Stress- The silent killer

Image source

Stress affects nearly everyone.  You might experience some stress at work, or when looking at your bank balance. It can even affect you in a relationship. Some levels of stress can be daunting, wear you down and can even make you physically and mentally sick.    

Some people are so used to feel stressed, that they don’t know how to stop stressing. Many times people are not even aware that they are stressed because to them it feels completely normal.    

If you are in a situation where you are so stressed, and it feels as if your head is going to explode it might be time to hit the brakes. However, you can only hit the brakes when you know what to look for and it might be tougher than you think.   

Stress is that awful feeling of tension that creeps in from an event or thought that makes you feel nervous, angry or even just frustrated. Stress is also the way that your body reacts to a challenge or a demand.   

Sometimes stress can be positive because it helps you to stay out of danger or even more positive when it gets that adrenaline flowing and you meet a deadline.  

Here are some symptoms of stress: Let's see if you are stressed

• Do you feel as if you have no energy and everything is just too much for you?
• Do you often have aches, pains, tense muscles, and chest pain?
• Do you struggle to sleep?
• When you are feeling anxious, do you have a rapid heartbeat?
• Do you often get flue or infections?
• Do you have a low sex drive?

If you have some of these symptoms, chances are that you are stressed.  Remember the above can also indicate other illnesses so if you experience any of the above it is advised to go and see a doctor.  

What does stress do to your body?

Stress is a normal reaction to protect your body.  As soon as you feel threatened a chemical reaction takes place in the body to prevent injury.  

This is called the fight or flight reaction.  Muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, heart rate increases and your breathing becomes faster.  While the adrenaline is pumping it is now your chance to either run away or stop and face the music.  

Running away from stress doesn’t make it go away because when you run away other feelings take over and you might regret not taking the bull by the horns. 

Stress makes it difficult to control your emotions.  In fact, you only need mild stress levels to lose your cool.  Some diseases are promoted through chronic stress like heart problems, cancer, and even mental impairment.  Stress can cause weight issues because people that stress, tend to overeat. 

Stress can be bad for your dental health as people often grind their teeth while they sleep. Stress even contributes to premature aging. Stress affects your sex drive and could cause impotency in men. Stress can cause an imbalance in your body because you are not looking after yourself properly.  This causes a weakened immune system and you might get sick easier. 

Stress causes anxiety and overall with all the side effects of stress, it can kill you! 

How to take the bull by the horns

The average stress level of people in the U. S on a scale of 1- 10 is anything between 4.9 and 5.1.  The highest stress levels are caused by jobs and finances.  The more people experience stress the more stressed they feel.  It’s like the one thing that causes stress has not yet been resolved before another stress factor takes over.  

Types of stress:

Acute stress: 

Very short term and is often caused by thoughts about upcoming events or situations. Perhaps you are in a fight with your partner or something else happened that upset you.  This is usually resolved quickly when the issue is resolved.  

Episodic acute stress:

Many people are overly committed to poor management skills.  Because they are not organized, they become irritable and tense.  Individuals that are stressed too much can often face this kind of stress and causes heart disease and high blood pressure.  

Chronic stress

Financial issues, unhappy marriages, and a dead-end job can really promote chronic stress.  A person with chronic stress might not even realize anymore that they are stressed.  They go into a robot mode and doesn’t put in effort anymore to find solutions to their problems.  It often changes a person’s personality and they become grumpy and feels useless.  

People with chronic stress are likely to take it up to a point and then when driven too far, just give up and commit suicide as they see no other way out. Chronic stress is the most dangerous type of stress.    

How to reduce stress? 

If you are overly stressed and you need help, it might be wise to go see a doctor or even a psychologist. These professionals have the means to help you cope better and sometimes just talking about your problems helps quite a bit.  There is no reason to give in to stress and it could be managed by getting out of a bad relationship or even changing jobs.  Life is too short to stress all the time and it is definitely not the way you are meant to live. If you are under too much stress at work, talk to your boss and let them know you are not coping.  

Take a break if you feel too stressed.  A short break can go a long way.  If you need time away, then go away for a few days to get your sanity back, it might do you the world of good.  Don't let stress take over your life.  You are stronger than you imagine!