As you spend more time discussing goals and challenges with your Talkspace therapist, you may have questions or are interested in learning more about specific mental health topics and conditions. The Talkspace Bookshelf offers up-to-date mental health information directly from our behavioral health team to provide a better understanding of condition origins, diagnoses, various forms a condition may take, and different treatment options. Feel free to use this resource as a starting point to open up a dialogue and pose questions for your Talkspace therapist.
Stress is a normal condition that affects everyone, to varying degrees. It is the normal physical and emotional response to changes in one’s environment or life events. There are two types of stress: eustress and distress. While people typically consider stress to be a wholly negative experience, it does have some benefits, especially when well-managed and time-limited.
Eustress and Distress
Eustress is a type of stress that we commonly refer to as the “good” stress. It is the kind of stress that motivates the need for more targeted behavioral changes. It is often short-term in duration and may involve upcoming positive changes like a job promotion or wedding, for instance.
Eustress helps us find the motivation to move forward in reaching our goals (such as securing a promotion or getting married). Eustress can help give us that extra push needed to complete the tasks at hand. Typically, this is the type of stress we experience when we feel we are in control of what happens next. We use the heightened energy to move forward powerfully, instead of being crushed by it.
By contrast, distress is what we consider as “bad” stress. For many, distress comes with a very specific feeling of being out of control. When in distress, we may believe that we are not capable of handling the situation that we currently find ourselves in (or will find ourselves in the near future).
Distress often causes a great deal of concern or worry and can exacerbate existing anxious or depressive symptoms. These feelings may be short term (immediate or in the near-immediate future), but distress can also be felt long-term when circumstances feel overwhelming and out of our control for an extended period of time.
Acute Stress versus Long Term Stress
Stress can be experienced acutely (momentary) or on a more long-term basis, which is commonly referred to as chronic stress.
Acute stress is typically thought of as being connected to one particular experience or event. For instance, you feel acutely stressed when you just miss the train on your commute or you have to stop at the gas station before work which makes you 10 minutes late. Acute stress is often incidental and may not point to specific patterns that can, or should, be addressed for healthier living.
Chronic stress, on the other hand, is experienced on an ongoing basis and may include situations that have recurring or periodic consequences that make life more challenging on a day-to-day basis. For example, making less salary than you require to pay for your regular needs can be an example of a chronic stressor (events that cause us to feel stress). Also, dealing with health problems that flare up periodically may cause chronic stress. Additionally, problems with a loved one or a family member may be experienced as chronic stress as well. In those situations, it might be possible to practice good stress management or other skills that will eliminate, or at the least, moderate the negative impact of the stressors on your daily life. This is where treatment for stress comes in handy.
The Effect of Stress on the Body
From acute effects to more long-term reactions, stress can have a profound impact, not only on our mental health, but also on a person’s body overall. The body can react to stress in a variety of ways. There is some research that poorly managed chronic stress can even lead to heart conditions. Below are some common ways in which stress affects the body:
- Shifts in mood such as increased anxiety or depression
- Weight gain
- High blood pressure
- Frequent urination
- Reduced productivity at work or school
- Headaches
- Teeth grinding and other dental and mouth/jaw issues
- Dizziness
- Chest pains
- Rapid pulse or heartbeat
- Panic
- Feeling fatigued or exhausted
This list is not an exhaustive inventory of reactions that we may experience as a result of being exposed to stressors. Given the impact on one’s health, it is imperative to get support that helps reduce overall stress and learn healthier ways to practice self-care.
Treatment
Talk Therapy
Therapy is a great opportunity for discussion of current stressors and ways to work through those concerns. When working with a mental health professional, you may learn wellness self-management skills aimed at promoting your overall sense of health. Stress management may require you to make significant changes to your lifestyle in areas of physical health, work, and your social and familial relationships.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Due to the prevalent nature of stress, your therapist may recommend Cognitive Behavior Therapy as the course of treatment if you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms above. Additionally, he or she may recommend that you meet with a primary care doctor to receive an evaluation on the current physical impact on your health and well-being.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (or CBT) will help you adjust your current behaviors and thought patterns that may be barriers to reducing stress. Treatment may require that you practice skills such as learning to be more assertive in setting personal boundaries with others, scheduling necessary self-care time and breaks, as well as addressing patterns such as procrastination or other behaviors that lead to a loss of productivity.
CBT will help you become aware of the thought patterns that may be inhibiting you from directly dealing with the stress that you face on a day-to-day basis. This may mean addressing negative thought patterns related to self-esteem, criticism, or judgment (“I don’t deserve time off”). CBT may help you address belief systems that prize being “busy” at the expense of self-preservation and wellness.
Additionally, sometimes over-scheduling and spreading one’s self thin may be related to ideas of perfectionism, or the belief that you need to be “perfect.” This can lead to self-defeating behaviors and taking on too much for the sake of achieving perfection. No matter the specific reason for your heightened stress levels, therapy is individualized and will help you find and practice new skills you need to combat stress.
Mindfulness & Meditation
As an adjunct to traditional talk therapy, your therapist may introduce you to mindfulness based strategies to help you cope with stress. Strategies such as mindful breathing and meditation may be recommended additions to your treatment plan.
Lifestyle Changes
As indicated above, while working with a therapist you may find that he or she recommends general lifestyle changes to help you combat and prevent stress from taking over your day-to-day life. Some examples of lifestyle changes may include changes in your diet, ways to improve your sleep, aromatherapy practices, and regular exercise.
Therapeutic Note
Remember your therapist is here to help you figure out the best way to address your concerns. Therapy works best when it is a collaboration between you and your therapist. It is important to be open, honest, and an active participant in this process. Talk to your therapist about your goals for therapy so that together you can come up with the best plan to achieve your goals.
Questions You Might Have For Your Talkspace Therapist
- How is stress different from anxiety?
- How can therapy help me if the stress is from something I cannot control?
- What if I don’t like meditation? Are there other ways to de-stress?
Sources
The American Institute of Stress. (2017, January 04). Stress Effects. Retrieved May 16, 2017