It is not possible to completely eradicate stress from your life. At best, we can find ways to work with the inevitable tensions and pressure of life, even using occasional stress to motivate and encourage us.
We have seen that stress can have many different causes, and sometimes stress really is “all in the head”. By removing what is causing us stress or by adjusting the way we look at events in our lives, we can reduce and manage the amount of tension we experience. With good stress management, it is possible to live a balanced and enjoyable life, one in which we are only rarely overwhelmed.
Sometimes, however, stress goes above and beyond what is “normal”. PTSD is a very serious condition that has already been mentioned. The difference between PTSD and the experience of everyday stress for most people is that PTSD follows a serious and traumatic event. If you or someone you know has had this happen to them, the next step is diagnosis by a professional and a look at therapy and medication options.
Panic is also another condition that can look like stress. If you have episodes where you feel physically overwhelmed with symptoms of shaking, not being able to breathe, feeling like you are going to die, sweating, heart palpitations or a very intense sense of dread and fear, you might be suffering from a panic disorder. This is different from everyday stress in that it can occur with seemingly nothing causing it. This, too, can be treated with medications and therapy, so if you suspect you are suffering from a panic disorder, definitely gets a second opinion.
General Anxiety Disorder is a psychological condition characterized by feeling stressed and anxious pretty much all the time, with a very diffuse sense of what exactly is causing it. This can be a very serious and debilitating condition, so if you’ve been working on stress management for a while with no results, speak to a psychologist about whether you fit this diagnosis.
Lastly, it may be possible that you are not stressed, but in fact suffering from a form of depression. Watch out for symptoms of apathy, feeling hopeless and like you’d like to just disappear, negativity, low self-esteem, changes in sleep, appetite or libido and not enjoying the things you used to. Feeling stressed and overwhelmed may be merely a symptom of an overall depressed mood.
If this is the case, you could find relief by using St. John’s Wort, which is available over the counter and finding other self help remedies to lift your mood. However, if you have had feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or others, seeking the advice of a psychiatrist is necessary.
If you are in doubt about what your stress levels mean, it is always a good idea to get a full health check up with a GP to make sure that your stress is not a symptom of another problem. Sometimes, it can be as simple as cutting the caffeine in your diet or practicing better sleep hygiene. It can also be very, very dangerous, as in the case with Post Partum Depression, which is stress and depression that sets in after the birth of a baby.