Where do stress and anxiety fit in?

You probably know what it’s like when you are feeling really stressed out:

your heart pounds
you get hot and sweaty
you get butterflies in your stomach
you feel really tense
it becomes harder to concentrate on one thing
you become irritable
you forget things more often than you would normally

Stress is part of all of our lives: bills to pay; assignments to get done; work to keep up with; friends to see; family to visit. Juggling all of this can be quite stressful. Stress is a very normal reaction to what’s going on in our lives. And it’s not all bad. Sometimes we need a little bit of pressure to give us a push to achieve something, or to get some of those jobs ticked off our to-do list. The key is that while you may feel stressed about something in particular, once you have finished it or achieved it, you won’t feel stressed anymore and you can get on with enjoying life.

But being over stressed can affect our ability to cope with life and it can be totally overwhelming. We often talk about burnout - stress can lead to a range of health problems. It can affect you physically by causing headaches, migraines, stomach problems and high-blood pressure. It can also lead to emotional health problems such as anxiety disorders and feelings of panic. Anxiety disorder can be like living your whole life in a high state of stress, so that even small problems feel like major issues. People who experience panic attacks can suddenly, and sometimes without knowing why, be overcome with feelings of absolute terror. Both anxiety and panic can really disrupt your life. It can feel difficult to control what is happening; why it is happening; and when it might occur.

There is a well-known link between anxiety-related illness and depression. The lack of control associated with anxiety might make you more prone to developing depression. And people with depression can also develop anxiety related illness because of the hopelessness they feel with their lives. Like with depression if you feel that your stress is becoming harder to manage and that you aren’t coping with everything going on in your life, then it is important to talk to someone and see if there are things you can do to sort it out. Ignoring it won’t make it go away. The tips on the Getting help page are a good place to start.

Becoming a problem:

Got a lot on..Deadlines looming..feeling stressed..not sure you'll get it all done in time.. feeling tense.. not coping..avoiding stuff.. feeling panicky and anxious..feeling alone

You're not alone. It’s important to talk about it.

Brought to you by Depression Alliance Scotland.
About Us | Can you really say 'crap'? | Funders | Contact Us

Where do stress and anxiety fit in?
You probably know what it’s like when you are feeling really stressed out: your heart pounds you get hot and sweaty you get butterflies in your stomach you feel really tense it becomes harder to concentrate on one thing you become irritable you forget things more often than you would normally Stress is part of all of our lives: bills to pay; assignments to get done; work to keep up with; friends to see; family to visit. Juggling all of this can be quite stressful. Stress is a very normal reaction to what’s going on in our lives. And it’s not all bad. Sometimes we need a little bit of pressure to give us a push to achieve something, or to get some of those jobs ticked off our to-do list. The key is that while you may feel stressed about something in particular, once you have finished it or achieved it, you won’t feel stressed anymore and you can get on with enjoying life. But being over stressed can affect our ability to cope with life and it can be totally overwhelming. We often talk about burnout - stress can lead to a range of health problems. It can affect you physically by causing headaches, migraines, stomach problems and high-blood pressure. It can also lead to emotional health problems such as anxiety disorders and feelings of panic. Anxiety disorder can be like living your whole life in a high state of stress, so that even small problems feel like major issues. People who experience panic attacks can suddenly, and sometimes without knowing why, be overcome with feelings of absolute terror. Both anxiety and panic can really disrupt your life. It can feel difficult to control what is happening; why it is happening; and when it might occur. There is a well-known link between anxiety-related illness and depression. The lack of control associated with anxiety might make you more prone to developing depression. And people with depression can also develop anxiety related illness because of the hopelessness they feel with their lives. Like with depression if you feel that your stress is becoming harder to manage and that you aren’t coping with everything going on in your life, then it is important to talk to someone and see if there are things you can do to sort it out. Ignoring it won’t make it go away. The tips on the Getting help page are a good place to start.	Becoming a problem: You're not alone. It’s important to talk about it.
Brought to you by Depression Alliance Scotland. About Us \| Can you really say 'crap'? \| Funders \| Contact Us
Copyright: DAS, 2008. Last updated: 16/6/08