A dangerous enemy, or how to deal with chronic stress

Today, stress treatment is one of the most important areas in medicine. The consequences of stress affect not only a person’s mental state, but can also disrupt the functioning of any organ or system. As a result of stress, a wide variety of somatic diseases can develop.

Our clinic deals with the treatment of stress and the treatment of post-stress disorders of any complexity and various types of their manifestations. In today's world, stress is a daily occurrence. Their frequency and duration of exposure are constantly increasing and this is reflected in our mental state.

Treatment of stress in the clinic

At some point, our nervous system cannot stand it and higher nervous activity collapses.

This breakdown may be due to various reasons that weaken the nervous system and allow the disorder to take hold, which causes the manifestation of post-stress states.

Weakening of the nervous system can have a different nature and the causes can be due to both hereditary factors and those acquired during life (organic, toxic, infectious, etc.), as well as temporary (situational). These parameters are very significant when treating stress and treating post-stress conditions.

The clinic's specialists have extensive experience in treating stress and treating post-stress conditions, which cause disorders of the nervous system and are often very painful for people. Our doctors can correctly and safely restore the functioning of the nervous system without negative effects on the body.

Stress needs to be treated

The symptoms of stress disorders are very wide, both in variety and in strength of manifestations.

Are you going through a difficult period? Are you stressed? Or have you already gone through a difficult period, everything has improved, but your health is at zero? Have you been treated, but the treatment did not help or had a weak effect? Do not despair!

Call and make an appointment! Our treatment helps even with the most severe cases, when other treatments have not helped!

How stress is formed

Stress is the feeling of how our body reacts to some difficult events in our lives. This is the body’s way of responding to external adverse influences. The body prepares to face a difficult situation by increasing strength, endurance and alertness. Events that provoke stress are called stressful situations or high psychophysical stress; they cover a whole range of situations, ranging from direct physical danger to the most difficult life issues related to study, work or interpersonal contacts. The human body responds to stress by activating the nervous and hormonal systems. The hypothalamus signals the adrenal glands to produce more of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol and release them into the bloodstream. These hormones speed up your heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and metabolism. Blood vessels open wider to increase blood flow to large muscle groups, preparing our muscles for combat readiness. The pupils dilate to improve vision. The liver releases stored glucose to increase the body's energy. And sweat is produced to cool the body. All these physical changes prepare the human body to react quickly and effectively to cope with negative impacts. This natural reaction of the body is known as the stress response.

Stress reaction

Stress reactions are important during acute, emergency situations, such as when a driver must slam on the brakes to avoid an accident, to defeat a penalty and win a game, a final exam. Once this situation passes the nervous system quickly returns to its normal state, and will be ready to respond again when needed.

However, stress reactions may not always last for a short time. Current or long-term events, such as divorce or moving to a new area or school, can also cause stress. The reaction to stress can often cause health problems, especially when the negative impact lasts for a long time, a breakdown may occur in the form of a failure of higher nervous activity. In such situations, treatment of stress or post-stress complications is necessary.

Methods for restoring the body after stress

Restoration of the body

It starts with eliminating the causes of stress. Necessary:

• Reduce stress on the psyche - without this, other measures are useless. If it is not yet possible to eliminate the cause of stress, you should consult a psychotherapist - choose a tactic that compensates for the stress on the psyche;
• Establish a daily routine - 7-8 hours of sleep are required, otherwise the body will not have the opportunity to restore resources;
• Relieve yourself of some of your routine worries - work, household or family (this will free up time for rest and health care);
• Things that make time pass unnoticed help restore a calm mood - absolutely anything, from replanting indoor plants to studying interest rates on deposits;
• Choose gentle physical activities - they distract from unpleasant thoughts and train the body, including the heart muscle.
• 
  Yoga, meditation or other spiritual practices will help you stop the flow of negative thoughts that exhaust you

How to support your heart

Since the heart suffers more than other organs, it requires special attention. Whenever possible, eliminate risk factors that exacerbate the effects of stress.

If you cannot cope with your health problems on your own, consult a doctor.

