Everyone faces a lot of stressful moments in their lives. Some experience hectic jams, some suffer health scares, and some struggle to meet work deadlines. It’s very normal to tackle a certain level of pressure. However, if you constantly feel overwhelmed, there comes the point where your mental, emotional, or physical health gets affected. It may lead to chronic stress.
Proper medication is required to deal with chronic. Ignoring it can affect your immune system, increase your blood pressure, and elevate feelings of anxiety and stress. Let us tell you more about the signs of chronic stress and ways to overcome it.
What is Chronic Stress?
Nidhi Tewari, who is a licensed clinical social worker in Richmond, has described Chronic stress as an enduring state of overwhelm. Its root causes can vary from person to person. She added that trauma, caregiving responsibilities, despair, or the pressures of work & personal life can trigger stress in the body. Your stress may get worse due to depression, anxiety, PSTD, or OCD.
Tewari said it’s a common view that stress is bad and must be avoided. However, little stress is required enough to carry on the momentum. For instance, the stress of presenting information during a work meeting motivates you to make a plan, work for it, and deliver it on time. This sort of stress is short-lived, situational, and elaborated as acute stress.
In the words of P. Priyanka, chronic stress is a constant problem that lasts longer than a month or more. For instance, consider a person who has lost his job and faced acute stress. If he can’t find a job for a long time, he may face chronic stress and suffer a worse situation.
What are the Types of Chronic Stress?
It influences the mental health of the patient in different ways. Its sources also differ from person to person. There are several types of Chronic stress. Their details are below:
- The stress of Work:
This sort of stress includes challenges with a boss, colleagues, or the environment
- Stress of Relationships:
This kind of anxiety is related to issues related to family, friends, and romantic partners.
- Emotional Stress:
The last type of stress is elaborated as extended anxiety or depression.
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Symptoms of Chronic stress:
As we discussed earlier, the signs of chronic stress may differ from person to person. These symptoms are categorized into the following four kinds.
- Emotional
Dr. Priyanka, a psychiatrist and medical director at Community Psychiatry in Fresno, observed that chronic stress patients suffer from mood changes and irritability. Such patients try to distance themselves from other people. If it isn’t treated on time, this stress becomes severe. It may turn into a phobia, generalized anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The studies reveal that untreated stress can build the foundation for psychiatric disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.
- Cognitive
A person suffering from constant stress can influence his cognitive functioning. It develops issues such as brain fog and difficulty in maintaining concentration. More studies reveal that prolonged stress can affect your perspective and spatial memory. Prospective memory is a skill that permits you to plan and complete the tasks. At the same time, spatial memory is required to remember things like routes and locations.
- Physical
Chronic stress not only affects your mind but creates an impact on your body. It lowers energy, affects appetite, and develops body aches and insomnia. Tewari further said that stress causes a surge in cortisol, regarded as the stress hormone. This hormone activates headaches, stomach aches, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. She also mentioned that chronic stress weakens your immune system, affecting your ability to fight the illness.
- Behavioral
According to modern-day research, patients suffering from chronic stress experience several disorders. It includes pathological gambling, eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, binge eating, and substance abuse.
Yale University School of Medicine conducted another research on the said topic. The results revealed that children or adults suffering from unresolved trauma and stress due to childhood negligence, abuse, and loss can develop addiction.
- Behavioral
According to modern-day research, patients suffering from chronic experience several disorders. It includes pathological gambling, eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, binge eating and substance abuse.
Yale University School of Medicine conducted another research on the said topic. The results revealed that children or adults suffering from unresolved trauma and stress due to childhood negligence, abuse, and loss can develop addiction.
Main Common Causes of Chronic Stress
A lot of factors can develop chronic stress in the human body. The following factors can trigger anxiety in your body, and the situation gets worse if not treated on time.
- Health scares.
- Work deadlines pressure.
- Dysfunctional household.
If you keep living with chronic stress, it drains your psychological resources and pressure tolls on your body.
How We Can Diagnose Chronic Stress
You can look for the assistance of a mental health professional to diagnose chronic stress. The professionals will evaluate you psychologically. Its purpose is to recognize whether the person is suffering from chronic stress. They try to identify the symptoms, such as fatigue and behavioral changes or prolonged psychological feelings of anxiety and depression.
When We Need to Seek Help
In the words of Dr. Stone, if your mental health interferes with your personal or professional life, you must seek the help of a professional. Reach a mental health professional if you experience the given symptoms:
- Encountering suicidal thoughts.
- Turning to drugs or alcohol to cope.
- Feeling overwhelmed.
You can consider the recommendations of your healthcare professional to find a suitable mental health therapist or psychologist. Another way is to inquire about mental health services from your insurance provider or use an online dictionary by the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Stone said that we should normalize seeking professional help to maintain our mental, emotional, and relational health. Pick the best online therapy meeting your preferences: psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors.
