Stress is such a constant part of daily life that it’s often easy to ignore. But if you don’t deal with ongoing stress, it has a real and serious effect on your mental and physical health. At Sage Mental Wellness, Audra Worthington, MSN, PMHNP-BC, and Tammy Lewis, PMHNP-BC, offer stress management that teaches you to cope and break the grip stress has on your life. To schedule an in-person or telemedicine appointment, call the office in Hagerstown or Frederick, Maryland, or book online today.
Stress refers to the mental, emotional, and physical reactions that occur when combatting any type of pressure or threat. Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress. However, you can feel anxious even if you don’t face a current threat.
Stress often comes from the world around you, such as:
Stressors can also come from inside your body. For example, strong emotions and an illness cause stress that has the same impact as environmental stressors.
Acute stress arises suddenly and is temporary. You may face a new or challenging situation, like the first day on a new job. As a result, you have an incredible amount of stress that disappears as soon as your first day ends.
Chronic stress refers to long-lasting (and often indefinite) stress. This type occurs daily. You may have relationship or work troubles, or you could have ongoing stress caused by a mental health disorder like depression or anxiety.
Every time you’re stressed, your body sends out a surge of hormones that prepare you to deal with the situation. The hormones work by tensing your muscles and raising your heart rate and blood sugar.
After your stress goes away, your hormone levels go back to normal. Problems arise when you have chronic stress. Constantly feeling stressed means your stress hormones stay elevated, and that causes serious issues such as:
Stress management prevents these complications.
The Sage Mental Wellness team learns about your stress triggers and circumstances. They also ask about your emotional and physical responses when you feel stressed. Then they complete a psychiatric evaluation if your symptoms suggest a mental health concern like anxiety or depression.
Your provider creates a treatment plan for any underlying conditions and your stress. Stress management uses various techniques to help you learn to cope with and reduce your stress.
Stress management often includes:
When stress becomes a frequent problem, it’s time to seek help from Sage Mental Wellness. Call or book an appointment online today.