Is Your Health Being Affected by stress ?

Did you know that occasional stress is a fact of life and may have some benefit. But it’s important to understand and watch for the downsides.

Most of us feel stress from time to time. It rarely feels good, but some anxiety may not always be a bad thing. In small doses, stress can be beneficial.
Having a little bit of stress in your life is important, because it forces us to change and modify and adapt. When you experience stress in response to a problem, it allows you to organize yourself and learn from the experience to become a better person.
Too much stress, however, can take a toll on your health. It can weaken your immune system and even contribute to heart disease.

There are many different kinds of stress. However, based on research studies about the types of stress in psychology, stress can be divided into three primary types:
1. Chronic Stress
2. Acute Stress
3. Episodic acute stress

1. Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is the result of stressors that continue for a long period of time. Examples include living in a high-crime neighborhood or constantly fighting with your life partner.
This type of stress feels never-ending. We often have difficulty seeing any way to improve or change the situation that is the cause of our chronic stress.

The signs of chronic stress are just some of the things that this disorder can cause in the body. Over a long enough period, people with chronic stress may develop additional complications of the body and mind. Without treatment, these patients may develop:
Anxiety disorders
Heart disease
Weight gain
Memory disorders
Depression
Digestive disorders

Cognitive Behavior Therapy and lifestyle changes often help people with chronic stress disorder manage their symptoms. In therapy, patients identify their significant stressors. The therapist then works with the patient to learn how to cope with these problems.
In some cases, lifestyle changes are enough on their own. However, most patients also need CBT to learn coping mechanisms that they can carry into every aspect of their lives.

2. Acute stress

Acute stress results from your body’s reaction to a new or challenging situation. It’s that feeling you get from an approaching deadline or when you narrowly avoid being hit by a car.
We can even experience it as a result of something we enjoy. Like an exhilarating ride on a roller coaster or an outstanding personal achievement.
Acute stress is classified as short-term. Usually, emotions and the body return to their normal state relatively soon.

Acute Stress Disorder Symptoms

Like other types of stress, acute stress disorder has both physical and emotional symptoms. Although it varies between patients, people with this disorder may present with:
Emotional unresponsiveness
Less awareness of the world around them
Disassociation from reality
Amnesia about the triggering event
Flashbacks to the trauma in which they feel as though it’s happening again in real life
Avoiding specific people or places
Anxiety
Trouble sleeping
Irritability
Startling easily

Acute Stress Disorder Treatment

Professionals may start by ruling out other disorders that can cause similar symptoms. They may also complete full psychiatric evaluations to determine the patient’s level of care needs. This process helps doctors decide if a person needs in-patient care for their safety.
Social workers may help if the person needs social services to deal with the trauma. A therapist can use Cognitive Behavior Therapy and other treatment styles to help the patient. Furthermore, some clients may need psychiatric help in the form of medication.

Episodic acute stress is when acute stresses happen on a frequent basis. This can be because of repeatedly tight work deadlines. It can also be because of the frequent high-stress situations experienced by some professionals, such as healthcare workers.
With this type of stress, we don’t get time to return to a relaxed and calm state. And the effects of the high-frequency acute stresses accumulate.
It often leaves us feeling like we are moving from one crisis to another

Signs of Episodic Acute Stress Disorder

It can be difficult for people with this disorder to get the treatment they need because they feel as though the stress is the right reaction and their support system may dismiss the symptoms. Some signs of episodic stress include:
Irritability or uncontrolled anger
Rapid heartbeat
Panic attack
Heartburn and other gastrointestinal troubles
Muscular pain and tightness
Left untreated, this disorder can lead to larger health problems, including:
Heart disease
Frequent headaches
Hypertension

Episodic Acute Stress Treatment

Lifestyle changes, therapy, and medication can all be part of a treatment plan for Episodic Acute Stress Disorder. Therapists may recommend lifestyle changes such as changing jobs or starting a physical exercise routine. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy can help patients learn how to react to triggers healthily. Medication can help in those times when the stress is too much for the patient to handle.