You may need to undergo testing. Based on the diagnostic results, the specialist will prescribe medications to support the heart: medications to lower blood pressure, multivitamins with microelements, medications with potassium and magnesium.

Why you need to treat stress

Long-term stressful situations can cause lasting changes in people with low levels of stress tolerance. The nervous system is under constant pressure and can remain constantly active, which stimulates the continued production of additional portions of stress hormones over a long period. This depletes the body's reserves, causing a person to feel overworked and weak. The body's immune system is weakened, and other problems arise associated with the depletion of various biological reserves.

Stress often causes the formation of various mental disorders.

The most common cases of development of such disorders are:

• Depression
• Anxiety states
• Psychosomatic disorders
• Neuroses
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Other pathological mental states.

Despite the fact that stress reactions have important biologically justified changes in the body, overload stress is completely different. Too much stress is not good for the entire human body. For example, a small stress test - short-term stress leads to motivation to study, and a person learns the material more easily. But prolonged stress throughout the probationary period can create significant difficulty concentrating on the material you need to learn.

Stress treatment is necessary

Pressure that is too intense or too long can cause people to feel stressed overload. Here are some of the basic situations that can overwhelm the body's ability

cope with stress independently if it continues for a long time:

• intimidation or direct exposure to violence or physical harm
• conflicts in the family, difficult emotions that may be accompanied by grief
• difficulties associated with learning disabilities
• lack of time for proper rest

Some stressful situations can be extreme and require special attention and treatment for stress and its complications. For example, post-traumatic stress disorder is a very severe reaction that can develop in people who have experienced an extremely traumatic event, such as a serious car accident, natural disaster, terrorist attack, rape, etc.

Some people may have neurodevelopmental characteristics that may cause them to overreact to stress, even when faced with minor challenges. If a person often feels tense, upset, anxious, or experiences stress, this may be a sign of anxiety and a reason to seek help from a professional counselor to overcome it.

Consequences of long-term stress

The stronger and longer the stress, the more dangerous its consequences for the body. Attention, memory, and performance decrease. Immunity deteriorates, which leads to frequent infections and inflammatory processes.

Possible development:

• endocrine diseases - diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome;
• pathologies of the digestive system - gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, dyspepsia;
• oncological diseases, and the localization of the tumor can be any.

Some patients cannot cope with their condition and resort to alcohol or psychotropic substances.

Target organs under prolonged stress

Uncontrolled stress provokes heart and vascular diseases. The most famous are heart attack, stroke, hypertensive crisis.

A typical reaction to stress is an increase in blood pressure. Its “jumps” create additional stress on the heart and blood vessels.

With severe anxiety, palpitations may occur, and in some cases, heart rhythm disturbances. It is also possible to develop stress cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome,” in which muscle tissue abruptly loses its contractility. As a result, blood circulation throughout the body is disrupted, and there is a risk of heart rupture.

With prolonged stress, vasospasm occurs, which leads to oxygen starvation of vital organs - the brain and heart. This condition is especially difficult for people with existing pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, with bad habits: illnesses worsen, health quickly deteriorates.

Manifestations of stress

People who experience stress from overwork may notice some of the following signs:

• anxiety or panic
• feeling of constant pressure, weakness, sadness, depression
• irritability, moodiness, tearfulness
• physical symptoms: such as stomach problems, headaches and even chest pains
• allergic reactions such as eczema and asthma
• sleep problems
• increased consumption of alcohol, tobacco, overeating

Everyone experiences stress a little differently. Some people become angry or aggressive and often involve others in their stress or take it out on others. For others, it may manifest as an eating disorder or develop substance abuse problems (such as alcohol or drugs). Those people who have chronic illnesses may find that the symptoms of their illness flare up with renewed vigor under an overload of stress.

Treatment of stress and treatment of post-stress conditions

The effectiveness of stress treatment depends on the speed and quality of medical care provided. Therefore, one of the most important points in treatment is how quickly a person seeks quality help from a good specialist.

Treatment of stress and post-stress conditions is always determined by the presence of one or another “weakness” of the nervous system. As they say, where it is thin, it breaks. The clinic’s doctors always look very carefully into the true causes of this breakdown of the nervous system and possible further complications.

