Stress

Understanding Stress, Causes, Types and Treatments

What is Stress?

Stress is a normal human reaction that occurs to everyone. In fact, the human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. When you experience changes or challenges (stressors), your body produces physical and mental responses. That’s stress. Stress responses help your body adjust to new situations.

When you sense danger, the hypothalamus at the base of your brain reacts. It sends nerve and hormone signals to your adrenal glands, which release an abundance of hormones. These hormones are nature’s way of preparing you to face danger and increase your chances of survival. One of these hormones is adrenaline. You might also know it as epinephrine, or the fight-or-flight hormone. In rapid fashion, adrenaline works to: increase your heartbeat, increase your breathing rate, make it easier for your muscles to use glucose, contract blood vessels so blood is directed to the muscles, stimulate perspiration and inhibit insulin production.

Stress is a process, not a diagnosis. We experience stress when there is an imbalance between the demands being made on us and our resources to cope with those demands. The level and extent of stress a person may feel depends a lot on their attitude to a particular situation. An event that may be extremely stressful for one person can be a mere hiccup in another person’s life.

Book your FREE appointment today, learn how to manage your Depression.

What Causes Stress

We may feel under pressure to do something and fear we may fail. The more important the outcome, the more stressed we feel. You can feel stressed by external situations (too much work, children misbehaving) and by internal triggers (the way you think about external situations).

Stress is not always a bad thing. Some people thrive on stress and even need it to get things done. When the term ‘stress’ is used in a clinical sense, it refers to a situation that causes discomfort and distress for a person and can lead to other mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.

Clients often present with stress which they usually describe a sense of feeling overwhelmed. This feeling may be due to their coping capacity being over-stretched or having been under pressure for too long. Some stress can help us to perform our day-to-day functions, too much stress leaves us “distressed” and often exhausted.

Too much stress may, if not managed, can so contribute to physical illness such as cardiovascular disease. When stress turns into a serious illness, it’s important to get professional help as soon as possible. Untreated stress can lead to more serious  disorders such as anxiety, OCD, depression, etc.

Types of Stress

Given that stress has been linked as a co-factor in 95% or all disease processes, a keystone of holistic, alternative health and healing is learning how to effectively manage stress. This learning process begins with recognizing or identifying four specific types of stress affecting you and how these stressors (that is, what demands a change from you) are showing up or manifesting as symptoms in your life. Stress factors broadly fall into four types or categories: physical stress, psychological stress, psychosocial stress, and psychospiritual stress.

Physical Stress.

Trauma (injury, infection, surgery), intense physical exertion, environmental (pesticides, herbicides, toxins, heavy metals, etc.), illnesses including viral, bacterial disorders, fatigue, inadequate oxygen supply, low blood sugar, hormonal imbalance, dietary stress (nutritional deficiencies, food allergies and sensitivities, etc., dehydration, substance abuse, dental challenges, and musculoskeletal misalignments/imbalances.

Psychological Stress.

Emotional Stress (resentments, fears, frustration, sadness, anger, grief/bereavement), cognitive stress which may include information overload, accelerated sense of time, worry, guilt, shame, jealousy, resistance, attachments, self-criticism, self-loathing, not feeling like things are real, and a sense of being out of control/not being in control and perceptual stress as may relate to our beliefs, roles, stories, attitudes, world view

Psychosocial Stress.

Relationship/marriage difficulties (partner, siblings, children, family, employer, co-workers, employer), lack of social support, lack of resources for adequate survival, loss of employment/investments/savings, loss of loved ones, bankruptcy, home foreclosure, and isolation.

Psycho-spiritual Stress.

Crisis of values, meaning, and purpose; joyless striving versus productive, satisfying, meaningful and fulfilling work; and a misalignment with one’s core spiritual beliefs. 

Treatment of Stress

Stress is most effectively treated with therapies, these include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Clinical Hypnotherapy, NLP, Ericksonian hypnosis and Mindfulness. Research indicates that correcting mental and behavioural patterns is very effective intervention more so  than anti-depressants in the majority of cases. Another benefit of this approach is a much lower rate ofr elapse.

Clinical hypnosis and NLP target existing thought and behaviour patterns at the unconscious level, allowing for rapid and lasting change.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can provide you with a new perspective on your situation, enabling you to regain control, reduce the intense physiological and emotional symptoms and adopt effective strategies that will help you deal with stressful situations with more confidence and ease.

Ericksonian hypnosis works with the client to create, through hypnosis (specifically through indirect suggestion) and metaphors, real-life experiences intended to activate previously dormant, intrapsychic resources that can resonate to assist and resolve clients mood issues.

Clients learn proven strategies on how to identify triggers of stress, manage and interrupt stress thought patterns.

We also encourage clients to exercise regularly, avoid conflict situations such as unnecessary arguments and conflict (although ignoring a problem is not always the best way to reduce stress), practice relaxation, taking the time to relax each day with family and friends, be aware of good diet (eat well, eat fresh, eat healthy), monitor sleep their sleep patterns and behaviours (good routine, good depth and length  of sleep (eight hours is standard for most people to feel refreshed and reinvigorated).

Enjoyment of their life, it’s important we take time to do at least three activities we enjoy each day, thereby achieving balance in our lives. 

Our Lake Macquarie Psychotherapy Treatments

Can Change Therapy offers the following treatments in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle: