Everyone experiences stress at some point in life, and often this stress leads to anxiety. While stress and mild anxiety can benefit people in some instances, it causes unwelcome physical symptoms and harms people's overall health in others. When people learn to spot the signs of stress and anxiety, they can manage or treat symptoms before they cause any serious repercussions.
Symptoms
Stress and anxiety often cause unwelcome physical reactions in the body. Symptoms of stress and anxiety include abdominal pain, diarrhea, frequent urination, dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, rapid breathing, sweating, twitching, trembling, trouble concentrating, fatigue, irritability, sexual problems, and sleeping difficulties, according to MedlinePlus.
Considerations
A biological link between stress, anxiety and depression exists, according to the University of Western Ontario. Stress can trigger a specific reaction in the brain that causes anxiety and depression to occur. Stressful experiences often make the symptoms of these conditions more severe as well. However, people who understand this biological link will understand the importance of treating stress before it has the chance to turn into anxiety and depression.
Treatment
Simple relaxation techniques go a long way toward easing stress. While the specific methods vary, useful relaxation techniques include progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, visualization or deep breathing exercises. These exercises reduce generalized anxiety and prevent stress from building up, but they also have long-term benefits when done on a regular basis, explains Edmund J. Bourne in the book "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook." Long-term physical benefits include a lower heart, respiration rate and blood pressure as well as increased energy and reduced muscle tension. If self-care and relaxation techniques do not seem to work, people should consider talking to a doctor or mental health professional about counseling and medication options.
Misconceptions
Stress is not always bad and does not always lead to anxiety. In small quantities, stress motivates people to solve problems and increases productivity. Stress is only bad when it becomes too much for a person to manage or causes too strong of a reaction.
MedlinePlus also states that people sometimes mistake a medical condition, medication side effects or certain emotional states for stress. Medical conditions like an overactive thyroid, low blood pressure and a heart attack cause symptoms similar to stress. Grieving and depression also may cause stress-like symptoms. People should also talk to a doctor or pharmacist about any medications or herbal supplements they are taking to rule out the chance of them causing a reaction of stress or anxiety.
Warning
Since serious medical conditions can cause symptoms similar to stress and anxiety, people should always talk to a doctor when experiencing specific symptoms. People should report crushing chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid breathing, racing heartbeat or thoughts of suicide to a doctor immediately. People who are unable to function properly due to anxiety, who have sudden feelings of panic or uncontrollable fear, who do not know the source of their anxiety, or who have tried self-care unsuccessfully for weeks should call a mental health professional for evaluation as soon as possible.
References
- MedlinePlus: Stress and Anxiety
- University of Western Ontario: Biological Link Between Stress, Anxiety and Depression
- The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook; Edmund J. Bourne; 2005
