What is Stress?
Uploaded by mumsa1 on Nov 29, 2011
Stress is a major reason for people taking time off work.
In this article:
What is stress?
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
How Chemist Online can help
Advice & Support
What is stress?
Simply put, stress is a feeling of being under intense pressure. It can be extremely damaging to your health.
Symptoms
Symptoms of stress include:
Heart palpitations coupled with a sudden or gradual feeling of panic
Irritability
Disturbed sleep
Increase in smoking and alcohol consumption
Overeating (this is sometimes known as comfort eating), or lack of appetite (depending upon the individual)
Reduced libido (lowered sex drive)
Tiredness, lethargy and an inability to concentrate
Nail biting, skin problems (e.g. eczema, acne…)
Increased sensitivity to casual remarks and/or criticism (or perceived criticism) of some kind
Causes
There are many causes of stress. These include:
Problems in a relationship (marriage, father/son, mother/daughter, etc.)
Feeling financially insecure and therefore worried all the time
Being under overwhelming pressure to meet a deadline at work
Working too many hours and being given too much responsibility in the workplace
Struggling to cope after a drop in income which has perhaps resulted in you having to accept a lower standard of living than you are used to
Being housebound or in some other way incapacitated after a physical illness or surgery
Diagnosis
Many people (particularly men and older people) are reluctant to admit that they are feeling stressed and so fail to seek proper help and advice from trained professionals. This can be a serious mistake and can also be life-threatening.
If you are feeling stressed, or are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms of stress (but don’t realise that those collected symptoms are in fact a stress indicator), then arrange an appointment with your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your symptoms, your GP will then recommend an appropriate course of treatment.
Treatment
Generally speaking, stress is treated by:
Teaching you relaxation techniques
Attending an anxiety management course
Counselling (with a trained professional who is experienced in getting to the root of what may be causing your stress)
Where stress is particularly severe, your GP may recommend prescribed medication, such as beta-blockers (which can significantly ease anxiety), and tranquillisers (e.g., diazepam).
How Chemist Online can help
As we have seen, an associated symptom of stress is disturbed sleep. Through this website we have a selection of sleeping aids available to buy.
www.chemistonline.co.uk
Advice & Support
International Stress Management Association
Tel: 07000 780 430
Website: www.isma.org.uk
Anxiety Care
Tel: 020 8262 8891
Website: www.anxietycare.org.uk
British Sleep Society
Website: www.sleeping.org.uk
This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also...