| Stress is a part of life. All of us have to deal with | | | | carefully about your situation and if necessary change |
| different kinds of stress on a daily basis. Problems | | | | jobs. Sometimes, there is nothing you can do to avoid |
| occur, however, when stress is chronic and a person | | | | or reduce stress in the situation itself, you have to |
| is unable to obtain relief. When this happens, stress can | | | | leave. |
| affect us mentally and emotionally. | | | | However, common stress management techniques will |
| If stress is too overwhelming for too long, a person | | | | not work for everyone, particularly if a person is |
| can feel that they are going under. They may even | | | | suffering from mental illness. For example, there is a |
| wonder if they are going crazy. To help you evaluate | | | | story about how a young psychotherapist conducted |
| where you stand with stress, this article will go over | | | | a class teaching stress management techniques that |
| the types and symptoms of stress. | | | | was open to everyone. Unfortunately, there was no |
| Normal symptoms of stress include anger, feelings of | | | | discussion with individuals or taking of personal |
| helplessness, temporary depression, churning stomach, | | | | information beforehand. |
| tense muscles and emotions. Abnormal stress | | | | Everything seemed to be going well and he could see |
| symptoms include suicidal thoughts, ongoing depression, | | | | some people visibly relaxing as they did their breathing |
| anxiety, mood swings, chronic anger, and phobias | | | | exercises and began to visualize according to the |
| amongst others. These psychological symptoms may | | | | instructions. The sharp tension that had been in the |
| be written off as mental health issues but they are | | | | room gradually lessened and the young |
| likely to still be the result of stress and fear. | | | | psychotherapist was feeling happy with the results. |
| Different factors can make it hard for people to cope | | | | Suddenly, a young woman who had been sitting quietly |
| with the same amount of stress. If someone is already | | | | against the back wall, jumped up and ran out of the |
| coping with illness, then it may be harder to cope with | | | | room in a panic. The psychotherapist later discovered |
| additional stresses. If a personal has insufficient coping | | | | that she suffered from Dissociate Identities and the |
| skills, limited education and lack of access to support, | | | | process of visualizing other people in different |
| stress can become overwhelming. | | | | environments was actually a threat to her own identity. |
| Depending on what else is going on in a person's body | | | | While this is certainly unusual, it can happen so it is |
| and mind, different types of stress management | | | | important that stress management practices are |
| strategies may be appropriate. A proper diagnosis will | | | | targeted to individual needs and circumstances. We |
| determine whether some of the stress induced | | | | have a large part to play in this ourselves, but so too |
| symptoms have a medical or psychological basis. | | | | do professionals who seek to aid us in coping with the |
| There are many stress management strategies that | | | | various stressors in our lives. |
| are universally helpful, however some methods of | | | | Yet, the young psychotherapist did not do a bad job. |
| coping with stress may actually be harmful for certain | | | | He just didn't do a thorough one. In this scenario, the |
| psychological conditions. For example, with Multiple | | | | young woman was sitting next to an older man who |
| Personality Disorder (now termed Disassociate | | | | just oozed tension. He had a stressful job and had had |
| Identities) visualization techniques may cause a | | | | a particularly bad day. In his case, the stress reducing |
| problem. | | | | activities worked wonders. He released the built up |
| We are all different so it only makes sense that | | | | tension in his body, his mind relaxed and he felt calm |
| different stress management strategies will have | | | | and peaceful again. |
| various impacts depending on the person. Ordinary | | | | The difference between the two examples is that one |
| people who are dealing with everyday stresses | | | | person was a normal healthy person dealing with an |
| commonly cope with their stress by avoiding stressors | | | | overload of stress whereas the other person was |
| that can be avoided, planning ahead of time (like | | | | dealing with a psychological illness. For stress |
| leaving home fifteen minutes early to avoid traffic | | | | management to be effective, we have to know what |
| jams), preparing (like studying ahead of time for an | | | | we are dealing with. We also have to be willing to take |
| exam, not just the night before) and making new | | | | the time to discover what stress reduction strategies |
| decisions. | | | | work best for us. |
| For example, if your job is highly stressful, think | | | | |