As a rule, it is not the stress itself that is dangerous, not its momentary manifestation, but the residual effects and complications that form after the acute manifestation of this mental state. And these consequences are very closely related to the individual parameters of the formation of the nervous system, with what possible changes could be acquired during life and the characteristics of the momentary reaction.

To correctly determine such parameters, sufficient experience in the treatment of stress and post-stress conditions is required. Our doctors have such experience, because... Each of our doctors has extensive practical experience in clinical work.

After determining these individual parameters, the appropriate therapy is selected, which usually follows a general scheme: neurometabolic therapy, psychotherapy, rehabilitation medicine measures and drawing up an individual plan for daily routine and diet.

In most cases, stress treatment takes place within 5-10 days, and in the presence of already formed complications, in the treatment of post-stress conditions, it is sometimes necessary to spend much more time. The duration of treatment for post-stress conditions in such situations will depend on the individual parameters of the nervous system.

Keep your stress under control

What can you do to combat stress overload, or better yet, avoid it in the first place? The most useful method of dealing with stress is knowing how to cope with stress that can arise at any time. Stress management - skills work best when they are used regularly, and not just when there is increased stress. Knowing how to “de-stress” requires using this technique constantly, when everything is relatively calm, then these skills can help you get through difficult circumstances that arise.

How to treat stress yourself

Here are some rules that can help keep stress under control:

• Go against what is planned. If you feel tired, consider cutting back on activities or choosing only those that are most important to you.
• Be realistic. Don't try to be perfect - no one can do everything. Expect realistic opportunities from others, and don't put too much pressure on others to avoid increasing your stress levels. If you need help with something, ask for it.
• It is necessary to ensure that you have a good and complete sleep at night. Having quality sleep helps keep your body and mind in top shape, which makes you better equipped to deal with any negative effects of stress and helps treat stress. Because the biological “sleep clock” shifts during adolescence, many teenagers choose to go to bed later and wake up later in the morning. But if you go to bed late and have to get up early (for school, for work), you cannot get all the hours of sleep your body requires that it needs.
• Learn to relax. The body's best natural antidote to stress is the relaxation response. Relaxation will help your body fight stress, which creates a feeling of well-being and calm. The benefits of relaxation in response to stress are that the body’s biochemical processes are activated aimed at replenishing spent resources, which can be activated simply by rest. You can help trigger the relaxation response by learning simple breathing exercises, and then use them when you find yourself in stressful situations. This will help you restore or not waste unnecessary body resources, and build your schedule for implementing activities. Relaxation should be soothing and enjoyable: reading a good book, pursuing a hobby, spending time with your pet, or simply taking a relaxing bath.
• Treat your body well. Experts agree that regular exercise helps people cope with stress. Excessive or forced exercise can, on the contrary, contribute to the development of stress; it is necessary, as with everything, to use moderation.
• It is necessary to eat right to help the body function at its best. It's easy when it becomes your daily habit. You cannot eat on the run or eat unhealthy food or fast food. Under stressful conditions, the body needs vitamins and minerals more than ever. Some people may turn to substance abuse as a way to relieve stress. Although alcohol or drugs may seem to help relieve stress temporarily. However, using psychoactive substances to cope with stress actually contributes to the development of even more stress, because the body's ability to return to normal is worn out.
• Analyze what you are thinking. Your perspective, attitude and thoughts influence how you see and present things. Is your cup half full or half empty? A healthy dose of optimism can help you come out of stressful circumstances better. Even if you are a bit of a pessimist in life, everyone can learn to think more optimistically and reap the benefits from it.
• Solve small problems. Learning to handle everyday tasks calmly can give you a sense of control. Developing the skills to calmly look at problems, find out, consider options, and take some action helps in developing skills to solve larger problems and is a path to resolution in stressful situations. Feeling able to calmly solve small problems builds the inner confidence to move on to calmly solving larger problems—and this can serve you well during times of stress.
• Build your stress tolerance Have you noticed that some people seem to quickly adapt to stressful circumstances and take all situations in stride? They are calm under any pressure and are able to solve problems as they arise. Researchers have identified qualities that make some people seem naturally resilient even when faced with high levels of stress. If you want to build your resilience, you need to work on developing these qualities.
• If you have problems fighting stress, you should not hesitate to ask for help from a competent psychotherapist.

