Stress related disorders

STRESS RELATED DISORDERS

Introduction

Stress is the word common to everyone, stress makes a man mad either good or bad, If anything is too much which is good for nothing. In this busy world from children to older people every one is filled with stress, on the other way we can say stress is a pressure, we are overloaded with something it may be good or bad that create changes among us both physiologically and psychologically that we can say both physical and mental. Anything that poses dispute or a warning to our well-being is a stress. Some stress do good and some stress do bad. Stress may be of different type that make changes among us, there many ways to overcome stress and there are treatment for stress related disorders too.

What is Stress

Stress is a pressure or tension exerted to a material or an object, the allotment of stress is consistent diagonally the slab. It is state of mental and emotional twist ensuing from difficult or challenging situation he noticeably beneath a lot of pressure. It can be caused by both good and bad familiarity. When people feel like stressed by something there must be some chemical reaction and changes that poured into blood stream, these chemical give more strength and energy, it its gives good energy but causes physical danger.

Meaning of Stress

Stress is a general term applied to various physiological and psychological pressures which is knowledgeable or felt by the people throughout their lives

Stress is a conscious or unconscious psychological feeling or physical situation which comes as a result of physical or/and mental 'positive or negative pressure' to overwhelm adaptive capacities.

Definition of Stress

Stress is defined as “a state of psychological and physiological imbalance resulting from the disparity between situational demand and the individual's ability and motivation to meet those needs.”

 Major types of Stress

Survival Stress - The phrase "fight or flight" before is a common response to danger in all people and animals. When a human being afraid that someone or something may physically hurt, body naturally react with a burst of energy so that there will be a better able to endure the dangerous situation (fight) or escape it all together (flight).This is Survival stress.

Internal Stress - Worrying about actions can do nothing about or worrying for no reason at all. This is internal stress and it is one of the most important kinds of stress to understand and manage. Internal stress is when people make themselves stressed. This often happens when worry about things that cannot control or put ourselves in situations. Some will become addicted towards tensed, routine life style and hurried that leads to stress.

Environmental Stress – It is a response to the things that may leads to stress, pressure and crowding that in and around the family. Lower stress level results by identifying the environmental stresses, deal or avoid them.

Fatigue and Overwork – It is a long way build up kind of stress and it is a hard toll on whole body. It may be due to working too much at hard jobs, school or home. The main reason for causing this type of stress as because of lacking in time management or spending time for rest and relaxation. It is the one of the kind of stress to avoid and feel that is out of their control.

What are the causes for Stress

1. Civic Amenities: Poor civic amenities in the area in which one lives can be a cause of stress. Inadequate or lack of public facilities like improper water supply, excessive noise or air pollution, lack of proper transport facility can be quite stressful.
2. Life Changes: Life changes can bring stress to a person. Life changes can be slow or sudden. Gradual life changes include getting older, and abrupt life changes include death or accident of a loved one. Sudden life changes are highly stressful and very difficult to cope.
3. Frustration: Frustration is another cause of stress. It arises when goal-directed behaviour gets blocked. Management should attempt to remove barriers and help the employees to reach their goals.
4. Racial, Caste, and Religious Conflicts: Employees living in areas, which are often prone to conflicts among people based on differences seen in their race, caste and religion do suffer more from stress. In the case of a religion, the minorities and lower-caste people (especially in India) are subject to more stress.
5. Personality: We can classify people as ‘Type A’ and ‘Type B’.
   The ‘Type A’ people:
1. They feel guilty while relaxing.
2. They get irritated by minor mistakes of self and others.
3. They feel impatient and dislike waiting.
4. They also multitask and prefer to do several things at one time.

The ‘Type B’ people are exactly opposite and hence are less affected by stress due to the above factors.

6. Technological Changes: When there are any changes in technical fields, employees are under the constant fear of losing jobs or need to adjust to new technologies. It can be a source of stress.
7. Career Changes: When a person suddenly switches to another job, he is under stress to shoulder new responsibilities adequately. Under-promotion, over-promotion, demotion and transfers can also cause stress.

