Stress was only named as a factor in our lives only in the 1930’s! What did we do before then?
Certainly, human beings have been experiencing stress for eons, but it seems to be getting worse as we become more entangled locally and interconnected globally. The current economic situation is only the latest major cause for stress in many people’s lives.
As much as we all live with stress, many of us do not understand the basics about stress and its role in our lives. This ignorance can lead to very real negative consequences: Stress can bring on and exacerbate a host of physical illnesses — from heart disease to Alzheimer’s disease. And stress can also trigger or make many mental illnesses more severe. Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders are among the most susceptible to stressors.
This post examines 7 common myths about stress, with explanations for why they are not true, under these headings:
- Myth 1: Stress is the same for everybody
- Myth 2: Stress is always bad for you
- Myth 3: Stress is everywhere, so you can’t do anything about it
- Myth 4: The most popular techniques for reducing stress are the best ones
- Myth 5: No symptoms, no stress
- Myth 6: Only major symptoms of stress require attention
- Myth 7: Stress always comes from the outside
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Tagged as:
Anxiety Disorder,
Stress
by Mike Nichols on September 10, 2008 · 3 comments
Stress seems to be just another component of the modern life.
It is so common that it is treated as a joke by standup comedians, in tv sitcoms and in the print media. Here’s one for you, brought to you by one of the prominent stress reduction gurus:
- Picture yourself near a stream.
- Birds are softly chirping in the crisp, cool, mountain air.
- No one knows your secret place.
- You are in total seclusion from that hectic place called “the world”.
- The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.
- The water is clear.
- You can easily make out the face of the person you’re holding under the water…
Can you relate to this joke? It’s funny because you can picture being at the breaking point, with the person causing so much stress leaving the picture permanently.
But stress is no laughing matter. It can ruin your physical and mental health. It can ruin your relationships and make your life a living hell. Following are lists of signs of stress to watch out for, along with information on how stress can affect your body and mind.
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Tagged as:
Bipolar,
Depression,
GAD - General Anxiety Disorder,
Mental Health Professionals,
OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,
Panic Attacks,
Panic Disorder,
PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
SAD - Social Phobia,
Stress
The biology of stress has been studied extensively, and untold numbers of rats have been driven nuts in the process. But you don’t need to be a scientist or a rat to know that stress greatly effects your peace of mind and well-being.
Stress disrupts the balance in your life, putting a strain on you and those around you. It can and does make you sick, both physically and mentally. In the midst of plenty, it can make you miserable. As Aesop says in his Fables, “A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.”
We need to learn where the undesirable stress is coming from in our lives in order to take steps to manage it. The sources of stress may be broken down into two broad categories: that which comes from outside ourselves, and that which comes from within ourselves. These may be further divided into things we can control and things we can’t control.
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Tagged as:
Anxiety,
Panic Attacks,
Stress
