Stress headaches are becoming increasingly common in today’s world, and so are stress and depression increasingly linked. Keeping the vast array of negative effects of stress in mind, it is in our best interest to understand the different kinds of stress, and learn how to deal with each kind.
Do you sometimes feel as though you’re no longer able to cope with day-to-day life? If so, then there’s no need for you to feel alone, as there are millions of people around the world in the exact same position.
The good news is that stress can be dealt with and managed successfully, but because there are different kinds of stress, dealing with the problem can often prove to be challenging.
Here is a quick summary of the three different kinds of stress which commonly affect people:
1. ACUTE STRESS
This is the most common of the kinds of stress, and also the most harmless. It can often be the result of past experiences, but we can also suffer from acute stress because of events which are currently taking place in our lives.
In fact, we can even suffer from acute stress because of something which hasn’t even happened yet, just because we believe that something bad or stressful will happen.
Acute stress is usually short lived, as it’s often brought about by events which frequently take place in our lives, but are soon forgotten about as well.
For example, a car accident could be the cause, and sometimes it’s not because anyone was injured, but instead, it could be because our only means of transport has been damaged at a time when we can’t afford to pay for the repairs. Or perhaps one of the kids has been performing poorly at school, and we feel helpless in finding a solution.
This list could go on, bearing in mind that even though a certain type of problem may not cause one person stress, it could cause another individual to become stressed. This is of course because we are all different in the way we handle problems which arise. The most important thing to remember is that acute stress is easier to manage and treat.
The most common symptoms include:
Anxiety, anger, irritability, frequent headaches, sore muscles caused through tension, digestive problems, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), increased heartbeat, excessive perspiration, high blood pressure, difficulty breathing, nervousness, and more.
A good way to deal with acute stress is to listen to self hypnosis audiosspecifically designed to reduce stress in your mind and body.
2. EPISODIC ACUTE STRESS
Many of us suffer from acute stress at some point in our lives, but you also get those who suffer from it almost constantly. While it would be unfair to say that everyone who suffers from episodic acute stress has brought it upon themselves, unfortunately it’s true in majority of cases.
The people most commonly affected by this form of stress are those who cannot resist taking on too many responsibilities. In most cases, these people actually believe that they enjoy being under pressure, and will often describe themselves as simply having too much energy.
However, many of them find it difficult to maintain any form of meaningful relationship due to the fact that they are generally irritable, and often hostile.
Contrary to what such people may believe, their never ending rush and hastiness does them no good at all, and in fact people who suffer from episodic acute stress inevitably become vulnerable to a range of cardiac problems such as strokes and heart attacks, for example.
Others who may suffer from this form of stress include those with a pessimistic outlook on life. These are people who genuinely believe that if anything can go wrong in their lives, it will. In other words, these are people who have become obsessed with needless worry.
Irrespective of which of the above two groups a person falls into, this form of stress is notoriously difficult to manage and to treat, as these tend to be individuals who firmly believe there is nothing wrong with them in the first place. Treatment should be provided by a qualified professional.
The most common symptoms include:
Frequent headaches, mood swings, chest pain, heart problems, among others.
3. CHRONIC STRESS
Chronic stress is by far the worst of all kinds of stress there is, in that it will without fail destroy not only a person’s body, but it will also end up destroying the mind if it’s left unchecked. Unfortunately in today’s world, there are many factors which can result in a person suffering from chronic stress.
For example, poverty is perhaps one of the leading causes, and this is followed by family problems such as when one partner in a marriage feels that they are trapped with no possible route of escape. Chronic stress can also be caused through the loss of a job, which in many cases leads to financial difficulties.
Simply put, chronic stress is the result of being in highly stressful situations from which it seems there’s no way out, and because of this, those suffering from chronic stress will inevitably end up giving up at some point.
Of course, chronic stress does not always stem from current conditions, but instead it’s something which can also be the result of an event which happened earlier in a person’s life. For example, children who have been abused often end up suffering from chronic stress when they reach adulthood.
One of the most dangerous aspects of chronic stress is that those who suffer from it actually become accustomed to it, and some sufferers will even tend to feel lost without it.
The most disturbing thing is that chronic stress is the only form of stress which often leads to people committing suicide, or performing acts of violence against others. Those who don’t succumb to such a level will often end up having a mental breakdown at some point in their lives, when they simply cannot carry on.
Chronic stress should be viewed in a serious light, and immediate treatment should be sought from duly qualified health professional.
ANXIETY AND PANIC
It should be noted that any of the above kinds of stress can sometimes lead to conditions like recurring anxiety and panic attacks. Anxiety is a general sense of fear or worry. If the condition is recurring for no apparent reason, it is called chronic anxiety. If the intense anxiety or fear occurs in sudden intervals, it is termed as a panic attack.
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