Diagnosis of stress

A good General Practitioner only able to diagnose the stress by the patients symptoms itself and it may be diagnose by  other doctors with some tests, like blood or urine test or with health assessment.

Diagnosing the stress is a complex and it depend on m any factors. There is a wide approaches to diagnose stress that can be used by health professionals, like physiological measures, bio chemical measures and different questionnaires. Majority of the diagnostic methods subject to experimental error and viewed with caution. Comprehensive, stress – oriented, face – to – interview are some of the practicable way to diagnose stress and its effects.

Habits can remarkably help to relieve stress

• Regular meditation,
• Physical exercise,
• Balanced diet,
• Focused thinking,
• Control of anger,
• Managing Depression,
• Maintaining calmness in stressful situations,
• Having a positive attitude towards life,
• Harmony towards self and others, etc.

How to deal with stress

Stress is anything that possesses a challenge or threat to human being. Some type of stresses may be that leads to good, without the stress the lives may be boring and probably pointless. Mental and physical health will affect when the stress undermine. The terms “Stress” and a “ stressor” – is an agent or stimulus that cause stress. Stress is that the feeling under pressure and the stressors is the things we respond to the environment. Noises, unpleasant people are the few examples of stressors. When the stressors are more the more stress occur.

Health problems related to stress

Heart disease

Some research have proved that the stressed – out, type A personality has a high risk of high blood pressure and heart problems. It causes the release of cholesterol and triglycerides into the blood stream by increasing the heart rate and blood flow. Increased likelihood of smoking or obesity also indirectly increases heart risks. Sudden emotional stress can be as a stimuli for serious cardiac problems including heart attacks. People who have chronic heart problems need to avoid acute stress -- and learn how to successfully manage life's unavoidable stresses

Asthma

Some studies have suggest that a chronic stress of parents may even develop the asthma in their children. One study looked at how parental stress affected the asthma rates of young children who were also exposed to air pollution or whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. The children with stressed out parents had a substantial risk of developing asthma.

Obesity

Excess fat in the abdomen seems to pose health risk than the fat on the legs or hips and the high risk of stress seem to store it. Stress cause higher levels of the hormone cortisol and that seems to increase the amount of fat deposited in the abdomen.

Diabetes

Stress can aggravate diabetes in two ways. It increases the likelihood of bad behaviors, such as unhealthy eating and excessive drinking and to raise the glucose levels of people with type 2 diabetes directly.

Headaches Stress is considered one of the most common triggers for headaches -- not just tension headaches, but migraines as well.

Depression and anxiety - Chronic stress its connected with higher rates of depression and anxiety. Survey of recent studies found that people related to their jobs were demanding work with few rewards that had an 80% higher risk of depression than people with lower stress.

Gastrointestinal problems

Due to stress ulcers does not occur, however, it can make them worse if it exists. Stress is also a common factor in many other Gastro Intestinal conditions, such as chronic heartburn (or gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Alzheimer's disease

Stress may worsen Alzheimer’s disease that cause brain lesions to form more quickly. Some researchers speculate that reducing stress has the potential to slow down the progression of the disease.

Accelerated aging

The most important factor that accelerates age is stress and it has proven. When comparing to mother’s DNA who were under high stress caring for a chronically ill child with women who were not. Researchers found that a particular region of the chromosomes showed the effects of accelerated aging. Stress seemed to accelerate aging about 9 to 17 additional years.

Premature death

In a study, the health effects of stress to elderly caregivers as looking after their spouses naturally those people are under a great deal of stress. Higher rate of death of about 63% found in caregivers than people their age who were not caregivers.

Four stress relief tips

1. Breathe deeply.

Deep breathing for few minutes can calm mind and physiologic stress response. While building in a specific time to relax each day is a good idea, one advantage to deep breathing for stress relief is that you can do it anywhere – at the desk or in car, for instance. It recommends that as breathe out, one can relax a specific muscle group. Start with the muscles in jaw. On the next breath out, relax the shoulders. Move through the different areas of the body until feeling calm.

