can also help in relieving stress. At times better organization and planning at home and the family level can also reduce stress. It is important to recognize situations and problems that are leading to stress and take appropriate action. This can be done only by an objective mind, so the role of a trained professional cannot be discounted.