Stress Treatment

Stress is an internal response to stimuli or pressures that challenge an organism's ability to adapt or cope, disrupting homeostasis (internal balance). Stress may be mental, physiological, anatomical or physical. Stressful stimuli, also known as stressors, range from chemical agents to medical illnesses to a hectic lifestyle. Psychologically, the level of stress can depend on the emotional or cognitive appraisal that a person makes of a situation and of themselves. Stress typically involves activation of the fight-or-flight response. Common neurochemical, hormonal and physiological changes have been elucidated.

Stress can be seen as a positive phenomena, an evolved adaptive response that can activate internal resources to help overcome challenges and achieve realistic goals. However, chronic stress may develop if stressors are excessive and unavoidable and too many demands are placed on an organism's internal resources. There are also individual differences in sensitivity to stressors and the propensity to the stress response. Severe or chronic stress has been linked to states of exhaustion and correlated with a greater incidence of health conditions and problems with functioning.

The exact role of stress in causing illnesses isn't known. However, it's clear that stress can temporarily weaken the immune system. And put under too much stress, the body becomes exhausted.

If you are stressed, you may also be more exposed to risk factors for diseases. For example, smokers may smoke more if they are stressed, and people who drink alcohol to relieve stress may become dependent on it. In the long term this will push up your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, and of developing certain cancers. Overall, if you are under long-term stress you are at greater risk of developing disease or dying prematurely.

Many things (or the anticipation of them) can lead to stress. These include:

• pressure to perform at work or at school
  
• threats of physical violence
  
• money worries
  
• arguments
  
• family conflicts
  
• divorce
  
• bereavement
  
• unemployment
  
• moving house
  
• marriage
  

Often there is no particular reason for developing stress, and it's caused by a build-up of a number of small things.

Stress can be caused by a range of common situations. However, people have very different responses to stress. For some people, stress can be useful, helping motivate them to achieve more. In others, particularly if it goes on for a long period of time, it causes a sense of not being able to cope.

It's important to differentiate between temporary stress that you know will go away when a situation is resolved, and long-term or chronic stress. Most people can cope with short periods of stress. Chronic (long-term or continuous) stress is much harder to deal with, and can be psychologically and emotionally damaging, both for you and your friends and family.

When you find yourself feeling the bad effects of stress, you need to take action immediately. The sooner you begin the process of treatment, the easier it will be and the quicker you will be back to your normal state. The treatment of your stress will vary greatly depending on the types of symptoms you are experiencing and how severe they are.

Most prescription antidepressants have a long list of potential side effects: everything from nausea to reduced sexual functioning. Even when they help, they may at the same time increase some forms of stress because their side effects make you uncomfortable or discouraged. There is evidence now that certain prescription drugs at times actually have led to dangerous results: for example, Xanax has produced effects of addiction in some patients, including increasing tolerance by the body (meaning that more and more is needed to produce an effect) and withdrawal symptoms. There are recent studies showing that Prozac has increased the risk of suicide in younger people.

We recommend you find a natural product that effectively addresses the diverse and debilitating symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.