FREE 30 minute telephone session
Dealing With Stress counselling
Stress is nicknamed the silent killer! it is rare that people are aware of the amount of stress they are under.
Almost everyone experiences stress from time to time and, while a small amount of stress can motivate us, too much or prolonged stress can be damaging to both our physical and mental health. For some people, stress causes them to adopt unhealthy coping methods such as smoking or drinking – and while this may feel like a quick fix, ultimately these are only covering the issue.
Here, we’ll look at what stress is, its causes, symptoms, and how counselling can help.
Stress is an innate reaction resulting from our caveman days. Humans had to deal with threatening situations, which caused our brains to release a range of ‘stress chemicals’ such as cortisol and adrenaline to provoke what is known as the fight-or-flight reaction. The fight reaction would give us a burst of energy, ready to fight for our lives, while the flight reaction would encourage us to flee from danger and protect ourselves. These days, we rarely encounter threatening situations, however, our brains continue to react in this way when we are under pressure.
Stress typically begins as pressure – from ourselves or others – and if we are unable to cope with this pressure, we feel stressed. The effects of stress will differ from person to person but, if left untreated, it can lead to illness.
When we experience pressure without an option for fight-or-flight, the stress chemicals can build up and affect our immune system and blood pressure. Over time, this build-up of stress can affect our mental health, too, leading to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
