Understanding the characteristics of stress symptoms: What is it like? How dangerous is it? How to cope with stress? And what type of stress should you see a doctor for? Here are the answers.
What is stress? Is it dangerous? What should I do?
This article contains important information about stress to guide you in observing and understanding stress, as well as managing your own stress at an appropriate level.
What is stress? How can you tell if you are stressed? How dangerous is stress? How to cope with stress? And what type of stress should you see a doctor for? Here are the answers.
What is stress?
Stress is an emotional and mental state of a person in response to situations. People experiencing stress often perceive it as discomfort, unease, or frustration related to events or relationships with others that cause stress. Stress can occur in anyone. Moderate stress helps individuals stay alert, enthusiastic, and improves work performance. However, excessive stress can harm both the body and mind. Severe stress affects a person’s ability to live and make decisions and may be an early sign of psychiatric illness. Although stress is a feeling or emotional state occurring in the mind, it often manifests clearly through physical symptoms as well.
How can you tell if you are stressed?
When a person is stressed, the body reacts to prepare to respond to threatening events or situations. This response may be to “fight” or “flee” from the threat. The mind and body of a stressed person may undergo various changes that can be observed, such as physical symptoms where the person may feel their pulse beating faster and stronger, shallow and rapid breathing, sweating easily, elevated blood pressure, muscle aches and tension due to muscle contraction, bloating, or abnormal digestive symptoms caused by constriction of blood vessels in digestive organs. Behaviorally, stressed individuals may feel restless, unable to stay still, pacing, biting their teeth or nails, stomping feet, pulling hair, or changes in sleep patterns such as sleeping more or less than usual. Mentally, stressed individuals may feel distracted, have difficulty making decisions, irritability, loss of confidence, and irrational fears. Some may experience mood swings that can lead to aggressive behavior. These symptoms should improve once the stressful event passes, allowing the body and mind to return to normal. Dangerous stress is excessive, frequent, persistent, and does not diminish or disappear with changes in circumstances or occurs without clear triggers.
How dangerous is stress and how does it affect life?
If your stress occurs frequently and intensely, it will negatively affect both your physical and mental health.
- Effects on physical health: Stress causes various physical discomforts such as headaches, body aches, and prolonged accumulated stress may lead to diseases such as heart disorders, high blood pressure, migraines, stomach ulcers, frequent constipation or diarrhea, insomnia, asthma, and sexual dysfunction.
- Effects on mental health: Long-term stress may lead to anxiety disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, irrational fears, emotional instability, and mood swings.
The impact of stress on physical and mental health reduces efficiency in learning and working, and causes problems in relationships with others, family, and the surrounding environment. Unmanaged stress is a significant threat to daily life.
How to cope with stress?
You can cope with stress by becoming aware of how your body, emotions, mind, and behavior change due to stress. If you notice signs of stress, consider the events and situations that trigger it. Change your perspective to a positive one, look for the benefits of the situation, find hope, and take mindful action to manage what you can, such as being yourself, not comparing yourself to others, forgiving, and letting go of what cannot be changed.
Manage your emotions by diverting your attention, such as doing relaxing activities, finding other activities to relieve stress, trying to refresh your environment by organizing your workspace or bedroom, and adjusting yourself to build good relationships. Improve your attitude to be more positive and build relationships with coworkers, loved ones, and family members.
If stress is severe enough to affect your daily life, you may choose to see a psychiatrist for consultation, review, and identify the true cause of stress, and assess whether there are other psychiatric conditions that require treatment. The psychiatrist may recommend other treatments such as medication, psychotherapy, or electroconvulsive therapy.
What type of stress should you see a doctor for?
You should consult a psychiatrist if you find that you cannot manage your stress, if it lasts continuously for more than 2 weeks, or if it is severe enough to affect your daily life, causing other abnormalities such as mood swings, fatigue, poor concentration, insomnia, or persistent thoughts of ending your life that cause great mental suffering. This is to receive evaluation and further treatment. Stress is a normal condition, but severe and chronic stress can affect daily life and impact yourself and those around you. Choosing to see a psychiatrist for consultation and therapy may be another proper way to solve the problem.
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References
- Stress Relief Manual: Knowledge about Stress, Prevention, and Solutions by Sombat Tapanya. 2nd edition, Rianboon Printing: Bangkok, 1983
- https://pharmacy.mahidol.ac.th/knowledge/files/0047.pdf
- https://kb.psu.ac.th/psukb/bitstream/2010/6793/9/Chapter2.pdf