2. Focus on the moment. Stress occurs only worried about what to do next or regretful about something already done. Instead of worrying about the past and to get some stress relief try to focus on the present. One can calm themselves by bringing oneself to the present moment like while walking concentrate and sense the moving of legs and while eating focus on the taste and sense the food.
3. Reframe the situation.

Working in natural reaction will not help at all. Different perspective in the action must be there according to the situation.Look at that time as an opportunity -- a few minutes where don't have any other obligations.

4. Keep your problems in perspective.

Think about the things for which to be grateful whenever feeling stressed. We get stressed when we focus so much on a specific problem that we lose perspective. Need to remind of the basic ways and it can be surprisingly effective method for stress relief.

The 5 R's of Stress

There are 5 core concepts which are used in the reduction of anxiety or stress.

• Recognition of the root and origin of the hazard or distress; education and consciousness raising.
• Relationships identified for reinforce, assist, relief.
• Removal from (or of) the threat or stressor; managing the stimulus.
• Relaxation through techniques such as meditation, massage, breathing exercises, or imagery.
• Re-engagement through managed re-exposure and anesthetize.

Self help for treating stress

• Exercise - exercise has been proven to have a favourable effect on a person's mental and physical state. For many people exercise is an extremely powerful stress buster.
• Division of labor - try to delegate the duties at work, or share.  If it make requisite the likelihood of feeling highly stressed is significantly greater.
• Assertiveness – Instead of saying yes to everything it can be done something well or if something in not the responsibility.
•  Alcohol and drugs – In no way alcohol and drugs manage the stress only it should be stop consuming completely or cut down.
• Caffeine – Coffee and other drinks which contains caffeine must avoid consuming.
• Nutrition – Intake of fruits and vegetable should be plenty enough and make sure that is a healthy one and balanced diet.
• Time – Each day just in an individual’s hands which should be utilize for sequencing the life, relax and pursue with own interests.
• Breathing –Effective breathing techniques can be done which calm down the system and help to relax.
•  Talk – Explore the thoughts and worries to family members, friends, colleagues or to the boss.
• Seek professional help – Consult the doctor when the stress is affecting the routine life. Prolonged Stress which can be bad for physical and mental health.
• Relaxation techniques – Relaxation techniques like meditation, massage or yoga will help the people with stress

Stress management techniques

Stress can be managed either remove, change the way of stress or alter the stressful event, stress impact can be lower on the body and learning the alternative ways of coping. Following one or more of these ways are the objective of Stress management therapy.

Reading self help books or attend a stress management course can be achieved by Stress management techniques. With the help of counsellor or Psychotherapist for personal development or therapy sessions stress can be controlled.

Many therapies which help you relax, such as aromatherapy, or reflexology, may have a beneficial effect.

Medicines

Patients will be under medication only they were underlying illness, such as depression or with any type of anxiety, otherwise doctors will not prescribe any medicines. If that is the case, the doctor is actually treating a mental illness. In such cases, an antidepressant may be prescribed. Bear in mind that there is a risk that all the medication will do is mask the stress, rather than help you deal and cope with it.

Recent developments on stress from MNT news

Similar mode of actions like acupuncture can be used instead of Psychiatric drugs.

Acupuncture treatment is considered as an effective one for treating Chronic stress, according to the report in Journal Endocrinology that results similar action of drigs to anti – anxiety and anti depressant drugs.

Brain networks and reduce self-control can be influenced by the stress.

Researchers of University of Zurich of Switzerland demonstrated influence of stress in  the regions of rhe brain involved with the self control.

It is found that the children with pets have less stress

According to research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a pet dog may protect your child from childhood anxiety,

Stress appears to contribute to Alzheimer's

According to a report published in Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, feeling stressed increases the chance of older people developing mild cognitive impairment, which can be a forerunner to Alzheimer's.