Stress affects your health in a number of ways. Long-term stress can lead to depression, anxiety and many other ailments. Everyone experiences stress like getting lost while driving, forgetting your car keys on your desk at work, etc. These are short lived and can leave us worried and anxious. But these types of stress are basically healthy as they teach us something and help us be more careful. But events like breaking up with a significant other, enduring a divorce, life-threatening accident or disease can cause you long-term stress and adversely affect your health.
When you experience stress, there is a dramatic change in your mind and body. Stress affects us physically, mentally and emotionally, and 90% of all health problems can be traced back to stress. Stress can literally make you feel ill. Some common problems women experience associated with stress are:
- Difficulty conceiving (infertility)
- Sleeping difficulties
- Headaches
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Nervous breakdown
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Stroke
- Weakness or lack of energy
- Irritation
- Inability to concentrate
- Erratic eating habits; eating too much or eating nothing at all
- Feeling sad and deprived
- Being short-tempered
- Asthma
- Tension
- Stomach cramps
- Anxiety
- Weight gain (Obesity)
- Weight loss
- Heart problems
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Pain at joints
- Reduced sex drive
- Hair loss
- Hyperthyroidism
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Tooth aches and gum diseases
- Ulcers
- PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
- Migraine
- Auto-Immune diseases
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Oral and genital herpes
- Crohn’s disease (also known as granulomatous colitis and regional enteritis)
- And more
Some facts about stress that concern your health
People who don’t learn to manage their stress are more likely to die from cancer or cardiovascular diseases. A study has revealed that people who managed stress ineffectively had a 40% higher death rate than people who were not stressed out. People who have had a heart attack and get angry during emotional arguments double their risk of subsequent attacks.
When stresses are handled positively, they are beneficial to us and help keep us alert and energetic. Too much stress turns into distress, and when we handle them negatively, it affects every part of life. Poor handling of stress affects you physically, mentally and emotionally. Unfortunately this stress sometimes leads people to try to manage their stress through alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Initially these things make us feel better but it is a temporary fix and the stress does not go away. If you are stressed out take the time and give yourself proper attention and emotional support. Stress affects your health and does much of its damage silently and over a period of time. Don’t ignore situations that can have a negative effect.
I have suffered extreme panic attacks for a few years and could not get to the bottom of it. A friend who had used the Linden Method recommended it to me and from the first page my life began to change! Im not saying I was cured straight away but over a couple of weeks the change was fabulous! I’m still recovering and somedays I see a glimpse of anxiety but I’m panic free and my life and my families life are much happier now. It has helped me a great deal.