Dealing with stress

Health and Nutrition > Diseases > S Written by Christine Webber, psychotherapist and lifecoach and Dr David Delvin, GP and counsellor



It has been said that the last 100 years have been the most stressful mankind has encountered. So almost inevitably, you are bound to be exposed to a certain amount of stress at times.

Not all stress is bad. Scientists now believe that a moderate amount of stress helps you prepare for the challenges you'll encounter during the day.

In September 2005 a Danish research group reported in the British Medical Journal that women who were under a certain amount of daily stress were less likely to get breast cancer.

But it is important to learn to control stress so it doesn't control you.

Spotting the signs of stress

Stress is a sign that we need to look more closely at our lives. Like pain, stress should also be viewed as a warning.

If you are extremely tense and anxious, you should try to establish why. It might be your job, your parents or your relationship. Whatever it is, the chances are your stressful feelings are telling you to make changes.

Learning how to manage stress will only do half of the job if you don't try to sort out its source. You'll be doing the mental equivalent of sticking a Band-Aid over a boil that is infected.

There is a limit to the amount of stress we can take. If we don't learn to control stress, we are liable to get a whole host of physical and mental problems - and sometimes even break down.

Symptoms of stress

Stress manifests itself in many different ways - there are literally hundreds of symptoms. If you feel stressed, you'll certainly have some of the following.

- Dry mouth.
- Clammy hands.
- Racing heart.
- Feeling 'tight', like an over-wound clock.
- Constant tiredness.
- Migraine.
- Bowel problems.
- Eating disorders.
- Period pains.
- Indigestion.
- Frequent minor respiratory troubles.
- Loss of libido.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Skin complaints.
- Dizziness.
- Tearfulness.
- Insomnia.