Stress – 2

Diagnosis of stress
Your GP can diagnose stress on the basis of the symptoms you are experiencing. He will discuss what and how you feel under pressure and look out for these reactions in the form of signs and symptoms of stress. In addition, he would also check on your personal circumstances including your job, family related issues, bereavement, which might indicate towards developing stress. He would also talk about your family history.
The GP might put one through some blood, urine or health examination to rule out existence of any underlying problem or condition.
Treatment of stress
Some people feel that they can deal with the stress themselves and are embarrassed to discuss their feelings and problems with other people or with healthcare or medical professionals.
Realization that one is affected with stress and identification of its causes is the first step towards dealing with it. If stress is interfering with the normal way of leading your life, it is important to discuss your problems and feelings with other people or seek professional help to get your life back on track.
Counselling or talking therapy – if you are stressed out and under extreme pressure you must contact your GP. Counselling is a treatment which involves discussing the whole gamut of triggers responsible to put you through stress. The counsellor will build confidence in you so you can speak out your feelings. They will help to chalk out solutions and identify options to deal with your stress and its impact.
Medication – if stress is leading to extreme depression and anxiety, the GP may recommend medicines to treat these symptoms. These include antidepressants which influence the neurotransmitters in the brain. In a state of depression, the neurotransmitters fail to function normally and at the right level, so the brain signals are not transmitted properly. Antidepressants enhance the functioning of neurotransmitters so brain signals regain their normalcy and the mood stabilizes. The symptoms of anxiety can be treated with medications like beta blockers, some forms of antidepressants, sedatives to have a calming effect and antihistamines to have a relaxing effect on brain.
Stress management – the GP may also advice a variety of stress management methods which can be observed when one feels stressed out. The fundamental of stress management is to control the triggers which cause stress and further progress into health conditions. If stress causes anger, one can practice techniques like CBT or cognitive behaviour therapy, talking therapy or counselling or specific anger management.
You can get in touch with certain support groups which are fashioned to aid people in identifying and overcoming stress.
Complications of stress
Prolonged stress can lead to health conditions which include:
Hypertension or high blood pressure
Hyperthyroidism or over-activity of thyroid gland
Anxiety
Lack of sleep
Asthma
Depression
Rheumatoid arthritis
Ulcers in stomach and duodenum
These health conditions can further progress into major medical problems, for an example, hypertension increases risk of heart attack and stroke.