5 Things You Need to Know About Psychological Responses to Stress

1. Identify Your Stressors

Having an awareness of what stresses us out in our lives helps to combat stress. Some major stressors can include people, money, work, time, health or perceived loss. In addition to external stressors, stress can stem from our own internal thoughts. These include thoughts such as: I can not make mistakes, everyone needs to love me, if I am criticized I must have done something wrong, I can not ask for help, other people should see things the way I do or I can not show weakness or cry.

2. Your Body Responds to Stress

When we feel our safety or the safety of our friends and family is threatened, our body responds with a "flight or fight" response. This includes an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension and our breathing rate. These responses help us to deal with the stress at hand or to exit the situation, preserving our safety. Other common responses can be shock, anger, disbelief, confusion, sweating, trembling or shaking, or even nausea.

3. Stress Unresolved: Depression

When stress goes untreated, depression can result. About 9.5 percent of the population, which is about 20.5 million adults in the United States, suffers from a depressive disorder in any given year. A depressive disorder is an illness. It affects how you eat, sleep, feel about yourself and your thoughts. A depressive disorder is more than simply being sad. Depressive disorder can last for weeks, months or even years. Depressive disorder individuals can not simply "pull themselves together." Medical intervention needs to take place to restore chemical balance to the brain.

There are three types of depression: major depression, dysthymia and bipolar disorder. Major depression is characterized by feelings of hopelessness, guilt, sadness, no longer enjoying regular hobbies or activities and loss of appetite. Dysthymia is a mood disorder characterized by mild depression with other symptoms such as sleep disturbance, eating, fatigue and poor self-esteem.
Bipolar disorder is characterized by high swings of mood from feelings of joy and elation to despair and sadness, racing thoughts, continuous talking, inappropriate social behavior or increased sexual desire.

4. Stress Is Linked to Anxiety Disorders

Stress that is unresolved can also lead to anxiety disorders. Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear. Some symptoms of anxiety can include headaches, muscle tension, twitching or trembling, sweating, dry mouth, or stomach pain. Anxiety disorders can be classified as generalized anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder and social phobias.

5. You Have Control Over How You Deal With Stress

Simplifying your decision making can decrease the amount of stress in your life. Adapting an "it is what it is" attitude allows you to set priorities in your life as to what is really important. This does not mean you have no control over what happens to you, but rather you have a choice as to how to react to the stressor. Accept that stress is part of life, how you choose to deal with it is what you have control over. Incorporate exercise as part of your daily routine. Increasing your heart rate releases endorphins in your body stimulating a positive outlook.