There are many different signs and symptoms that can indicate when someone is having difficulty coping with the amount of stress they are experiencing. These include:
Physical Symptoms
Headaches, grinding teeth, clenched jaws, chest pain, shortness of breath, pounding heart, high blood pressure, muscle aches, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, increased perspiration, fatigue, insomnia, frequent illness.
Psychosocial Symptoms
Anxiety, irritability, sadness, defensiveness, anger, mood swings, hypersensitivity, apathy, depression, slowed thinking or racing thoughts, feelings of helplessness, hopelessness or of being trapped.
Behavioural Symptoms
Overeating or loss of appetite, impatience, quickness to argue, procrastination, increased use of alcohol or drugs, increased smoking, withdrawal or isolation from others, neglect of responsibility, poor job performance, poor personal hygiene, change in religious practices, change in close family relationships.
The signs and symptoms from stress tend to progress through several phases or stages. The phases can be described as following:
| Phase |
Signs/Symptoms |
Action |
Phase 1 - Warning
Early warning signs are often more emotional than physical and may take a year or more before they are noticeable.
|
- - Feelings of vague anxiety
- Depression
- Boredom
- Apathy
- Emotional fatigue
|
- - Talking about feelings
- Taking a break or a holiday
- Making a change from regular activities
- Taking time for yourself
|
Phase 2 - Mild Symptoms
Warning signs have progressed and intensified. Over a period of 6 to 18 months, physical signs may also be evident.
|
- - Sleep disturbances
- More frequent headaches/colds
- Muscle aches
- Intensified physical and emotional fatigue
- Withdrawal from contact with others
- Irritability
- Intensified depression
|
- - More agressive lifestyles changes may need to be made including short-term counselling
|
Phase 3 - Entrenched Cumulative Stress
This phase occurs when the above phases continue to be ignored. Stress starts to create a deeper impact on career, family life and personal wellbeing.
|
- - Increased use of alcohol, smoking, non- prescription drugs
- Depression
- Physical and emotional fatigue
- Loss of sex drive
- Ulcers
- Marital discord
- Crying spells
- Intense anxiety
- Rigid thinking
- Withdrawal
- Restlessness
- Sleeplessness
|
- The help of medical and psychological professionals is highly recommended
|
Phase 4 - Severe/ Debilitating Cumulative Stress Reaction
This phase is often considered 'self-destructive' and tends to occur after 5 to 10 years of continued stress.
|
- - Heart conditions
- Severe depression
- Lowered self-esteem/self-confidence
- Inability to perform one's job
- Inability to manage personal life
- Withdrawal
- Uncontrolled anger, grief, rage
- Suicidal or homicidal thinking
- Muscle tremors
- Extreme chronic fatigue
- Over-reaction to minor events
- Agitation
- Frequent accidents
- Carelessness, forgetfulness
- Paranoia
|
- Significant intervention from healthcare practitioners is required
|
Chronic stress can interfere with sleep patterns as well as the ability to relax and its effect on an individual's metabolism can lead to a weakening of the immune system as the body is given less time to repair itself. This can lead to mental illness, stroke and heart attacks. The results of chronic stress are frightening. Although it is not realistic to think we can live a stress-free life, your goal should be to avoid getting stuck in a chronic stage of stress by alleviating stressors where possible.
The Holmes-Rahe Life Changes Scale
The Holmes-Rahe Life Changes Scale allows you to determine the total amount of stress you are experiencing by adding up the relative stress values, know as Life Change Units (LCU), for various events that have occured in the past 12 months. A score of 250 or more is considered high. Persons with a low stress tolerance may find themselves overstressed with a score of 150.
To complete this simple test, click on the link above. Read each of the events listed and check the box next to any event which has occurred in your life in the last two years. There are no right or wrong answers - the aim is just to identify which of these events you have experienced lately.
(Please note, this test was originally published in 1967 and since then, there's been much evidence that sometimes events like divorce or a second mortgage can greatly reduce stress so consider this when using it).
References
Anschuetz B. L. (1999). The High Cost of Caring: Coping with Workplace Stress
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
Canadian Mental Health Association
Holmes & Rahe (1967). Holmes-Rahe life changes scale.
