"Tension is who you think you should
be; Relaxation is who you are."
-- Chinese Proverb
Definitions
Stress is difficult to define, but everyone seems to know exactly what it means. It is a common word that is used to describe all of the different pressures you experience in life. It's that feeling of tension, uneasiness, worry, doubt, and depression.
Stress also refers to the circumstances in your life that put demands on you, such as:
• social problems: money, exams, arguments
• environmental problems: traffic, noise, hot weather
• physiological problems: illness, poor nutrition, lack of sleep
• negative thinking: "I have too much work; I hate my job;
Why me?"
Not all stress is bad. Mild to moderate levels of stress can be helpful to:
• signal that a change has occurred and something needs to be done
• create or generate ideas on how to adjust to the change
• give you energy to put your ideas into action and carry out the solutions.
Anxiety usually refers to Anxiety Disorders or when stress is bad for you.
Anxiety can be:
chronic: you are under stress for several months or years or have many little stressors that occur one after another.
extreme: your reaction is intense resulting in panic attacks or getting physically sick.
debilitating: your ability to work declines, your relationships suffer, and your physical health worsens.
Chronic, extreme, and debilitating stress can lead to a run down feeling or burnout. This occurs when you have almost completely exhausted yourself. It's very hard to keep pushing and you no longer enjoy how you're living.
Panic Attacks are very scary, but the good news is that panic symptoms will not harm you. A panic attack is a sudden burst of intense fear or worry that something really horrible is about to happen. Often, there is a strong need to leave or escape the situation. A number of physical sensations and ways of thinking may accompany a panic attack:
Physical Sensations
• rapid heartbeat or heart pounding
• trouble catching your breath
• sweating or getting chills
• feeling unsteady or shaky
Thoughts
• an intense desire to run away or escape from the situation
• fear of going crazy or doing something uncontrollable
• being afraid that you could die
• having the perception that things aren't real
Each person's experience of a panic attack is unique, but by definition will include some combination of these symptoms. An episode of panic usually comes on rather suddenly and reaches it peak within 10 minutes. The sensations may linger for much longer. Eventually the body starts to readjust itself and the sensations gradually fade. Unlike a serious medical problem, a panic attack cannot cause you physical injury or harm.
Panic symptoms can be associated with all forms of stress and anxiety. Ordinary events, such as driving on L.A. freeways, meeting job deadlines, and relationship problems often bring on the same physical sensations experienced during a panic attack. Although, usually to a lesser degree.
Severe panic attacks most often occur in the following psychological presentations: Panic Disorder, Simple Phobias, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
For more detailed information on specific Anxiety Disorders, please visit the Anxiety Disorder Association of America at www.ADAA.org.
Depression can be best understood as a kind of sad feeling that lingers from day to day for at least two weeks. There is usually a handful of experiences that accompany this sad feeling, such as:
• too much or too little sleep
• being tired all of the time
• loss of interest in activities or people that you used to enjoy
• low confidence; feeling worthless
• trouble concentrating or making decisions
• feeling very hungry or having no appetite at all with changes
in weight
• hopelessness and thoughts of death or dying (in serious cases)
Just like with stress and anxiety, one size does not fit all. Depression is a complex set of human emotions and behaviors that can range from mild to severe and occur for a variety of reasons.
** The above information has been included in this website to offer a description of stress, anxiety, and depression. None of this information should be used to diagnose any kind of psychological condition on your own. If you have questions about what you've read and would like a consultation with me, please contact me directly at 818-687-0435.
FREE & Confidential
20 min. Consultation over the Phone
call today
(818) 687-0435