The Emotional and Physical Symptoms of Stress

Stress can have a direct effect on every part of a person's life. Stress first can commonly be seen as having a significant affect on a person's emotions and feelings.

Some of the initial signs of stress are:

Nerves

Stress can make a person nervous and anxious. Stress can make a person feel like their on the edge and ready to have a mental breakdown.

Distract

Stress can keep a person from being able to concentrate on things such as their job or responsibilities.

Worry

Stress can cause a person to excessively worry about things, which can lead to more feelings of stress.

Stress can then affect a person's presence, the appearance that others may begin to notice:

Easily Distracted

Chronic stress can cause a person to show significant inability to focus, people under significant stress are usually seen as overly anxious and easily unable to stay on task.

Irritable

Chronic stress evokes nervousness and overtime can cause agitation or a person being easily provoked.

Self Involved

Chronic stress in a person can be seen as them being self absorbed or self involved. Many people get so involved with their problems and distracted that it can easily be seen by others such as co-workers, friends and family. Many sufferers of stress pull away from activities they normally would enjoy and may pull away from social contact with others.

When a person's stress level increases, or if it becomes chronic over an extended length of time, a person may see more severe physical or emotional symptoms. Severe signs of chronic stress are:

Excessive tiredness or fatigue.

Chronic headaches

Chronic abdominal issues such as irritable bowel, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, stomach cramps or gastroesophageal distress.

Anger or fits of rage

Severe depression or suicide

Palpitations, chest discomfort

Restlessness, anxiousness, tremors

Dizziness or unsteadiness, flushing or temperature changes

Sensations of choking, hyperventilation, inability to swallow normally.

Stress symptoms can range from everything from minor to severe. However if stress symptoms increase, become chronic in nature a person should seek medical attention immediately.

Stress in minor stages can be treated by allowing some down time to unwind, hobbies such as reading, painting, etc can help distract a person from their day to day stress issues. However when a person is suffering from chronic stress simple techniques to relieve stress may not be enough. Chronic stress sufferers can be helped by seeking medical attention, after all there are many prescription medications that can help people suffering from chronic stress.

References for this article include:

www.stress.org
kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/stress.html
www.medicinenet.com/stress/article.htm