What Is Stress?
Stress leaves us feeling overloaded and struggling to cope. It is our psychological reactions to situations based on our thinking, beliefs, and previous experiences. Although stress begins with our thoughts and perceptions, it’s primarily a physical response to when the body feels it is under attack. Many people live under stressful conditions, and sometimes stress can be a good thing because it provides us with the energy and motivation needed to create change. However, chronic stress on a daily basis can lead to multiple psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, anger, and irritability, which can result in a variety of negative physical health issues such as headaches, back pain, suspended digestion, and blood pressure issues. Chronic stress can kill us by means of suicide, violence, heart attack, stroke, and possibly cancer. People wear down to a final, fatal breakdown because physical and mental resources are depleted. The symptoms of chronic stress are difficult to treat and may require extended medical as well as behavioral treatment and stress management (APA, 2019).
Anxiety
Anxiety is a general term that is linked to stress and encompasses a wide range of disorders. Anxiety can be experienced differently depending on the individual, but it often results in worry, fear, nervousness, and apprehension. Anxiety is one of the most common emotional disorders and often co-exists with other psychological disorders such as depression.
Mild anxiety is uncomfortable, while severe anxiety can be crippling. If your feelings of anxiety are extreme or interfere with daily living and last longer than six months, you could have an anxiety disorder (Healthline, 2018).
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):
There is no one single cause of GAD. It is often a combination of various factors such as a genetic predisposition, life experiences, social and cultural background, long term stress related to work responsibilities, dissatisfying relationships, and unhealthy habits. GAD is defined as having excessive anxiety and worry (apprehension) occurring more days than not for at least six months. It can greatly impact our social, work, or school performance. GAD is characterized by edginess, fatigue, inability to concentrate, irritability, physical tension, heart palpations, and digestion issues. Often a person with GAD will experience difficulty sleeping due to excessive worry.
Social Anxiety: (Social Phobia)
SAD is the third largest mental health care issue in the world today. It is characterized by a persistent, intense fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. It is the fear of being judged and evaluated by others. It is a pervasive disorder that affects an individual’s social, personal and professional life. People with SAD can be shy and withdrawn but often long for social connection and relationships. SAD is chronic, meaning it does not go away on its own (Social Anxiety Association, 2018).
Panic Disorders: (PD)
A panic disorder is defined in the DSM as experiencing recurrent, ongoing panic attacks. A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense discomfort that reaches its peak within minutes. It can occur in a calm or relaxed state and often encompasses some of the following symptoms: choking, chest pain, light headedness, numbness, heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, and/or the sensation of shortness of breath or smothering. Because these symptoms are similar to serious health complications it is easy for a person to fear that they are experiencing a heart attack. Panic attacks are extremely unpleasant and frightening for the person experiencing them, so often they will use avoidance as a way of coping.
Obsessive Personality Disorder: (OCPD)
OCPD is a rigid personality style that is has a high correlation with anxiety disorders and OCD. Often OCPD is likened to “type A” personality characteristics. OCPD is marked by a person’s preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and interpersonal and mental control. The OCPD personality style often entails extreme adherence to details, rules, lists, and schedules. Many people with OCPD are perfectionistic to the point that it interferes with task completion and time management. They are often obsessively devoted to work and productivity at the cost of their relationships. They also tend to be incredibly rigid, unable to delegate work and inflexible on matters of morality, ethics, or values. People with OCPD appear stiff in social situations, they often have difficulty in expressing their emotions and feel uncomfortable with people who are emotionally expressive.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders: (OCD)
OCD is a disorder that causes repeated unwanted thoughts or sensations (obsessions) or the urge to do something over and over again (compulsions) to relieve tension or anxiety. Compulsive behaviors could include the need to line objects in a particular order and feel distress when they are moved, or the need to buy certain items or binge eat. Additionally, the person may feel compelled to count, repeat phrases, do excessive cleaning, continually check that the door is locked and appliances are off, etc. Many people without OCD can experience distressing thoughts or repetitive behaviors; however, they do not interfere with that person’s daily life.
Depression:
Depressive symptoms can be complex and vary amongst people. Depression’s key characteristics are continuous low mood, a feeling of hopelessness, low self-esteem, and guilt. A person might report feeling tearful, with little motivation or interest in the activities they once enjoyed. Depression can be expressed through irritability and intolerance of others or difficulty making decisions or even thoughts of self-harm or wanting to die. Physical signs of depression are often exhibited through slow movements, lack of energy, low sex drive, changes in weight, physical pain, and disturbed sleep. Depression affects all areas of life from relationships to work and hobbies.
Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD/ ADD)
ADHD is a developmental disorder seen in children, but in adulthood it is more difficult to define. Symptoms of ADHD are normally categorized into two main types of behavioral problems. Inattentiveness, which is distinguished by difficulty focusing and paying attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness, which is more recognizable through behaviors.
Many adults with ADHD exhibit inattentive issues and often have problems with concentration, carelessness, time management, focus, prioritizing, and completing tasks. Often an adult with ADHD will lose things, be forgetful, have difficulty with speaking out of turn and interrupting others, and often that person can appear to be impatient as well as to have a low tolerance for stress. ADHD in adulthood can occur alongside several other conditions, the most common being depression, personality, and obsessive-compulsive disorders (NHS.UK, 2021).
