Stress is a normal part of our lives. It is not necessarily good or bad. But reactions to stress can vary enormously, and some of these reactions are undesirable.
Anxiety
The most frequent undesirable reaction is anxiety. The degree of anxiety is much more a function of the individual than the degree of stress. A person who reacts with excessive anxiety to everyday stress has a behavioral rather than a medical problem. The person who does not recognize anxiety as the problem will have difficulty in solving the problem.
Some common symptoms of anxiety are insomnia and an inability to concentrate. These symptoms can lead to a vicious cycle that aggravates the situation. But the symptoms are effects, not causes. The person who focuses on the insomnia or the lack of concentration as the problem is far from a solution.
Most communities have several resources that can help with anxiety. Ministers, social workers, friends, neighbors, and family may all play a beneficial role. The medical provider is an additional resource but is not necessarily the first or the best place to seek help for these problems.
Grief
Grief is an appropriate reaction to certain situations, such as death of a loved one or loss of a job. In such cases, time is the healer, although significant help may be gained from various family and community resources. Working through grief is an important part of getting over a loss. If the reaction persists for several months, seek outside help.
The limitations of drugs, such as tranquilizers or alcohol, when a person is grieving must be understood. While they may provide short-term symptomatic relief, they are brain depressants that do not enhance mental processes or solve problems. They are a crutch. In this instance, the long-term use of a crutch ensures that the person using it will become a cripple. The underlying problem must be confronted.
HOME TREATMENT
An honest attempt to identify the cause of the anxiety is a requisite first step in resolving the problem. When physical symptoms are due to job pressures, marital woes, wayward children, or domineering parents, the situation must be accurately identified, admitted, and confronted. When anxiety or depression is reactive, the cause is often obvious; simply talking about it with friends or counselors will help. In other instances, identifying the source of the anxiety will be difficult, painful, time-consuming, and may eventually require the help of a professional counselor or psychiatrist. Unfortunately, no scientific studies have been able to show which particular type of therapy produces the best results. So your choice should depend on what makes you feel that you are making progress.
In addition, sometimes the symptoms of anxiety are associated with too much caffeine. Try cutting down on your caffeine intake and see if you feel more relaxed. Remember that caffeine is found in coffee, colas, tea, a variety of cold and headache remedies, and even chocolate. Of course, caffeine is the active ingredient in nonprescription stimulants (No-Doz, Vivarin, etc.). Relaxation techniques can be helpful.
WHAT TO EXPECT SEEKING TREATMENT
The intake therapist will attempt to identify the problem and determine if the help of a medical professional or other types of therapy treatments are required. Personal questions may be asked, and frank, honest answers must be given. Try to report the underlying problems and avoid emphasis on the effects, such as insomnia, muscle aches, headache, or inability to concentrate.
