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How do you know if you're affected by stress?

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    How do you know if you're affected by stress?

    I'm not the kind of person who believes that stress can physically affect them. In fact, I've always thought I handle stressful situations well and can strive in them.

    However, over the past year or so I actually think my health has suffered. Chest pains (not heart related), feeling dazed all the time, tiredness, malaise etc etc.

    How do I know if it's down to stress, or a symptom of another problem?

    #2
    Originally posted by ChimpMaster View Post
    I'm not the kind of person who believes that stress can physically affect them. In fact, I've always thought I handle stressful situations well and can strive in them.

    However, over the past year or so I actually think my health has suffered. Chest pains (not heart related), feeling dazed all the time, tiredness, malaise etc etc.

    How do I know if it's down to stress, or a symptom of another problem?
    ARGAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I DONT KNOW! I DONT KNOW!!! TELL ME! TELL ME??????
    What happens in General, stays in General.
    You know what they say about assumptions!

    Comment


      #3
      About 4 years ago I was going through a particularly stressful period in my life and around about the same time I started to get chest pains.

      It would tend to happen at night whilst in bed for no apparent reason.

      I mentioned this to a friend at the time and he immediately advised that it was stress - I didn't believe him as I didn't feel or think I was stressed.

      Anyway, cue several months later when things in my life settled down and the chest pains disappeared as soon as they had appeared.

      So, from that experience, I know stress can manifest itself physically.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by ChimpMaster View Post
        I'm not the kind of person who believes that stress can physically affect them. In fact, I've always thought I handle stressful situations well and can strive in them.

        However, over the past year or so I actually think my health has suffered. Chest pains (not heart related), feeling dazed all the time, tiredness, malaise etc etc.

        How do I know if it's down to stress, or a symptom of another problem?
        I've had this after many years in stressful jobs I found it is was high blood pressure. Now I have pills to control it.

        Comment


          #5
          Increase the area.

          HTH.
          "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
          - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

          Comment


            #6
            I once developed a rash on my back that was itchy, and I mean itchy. So itchy that it was heaven to rub the skin so hard it bled and I once ripped a towel in half. My arms and a bit behind my knees were also itchy, but my back mostly. Anyway once day I decided I'd go to the doc's, knowing it would be a waste of space and time doing so. And sure enough he says it's stress. Wouldn't I know if I'm stressed I asked. No reply.

            Anyway, symptoms subsided slowly over a few months and I figured out what it was some time later. It was my decorating. I've got (or developed) an allergy to something chemical, either in paint or wallpaper paste, because I noticed I have a slight flare-up if I do a lot of decorating without good ventilation.

            Comment


              #7
              Go and ask some council worker or some such pen pusher in a civil service joint. They are always taking paid months off with some excuse of stress/depression etc.
              Vote Corbyn ! Save this country !

              Comment


                #8
                Stress and depression are often linked and are massive areas for discussion. I think to have a proper perspective on it you have to have felt it, particularly depression, to really appreciate what it is and if you had it. A similar example is having Flu. So many people have a cold and cry flu. When they get flu and crawl out of their bed 5 days later they KNOW what flu is.

                Stress can be long or short term. I have never had long term stress I don't think. I did have about of depression brought on by stressful situations but I can say short term stress can manifest itself very physically!! I was short of breath all the time, in a blind panic with tight chest, the minutes at times felt like ours and could organise a piss up in a brewery. Couldn't sleep, developed a temper. Wasn't a pleasant experience at all.

                If stress doesn't manifest it's self physically I would argue you are just going through a bad period or low patch we have and are not clinically stressed. You know, the type that has Friday and Monday of with stress regularly becuase they feel a bit down in the dumps.

                I felt the same as Chimpmaster at one point, especially about depression... These are things for people with no backbone etc etc until I had a bad depressive period many years ago and got in to a right state, couldn't get out or anything. I went to speak to somoene about it and the light of my situation was suddenly turned on and where I was and what I had to do were as plain as the nose on my face...

                I would say to the OP if you are not sure go speak to someone. It is (and was for me) too easy to sit in an ivory tower poo poo'ing everyone that claimed it and got such a bad attitude to it being something for weak people I missed the signs when it hit. Speak to doc or something and they will tell you , show you the documentation and you will help you understand if you or don't have it.

                I think you will be surprised. I was.
                Last edited by northernladuk; 14 April 2010, 12:10.
                'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                Comment


                  #9
                  As I understand it, stress releases certain mystery chemicals into the body which have the effect of thickening the blood, making it more susceptible to clotting, which can cause problems if you already have a physical issue with narrowed arteries - i.e. blocked cardiac artery = heart attack.

                  But there are many factors which can also lead to that - cholesterol, smoking, eating crap, not exercising, and others which they haven't even figured out yet.

                  Stress definitely brings health problems, and people who don't consider themselves to be the type to get stressed still suffer from the effects - even if they always stay cool and sleep well and don't worry about things, the stress is still being channeled somewhere.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Yep, the blues can catch you unawares at times, but they go as quickly as they arrive...
                    "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
                    - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

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