Typical Symptoms include :-
Feeling touchy, on edge
or irritable.
Being easily startled.
Difficulty concentrating and the mind going blank.
Restlessness and sleep disorders.
Becoming easily tired.
Extremes of emotion - elation or depression for example.
Changes in habits.
Impaired judgement and decision making.
Lowered self-esteem.
Loss of interest in self and environment.
Increased use of tobacco, alcohol or drugs.
Change in eating patterns - overeating or not eating enough.
Muscle tension or soreness - particularly to the neck and shoulders, lower
jaw and thighs.
Digestive upsets.
Nausea or vomiting.
Butterflies in the stomach.
Headaches.
General feeling of being run down or not quite 100%.
Palpitations and light or heavy headedness.
Sexual dysfunction.
Eczema.
Psoriasis.
Asthma.
Ulcers.
When physical causes have been ruled out, any of these could indicate the
presence of stress.
Results of Stress :-
Apart from experiencing
any or all of the above symptoms in the short term, we find an increase in
absenteeism at work coupled with a drop in efficency and a tendency to blame
others for our mistakes or for not finishing jobs. A loss of interest in
socialising or in carrying out jobs at home is often seen. People often feel
guilty about what they see as their laziness and this guilt just adds to
stress.
A few people actually go to the opposite extreme and become
almost manic in their behaviour - everything must be done now and they
become the life and soul of the party in an effort to disguise the way they
are feeling. A few will start to sleep 10, 12, or even 14 or more hours a
night - an escape mechanism. Most have difficulty getting to sleep- which is
then broken repeatedly during the night.
Our extra alertness is fine for a while but continued
hypersensitivity can cause tension headaches, even migraines. Because we are
very aware, we may become over-sensitive to people around us - we over-react
to things and situations.
We interpret questions or efforts to help as criticism and
get very upset by it or we interpret a silence as someone being upset or
annoyed with us. All this creates more tension in us, thus heightening the
stress response. It becomes a vicious circle. We may find all kinds of
quirks and problems developing. Stress brings any hidden neuroses to the
surface.
This does not include the increased risk of accidents due to
tiredness, impaired judgement and decision-making and problems expanding the
vicious circle. The general sense of being run down often includes skin
disorders like eczema and psoriasis as well as asthma. These conditions have
been known to appear as well as to become more severe when under stress.
In the longer term the physic chemistry of the stress
response has very serious implications. The increased heart-rate, coupled
with cholesterol in the bloodstream and the general thickening of the blood
along with the shut down of peripheral circulation, has serious implications
for long-term raised blood pressure and heart disorders. Examples being
angina and arteriosclerosis as well as an increased risk of heart attack.
Smoking exaggerates stress, High Blood pressure, increased heart rate,
increased respiration, 3 symptoms of stress and smoking, it makes stress
worse
Digestive upsets can lead to ailments like ulcers and
irritable bowel syndrome. Elevated levels of cortisone in the blood depress
the body's immune response, making us far more likely to contract any
passing virus or bacterium, as well as taking far longer to recover from
illnesses. This has been implicated in a range of cancers and terminal
illnesses, like multiple sclerosis as well as Alzheimer's disease.
Tension in the neck and shoulders has lead to slipped discs
and other spinal problems. Muscle tension and spasms can cause damage to
those muscles if allowed to continue.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of stress symptoms and effects. Many
more symptoms and effects may be seen.