April is Stress Awareness Month. Stress Awareness Month focuses on increasing public awareness of stress. The month usually includes discussing common causes and effects of stress as well as relevant coping mechanisms. Everyone has been a victim of stress no matter what lifestyle they live or person they are. The type of stress a person deals with can vary from person to person.
There are three common types of stress that people can feel in their lifetime.
- Acute stress – The most common type of stress and can be sometimes thought of as “helpful stress.” It is usually negative thinking in reaction to unexpected events or challenges. Moderate acute stress tends to not cause health problems.
- Episodic acute stress – This happens when a person experiences acute stress frequently. People who experience episodic acute stress will feel pressured and think that their life is chaotic. People with episodic stress seem irritable, hostile, and have trouble with relationships. It also opens the door to various health issues, the most notable being high blood pressure and heart disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Chronic stress – The most harmful type of stress and is usually the result of long-term emotion pressure. Some examples would include long term poverty, stressful job, and dysfunctional family issues. People with chronic stress are more prone to have a long list of health issues. It could also lead physical and mental breakdowns that can lead to suicide, violent actions, homicide, psychosis, heart attacks, and strokes.
Stress is a common part of life that we all deal with and some have it worse than others. Here are some common coping methods you can do to help deal with stress.
- Exercise
- Spend time with friends and family
- Meditation
- Laugh More
If you start having medical issues due to stress, reach out to one of our physicians to schedule an appointment or for more information. Check out our directory for a list of our experienced providers.
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