Symptoms of Stress - Physical, Emotional and Behavioral Stress Symptoms

© Michelle Howard Smith - All Rights Reserved

Identifying stress may not always be as easy as one thinks.  There are many symptoms that may emerge in a person's life that may not be recognized as stress.  First, it's important to recognize what stress is.  Stress can be defined as the action on a body of any system of balanced forces whereby strain or deformation results.  Simply put tension or strain which can result in burn out.

Symptoms of stress can be exibitied in the physical body, emotional responses, or spiritual state.  The physical body is a wonderful mechanism designed to heal itself but when stress exerts against the body, the mechanism is put in an imbalanced state.  That's why it is important for one to know how to effectively identify the symptoms of stress so that it can be adequately dealt with.  Emotional stress symptoms can be classified under an umbrella of symptoms from mild depression to manic depression.

Some emotional/behavioral/spiritual stress symptoms may include but are not limited to:

1. A lack of concentration
2. Anger
3. Irritability
4. Insomnia / sleep disorders
5. Nervousness
6. Fear and phobias
7. Eating Disorders 
8. Erratic behavior (ex: crying for no reason)
9. Taking drugs, drinking, illicit sexual activity
10. Feelings of betrayal
11. Feeling ashamed
12. Guilty feelings
13. Loneliness
    

Some physical stress symptoms may include but are not limited to:

1. Upset stomache
2. Unexplained indigestion
3. Headaches, Back aches, neck aches
4. Muscle Spasms
5. Missing monthly menstruation periods (women)
6. Constipation or diarrhea
7. Hyperventilating (shortness of breathe)
8. Skin rash
9. Weight loss (including lack of eating)

While not everyone experiences every one of the stress symptoms mentioned, these are common symptoms for when moderate to severe stress is experienced.  One stress symptom that is quite common but not listed above is overeating (or lack of eating).  I felt it necessary to mention this a separate "emotional" symptom.  The obesity level in the Untied States is steady and rising.  In the fast paced society in which we live coupled with unrealistic ideals, it's a wonder more people are not experiencing emotional eating.....or are they?  Emotional eating is not limited to over eating.  Denying oneself of food is also a very serious problem for people trying to reach unrealistic physical ideals presented in the media.  The media can be a very real source of stress if allowed.

By now, you should be able to recognize that stress is nothing to ignore but it's critical to deal with and manage effectively.  Don't allow yourself to become so overwhelmed or pushed to the point that you are depressed. Such conditions can become life threatening and may even cause irrational thinking and behaviors (ex: suicide). The results of stress can be detrimental to your health. If you are dealing with extreme amounts of stress, the result can be burn out so it's imperative to get help by way of learning relaxation techniques, aromatherapy, employing personal massage or seeking professional help if necessary.

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