Causes and Symptoms

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What's stressing YOU out? Causes of short term stress

Stress is not only caused by a sudden shock to the system, such as that near accident on the freeway. Other, less obvious problems can also cause the stress response. These include noise and crowding, isolation, hunger, infection, real or imagined danger, or the memory of a real or imagined threat or dangerous event.

In most people, once the threat has passed, their levels of stress hormones return to normal, a condition called the "relaxation response."

Causes of chronic stress

Chronic stress is usually caused by ongoing stressful situations where the urge to fight or flee must be suppressed. The most common causes are high-pressure occupations or stressful work situations, and long-term relationship problems. Less obvious symptoms include loneliness, persistent financial worries and ongoing stress following a traumatic event (such as being a victim of crime or involved in an accident).

For many of us, these problems tend to peak during the holidays and to become cumulative. For example, those in high stress jobs may need to work longer hours in the holiday season leading to additional problems with a relationship.

While short-term stress can be dangerous to some, it is chronic long-term stress that causes the most health problems. The first step is to recognize the symptoms of long-term stress.

Symptoms of long term stress

• Fatigue
• Disrupted sleep patterns (sleeping too much or too little)
• Irritability
• Anxiety or depression
• Headache, backache, chest pain or muscle spasms
• Change in appetite (either eating too much or too little)
• Poor concentration or problems with memory
• Hypercritical or negative attitude
• Shortness of breath, faintness or dizziness

If you've experienced any of these in the last month, you may want to consider some stress reduction techniques or consultant your physician.

Since depression can be both caused and aggravated by stress, the holidays are an important time to recognize the dangers of depression and the need to treat it.