« Stress and Health Part 1 - Impacts of Stress on Physical Health | Main | Stress and Health Part 3 - Stress and Chiropractic Care »

Stress and Health Part 2 - Impacts of Stress on Mental Health

By admin | January 24, 2010

Stress can be a big component of many emotional health concerns that are going on in American society today. As mentioned in the first of the Stress and Health series stress is a key component in 75% of all diseases in the US today. Stress starts as rush of adrenaline that is created from some external event or emotional episode that can either push someone take positive action or if it is not dealt with then can result in physical and mental health concerns.

When stress occurs many different emotional signals can be triggered. Emotional triggers are often signs that stress is not being handled or managed or that people may not be getting to the root of their stress.  So what happens emotionally when stress is triggered?
•    Creation of learned helplessness – when people do not know how to handle the stress that builds up and creates a fight or flight response they shut down or burst out. When people shut down they can get depressed or feel anxious and do not know how to dig themselves out of the hole that they are in. This leads to a feeling of helplessness or a feeling of being a victim, which can become a habitual pattern of action or inaction.
•    Self-blame – taking on much of the blame for not being able to get out of the stressful situation can lead to increased stress. Judgments about oneself can be a red flag in emotional health that people are not looking for solutions, but sabotaging themselves.
•    Isolation  - when stress is triggered often people start to isolate themselves from others. They go further and further inside and stop looking for community and help. This can result in avoiding dealing with situations and not getting the help that people may need.
•    Sleeplessness – when someone thinks about the same thing over and over and over again it can lead to an inability to get a restful night sleep. Lack of enough sleep can impact one’s energy levels and mood leading to more ruminating of the mind. This can become a continual pattern if not dealt with properly.

So what are some solutions to all of this?
•    Learn to deal with the underlying emotions – sometimes not addressing the emotions that are causing the stress, such as fear, anger, or frustration, leads to the emotional states indicated above. Talk to a friend, therapist or life coach and express the emotions that are controlling you.
•    Holistic health – look at the way you are eating, sleeping, exercising, and breathing to find patterns or healthy alternatives to release the stress buildup.

So what do you do to over come stress and manage the anxiety, depression, or feeling of being “stuck” that may occur? Stay tuned for part 3 of the series to find out more about tools and techniques to help manage and alleviate stress from a physical health perspective.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Topics: Uncategorized |

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Print This Post Print This Post

Comments