Good stress, bad stress: Where do you fall?

Every human being is subjected to some form of stress at some point in life.

Stressors are all around us — we get stressed worrying about how to pay the bills, we worry about illness, joblessness, dealing with a demanding boss or annoying workmates — the list is long.

Any situation that poses a challenge to the welfare of a human being is a stress.

NOT ALL STRESS IS BAD

That said, even though many of us think of stress as a negative thing, there are some stresses that are healthy, since they help us to make important changes in our lives or reach certain goals.

When you spend sleepless nights trying to complete a project that could help you advance in your career, that is positive stress.

However, when stress interferes with your physical and mental functioning, it becomes negative. Delayed, unexpected, continuous, and unmanageable forms of stress are usually the most damaging.

Stress is simply the feeling of being under pressure as a result of being exposed to stressors.

A stressor is an agent that can cause stress, for example noise, work, or even fear of the unknown. Though not always, the more the stressors we have, the more stressed we become.

Stress affects the body, mood, and behaviour. External factors that may trigger stress include the situations and challenges that a person is confronted with in daily life.

The internal factors are the ones that determine the ability of the body to respond to and handle the external factors that cause stress.

Examples of internal factors are emotional wellbeing, rest, nutritional wellbeing, as well as a person’s overall health status.

It is not possible to assess the rate of stress, since presentation of stress varies with individuals. People with stress exhibit various symptoms, although there are those that are prevalent.

SYMPTOMS
The most common one is withdrawal. This is especially so if the person is an extrovert.

When this happens, the person will keep to himself due to anxiety and this can easily make him commit suicide – the person feels as though no one wants to associate with him.

While some people will have no appetite for food, others will overeat, particularly junk food, as a way of dealing with their stressing situation. Consequently, this can cause obesity, which increases the risk of lifestyle diseases such as heart attack and diabetes.

Another common symptom is alcoholism. Most people, when faced with a stressing situation, turn to alcohol in an effort to “bury” their frustrations. Other symptoms include persistent headache, fatigue, boredom, anger, and sleep disorders such as insomnia.

TREATMENT

If you have these symptoms, manage them as soon as possible because if ignored, stress can lead to more serious mental conditions like depression.

Whereas there are possible treatments for stress, the success of recovering from this problem is largely dependent on the patient’s willingness and ability to make the modifications essential for a healthy lifestyle.

Stress management starts by identifying and understanding the cause of your stress.

This should be done with the help of your counsellor or therapist.

After identifying your problem, the therapist will help you deal with it. For instance, if your problem is work pressure, you can come up with strategies to help you cope or switch your job for a less stressful one.

In addition, depending on the severity of your stress, your therapist may recommend anti-depressants to help relieve the symptoms.

It also helps to talk to people you are close to and who will support you. You could also join a support group made up of people who have a similar problem.