Feeling Stuck? Could It Be Chronic Stress?
Most people who are experiencing Chronic Stress may never know that it is chronic why? Because they really don't know the signs and symptoms of Chronic Stress. What is Chronic stress? According to an article from yale medine chronic stress "Is a prolonged and constant feeling of stress that can negatively affect your health if left untreated. It can be caused by the everyday pressures of family, work, or by traumatic experiences, even a dysfunctional, toxic relationship.
Many people, today or over the course of their lives, have experienced acute stress, a dramatic physiological and psychological reaction to certain events or traumas. How to know if you are struggling from chronic stress, simply tired or exhausted?
Chronic Stress is a consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time according to Dr. Sinha.
Sinha, “Humans as a whole are either good at or not good at facing a challenge, solving problems, or reaching out to someone for help or support. “We’re wired to respond to stressors and remove them, sometimes even automatically. But life has become more complex, and many of our problems do not have easy answers.
What Causes Chronic Stress?
There are many factors that can be attributed to chronic stress; these may include financial instability, lack of finances, a dysfunctional marriage or family, or a deeply dissatisfying job. Lacking a sense of purpose and meaning in life. In today's hectic society, there are many possible sources. Dr. Sinha of Yale Medicine, "Chronic stress slowly drains a person’s psychological resources and damages their brains and bodies." “People who experience chronic stress sometimes feel incapable of changing their life situations,”
What Are The Symptoms Of Chronic Stress?
According to Dr. Sinha of Yale Medicine, "There are cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral signs of chronic stress. “Not all four of these categories of symptoms are necessarily going to show up in one person,” Sinha says. “But if someone has three to five of these symptoms for more than several weeks, they might be suffering from chronic stress.” Those potential symptoms include:
- Aches and pains
- Insomnia or sleepiness
- A change in social behavior, such as staying in often
- Low energy
- Unfocused or cloudy thinking
- Change in appetite
- Increased alcohol or drug use
- Change in emotional responses to others
- Emotional withdrawal
Ongoing stress reactions can interfere with productivity, relationships, and health. “People suffering from chronic stress often describe it as feeling ‘stuck,’” Sinha says.
How is chronic stress treated?
Patients with chronic stress often receive a treatment plan that targets their specific symptoms. A patient with digestive issues rooted in stress could go on medication, change his or her diet and also focus on stress reduction. As Sinha says, “It’s better to address these earlier, as a preventative approach.”
Yale Medicine’s stress management recommendations include:
- Exercising
- Eating healthy foods
- Learning time management techniques
- Setting realistic goals
- Getting more sleep
- Making time for leisure activities
- Building stress reduction skills
- Learning and practicing mindfulness (learning to control attention)
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For more information on chronic stress visit https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/stress-disorder