Stress and Anxiety

​WHAT IS STRESS AND WHAT CAUSES IT?
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Stress affects everyone differently. Stress itself is not an illness, however being exposed to regular periods of stress can cause illness. Stress occurs when the mental or physical demands become too much and the pressure exceeds the ability to cope.  Stress for one person may be motivation for another. Some people thrive and work better under stress whilst others struggle to cope with any stress at all. Day to day living in itself can cause stress, such as relationships, money problems, work etc.

​EFFECTS OF STRESS ON THE BODY

Stress causes a surge of hormones in the body, which in turn causes a physiological reaction, known as fight or flight, which is a useful response when you need to deal with a dangerous or stressful situation. Your body reacts by releasing hormones, one of which is adrenaline, which causes your heart to beat faster, your breathing to speed up and your blood pressure to rise which allows you to stay and fight the danger or run from it. 

The surge in these hormones can be very beneficial in helping you survive the situation. For example, should you be confronted by a dangerous dog who looks like he may attack, this changes in your body will allow you extra energy to run from that threat. Or should you be about to give a public speech, which is making you feel very nervous, the surge in theses hormones will allow you to think sharper and help you deliver the speech. It takes approximately one hour for the hormones to settle again and your body to return to normal. However, should you come across another stressful situation before the hour has had time to pass, the surge will once again peak.

Where you frequently encounter stressful situations (such as living with domestic abuse) your body is literally living on adrenaline as your body is not being given a chance to return to its pre-arousal state. This is when the body becomes stressed and illness can occur. 

​SYMPTOMS OF STRESS​

Stress can affect the body in numerous ways. These are just some of the symtoms that can be experienced as a result of stress:

Tense muscles
Chest pain
​Racing heart beat
Dry mouth
Excessive sweating
​Lack of energy
Low mood
​Headaches
​Clenched jaw
​Teeth grinding
Aggitation
Feeling overwhelmed
Irritable
​Racing mind - unable to quieten thoughts
​Low self esteem
Avoidance

​HOW TO COPE WITH STRESS

To allow your body to reset itself from the symptoms of stress, you have to allow the hormones which have built up in your body time to disperse. The best way to do this is firstly to avoid any further stress on your body, so there is no further release of hormones. Allowing yourself to relax by allowing your mind and thoughts to switch off from everyday tasks and worries is an excellent way to do this.  Meditation is excellent for helping you stay in the moment and in turn helping reduce stress levels, being mindful, listening to music or finding a hobby which you have to fully immerse yourself in, such as crafting, reading, painting etc. By creating something, you will not only be helping yourself de-stress, but you will also be helping raise your self esteem.

​There are many other ways to help reduce your stress, such as:

​Eating a healthy diet
​Exercise- this decreases the stress hormone and increases the "feel good" hormones, known as endorphins
​Get plenty sleep
​Try to make positive thinking a lifestyle
​Make time to do things you enjoy
​Organise your day
​Try to arrive for appointments slightly earlier than necessary
​Avoid taking on too much - Don't be afraid to say "NO"

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WHAT IS ANXIETY

Anxiety is the feeling of fear or panic. The worry about what may happen. Anxiety can be the feeling that something bad is about to happen, even though you do not know what that bad thing may be. For people living with domestic abuse this can be a common feeling, where the victim fears the perpetrator may appear home any time and he/she may not be in a good mood. Or where the perpetrator is already home the victim may feel as though they are walking on egg shells to ensure they do not cause upset to prevent further abuse. This can cause considerable anxiety as the victim knows that something could kick off at anytime but they don't know what, nor when.

​The symptoms and treatment of anxiety is much the same as mentioned above for stress. Anxiety can be caused by stress, however it remains long after the stress has gone.

​USEFUL LINKS

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/low-mood-stress-anxiety.aspx

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http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/understanding-stress.aspx

http://www.calmclinic.com/stress-anxiety

https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/our-services/anxiety-information/anxiety-disorders/stress/