Table of Contents

What is Stress Management

Like anger, stress is a normal part of life, experienced by the healthiest individuals. Understanding and managing these emotions effectively is key to maintaining overall well-being. However, stress can become so intense that it interferes with someone’s quality of life. Patients with an unhealthy amount of stress benefit from coping mechanisms via an intervention commonly referred to as “stress management.”

The Benefits of Stress Management Therapy

While stigmatized, stress is natural and even useful. After all, having a stress reaction to an attacking animal served our earliest ancestors well. Today, we do not face the same dangers as ancient humans, but we still have many of the same psychological responses, including stress.

Stress today is triggered by things such as relationships, jobs, money, or change in general. Stress can also occur in highly traumatic environments such as war, first serving to protect the individual but then, in some cases, leading to mental disorders such as PTSD.

Common Techniques for Stress Management

As a starting point, patients in session can work to recognize what “healthy” or “unhealthy” stress means. They can then begin to develop coping mechanisms that may help them maintain a healthy relationship to stress.

CBT

Cognitive behavioral therapy, commonly referred to as CBT, is one of the most popular interventions for unhealthy stress. In CBT, patients learn to alter their negative thought patterns so that they can experience more balanced and healthier lives.

Making Lifestyle Changes

Patients can also make changes to their lifestyles that help with unhealthy levels of stress. An overworked individual, for example, might learn to delegate or means to communicate with their boss. Introducing exercise into one’s life can also be an effective way to create change when it comes to stress. A therapist can help a patient identify the best techniques for them.

Medication for Stress Management

In severe cases, a psychiatrist may want a patient to consider anti-anxiety medications. While these can be very effective, they can also be addictive. Patient and therapist must weigh the risks and benefits in considering medication for stress.

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Different Types of Stress

Stress can be acute, chronic or episodic, and patients can experience multiple forms of this disorder. In all types of stress, the stress needing treatment is one that is so intense that it interferes with the person’s quality of life. Any type of stress can lead to physical distress, as well, including weight loss/gain, insomnia, and even heart pain.

Stress is manageable with the right guidance, and patients should understand that there is help available to them.

The following focuses on chronic stress and the treatments typically used to treat it.

Chronic Stress Disorder

Long-term things in life such as jobs or relationships can cause Chronic Stress Disorder. A patient with this type of stress experiences it every day for extended periods of time.

What is Chronic Stress?

Chronic stress happens in response to long-term triggers, such as a chronic illness in the family. It also elevates the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in the body. This physical reaction can leave the patient unable to relax or even sleep. Eventually, the patient may also develop an anxiety disorder.

Signs of Chronic Stress

Signs of chronic stress vary from patient to patient, but they can include:

  • Extreme irritability that may not be characteristic of the individual
  • Faulty concentration
  • Low self-esteem
  • Frequent headaches
  • Loss of appetite/overeating
  • Feelings of helplessness or losing control
  • Insomnia

The Long-Term Effects of Chronic Stress on Individuals

The symptoms of chronic stress can lead to long-term physical and psychological ailments. Chronic stress can lead to:

  • Heart disease
  • Weight loss or gain
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Memory disorders
  • Depression
  • Digestive disorders

Chronic Stress Treatment

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most evidence proven and effective treatments for chronic stress. Patients work to identify the triggers of their stress and then implement effective coping mechanisms that they can implement in multiple areas of life. Lifestyle changes, such as beginning an exercise regime or journaling, can also help when done in tandem with CBT.