( Health & Wellness )
HOW TO RECOGNISE STRESS
DR DINGLE
Dr Dingle provides this guide to identifying stress .
any of us do not realise that we
M are stressed or how much we
are stressed . There are a variety of ways that stress can be observed . For example , someone who is experiencing high levels of stress may become depressed , accident prone or argumentative . They may have difficulty making routine decisions , or they may be easily distracted .
Following are a list of common signs and symptoms directly related to stress .
Physiological symptoms
• Deteriorating health
• High blood pressure
• Elevated blood sugar levels , Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome
• Sleep problems
• Weight gain
• Frequent days off work
• Low energy levels and fatigue
• Increased heart and breathing rates
• Migraines and headaches
• Skin can also show reddening , blushing , eczema , psoriasis and increased sweating
• Muscle stiffness , soreness and aches
• Short term “ butterflies ” in stomach , or feeling of nausea .
• Poor digestion
• Irregular bowel movements ( should be once or twice every day , at approximately the same time each day )
• Appetite suppression or overeating
• Reproductive abnormalities , decreased testosterone and erectile dysfunction , irregular or loss of menstrual cycle in women and loss of libido
• Frequent illness
• Frequent colds and flu and other infectious disease .
Psychological symptoms
• Job-related dissatisfaction
• Tension
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Boredom
• Procrastination
• Changing moods
• Negative or depressive feelings
• Disappointment in self
• Increased emotional reactions – more tearful , sensitive or aggressive
• Loneliness or withdrawn
• Loss of motivation commitment and confidence
• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Anger and rage
• Fear
• Panic
• Not happy and lack fun in your life
• Addictions .
Mental symptoms include :
• Confusion and indecision
• Inability to concentrate
• Memory loss
• Poor mental focus and concentration
• Foggy mind
• Feel busy / not enough time
Behavioural symptoms
• Self prescription
• Frequent alcohol
• Smoking
• Coffee in the morning or to stay awake
• Daily confectionary and chocolate
• Daily soft drinks
• Daily cakes and pastries
• Excessive television watching .
• If some of these symptoms resonated for you then like it or not , you are probably stressed ( note : denial is the worst disease because it stops you from taking real action ).
Unfortunately , to treat stress modern society often treats the related health problems so we use ulcer medications , hypertension treatments , tranquilisers , sleeping pills and antidepressants , or self medicate with cigarettes , alcohol and drugs rather than address the factors that are out of balance in our wellness potential .
In a state of total wellness you can eliminate the perception of chronic stress that pervades your life and have the resilience to deal with any shortterm stress . In a state of total wellness you do not have all the dysfunction and disease states mentioned above but are healthy , enjoy what you do and feel in control of your life .
YOU CAN FOLLOW DR DINGLE VIA : Web : drdingle . com Facebook : drpeterdingle Twitter : @ drdingle Instagram : @ drpeterdingle
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! MAGAZINE ( OCTOBER 2016 ) 17