What is Stress ?

Stress is a state of mind that takes place naturally as a response or a reaction when there is a stressor present. The stressor can be anything out of these a demand, a challenge or task or may be an assumed or perceived threat.
It happens when a person is under immense pressure to do something or to deal with any present stressor. It can disturb the person physically, mentally and emotionally. It can be a short term stress or a long term stress as well.

Symptoms of Stress:

Stress can be identified in multiple forms, it can be Emotional symptoms, Physical Symptoms, Mental symptoms, Behavioral Symptoms, as listed below.

Emotional symptoms:

• Noticeable Mood swings
• Evident irritability in a persons state of mind
• Dysregulation of emotional display
• Restlessness and anxiety can be prominently visible under a stressful situation.

Physical Symptoms:

• Inflammation in body due to lack of sleep
• Unpredictable Headache and Nausea
• Churning of stomach as a painful feeling
• Dysregulation of apetite

Mental or Cognitive symptoms:

• Poor concentration and focus
• Low memory retention capacity
• Lack of solution driven thoughts and more of problem driven thoughts
• Overthinking about small issues.

Behavioral Symptoms:

• Social isolation or withdrawal
• Disinterest in doing any activity
• Avoiding any ownership work
• Creating distance from family and lack of sharing

Stress can lead to either Anxiety or depression in long run. It can also be addressed as burn out or mental disturbances

Who can have Stress?

Anyone can have stress Adults, Young adults, teens, older people. Stress is a natural human response to a stressor that is obstructing the decision making capacity of a person into any situation. The level of Stress handled or the coping mechanism used differs from person to person.

Can Stress happen along with any other disorder?

The most common outcome of having too much stress and failing to cope with it, is Depression or Anxiety. Prolonged and out of capacity of stress can lead to the disorders like Depression and Anxiety.
To cope with it try to point the Triggers first then try to analyse how to take the help of a counselor.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety can be defined as excessive and persistent worrying about the outcome or the result of any situation which can be a continuous process till the result is out for any situation.
It is also seen as perceived fear of something going wrong (Being on the Edge) or something going out of the plan about real or imagined situations. It is a natural response to stress or some uncertainty, but what matters is the amount of the anxiety in which the person regulates it to complete a task. If it is in small amount it keeps you motivated. And it also differs from person to person.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of Anxiety are noticeable physically, mentally, emotionally and behaviorally.

Emotional Symptoms:

• Nervousness and worrying
• Disorganised and restless thought process
• Impulsive thoughts
• False sense of danger

Physical Symptoms:

• Palpitation and high pacing heart beat
• Shortness of breath and suffocation
• Sweaty Palms and Feet
• Tensioning of muscles.

Mental or Cognitive Symptoms:

• Overthinking
• Imagining the worst Case Scenarios
• Lack of focus and concentration
• Distortion in receiving the information

Behavioral Symptoms:

• Impulsive Decision making
• Choosing distraction over solution
• Running away from the problem
• Seeking constant reassurance for no concrete reason

The Severity and Frequency of these symptoms decide whether it is a disorder or a condition to combat some issue.
If the Frequency is more and it is prolonged then it can be diagnosed and understood as a disorder.

Who can have Anxiety?

Anxiety can happen to anybody irrespective of any age range or gender. Starting from Adults, Young Adults, Children, old age people.

Can Anxiety happen along with any other disorder?

The mental capacity decides what Level of Anxiety is manageable. If it exceeds the capacity it may lead to disorders like Borderline Disorder and OCD etc.
To cope with it one should regularly try to give reality check to themselves and connect with a counselor for help if they are not able to manage it.

What is Depression?

Depression is usually a period characterized by feeling low, worthless, and the lack of motivation for simple things like waking up, or in activities once enjoyed.

Symptoms of Depression

• Feeling low or worthless for most of the day, especially in the mornings or late at night
• Feeling pessimistic or hopeless
• Perpetual fatigue or lack of energy
• Impaired concentration, indecisiveness
• Frequent insomnia (an inability to sleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping)
• Decreased interest in everyday activities
• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide (not just fearing death)
• Significant weight loss or weight gain

Who is affected?

Depression can affect not just adults, but teens and sometimes even younger children.

How is depression different from sadness?

• Unlike grief, a state of dejection, despondence or worthlessness must last for at least two weeks or more to be diagnosed as depression.
• Accompanied by a loss of self-esteem, depression also results in a marked change in eating and sleeping habits.
• In more severe cases, a depressive mood could lead to suicidal or self-harming thoughts.

Can depression happen with other illnesses/disorders?

• On several occasions, depression can occur along with anxiety disorders, or seasonal affective disorder among others, or more severe illnesses such as bipolar disorder.
• Depression along with associated illnesses can take a while to be fully treated, but a person who has been through a depressive phase at least once is more likely to suffer a relapse at some point in their life.

To cope with it you can always keep a check of your everyday routine and tasks at hand. If the symptoms persist for a longer time then they can connect with the counselor for help.