The specialists of our clinic will always help you get out of the most difficult stressful situations and relieve the pathological consequences for the body, which very often arise during periods of prolonged stress. Treatment of post-stress disorders should be supervised by a competent doctor. Before treatment, it is necessary to conduct a thorough diagnosis.

How to find and eliminate the root cause of stress at work

Most articles on stress management say: exercise and yoga, eat right, meditate. These tips are good and you should definitely follow them.

But the secret is different. To get rid of stress, you need to understand what causes it. The cause of stress needs to be dealt with directly, and once you deal with the problem, dealing with stress will be easier.

What Causes Stress

Let's describe what can cause you stress and overwork:

1. Tight deadlines.
2. Colleagues or boss with whom you find it difficult to communicate and collaborate.
3. Unsure if you are doing what you need to do.
4. Lack of confidence in one's own professionalism.
5. Competition, office politics and interpersonal conflicts.
6. Lack of time for family or personal life.
7. Large volumes of work.

Such factors that provoke stress have one thing in common. They all arise because we have a very clear idea of ​​exactly what the work process should look like, what its results should be, and what it means to be an effective employee.

We somehow compare ourselves with a certain ideal. This is the main cause of stress.

We all dream of a job that is stable, enjoyable and hassle-free. Reality does not live up to this ideal and therefore stress occurs.

The same applies to all the factors that we listed above. In each individual situation, the problem of not meeting the ideal arises: we do not meet deadlines, colleagues do not live up to our trust, the boss does not always turn out to be a good leader... This happens every day, our ideas about the ideal are shattered by reality, needs are not met, which means we cannot escape disorders and experiences.

How to deal with this problem?

How to deal with the cause of stress

If all our problems arise from an ideal, perhaps it would be better not to create it at all? Well, that would be great, but it’s impossible to give up such aspirations. One way or another, we always hope for the best and strive for more.

To manage your stress, you need to:

1. Realize that you are under stress.
2. Understand how much you strive for the ideal.
3. Try to find joy in the present moment, slow down in the race for the unattainable.

How to do it?

Learn to capture stress

Anxiety, frustration, tension are the first symptoms that you need to stop and relax. These signs are like notifications on your smartphone: you don't need to ignore them, you need to deal with them and understand that you are about to plunge into a state of stress.

Understand what your unattainable ideal is

Why are you starting to worry now? What can't you achieve? How different is the actual situation from how you imagined your job? Perhaps you have simulated an overly stable, calm, controlled situation that does not correspond to reality.

For example, you have always dreamed of having a fixed amount of work and quite reasonable deadlines. This gives a feeling of security and comfort. But life is such that the number of tasks is only growing, and most of them are marked ASAP. Instead of calm, you feel confused, and an orderly schedule gradually turns into pure chaos. It may be frustrating, but then the stress will take over. Change your point of view on such situations, because they arise not only during work, but also in life as such.

The choice is yours: either you love such states, or you hate them.

Relax your attachment to the ideal

Tell yourself: “Striving for perfection is not helping me. It harms me. I'm open to new opportunities. I'm prepared for unexpected situations."

So, instead of striving for some ephemeral ideal image of the worker who can do it all, you will become a person who makes mistakes and learns from them, is not afraid to take on challenges and is ready for difficulties.

You will enjoy the element of chaos in your life, because this is the only way to learn to focus on the most important things. Even if you face incredibly difficult problems, you will understand that after failure, life goes on.

By giving up the pursuit of an unattainable ideal, you accept life as it is. It doesn't necessarily turn out the way you intended. You will have to learn to love her all, without exception, with victories and defeats. In return, you will receive a great interest in life's turns and will be able to enjoy each of them. You will forget what it’s like to complain and whine, but you will see only the best in people and stop blaming others for your own failures.

Too much work piled up? Choose the most urgent task and complete it perfectly. Is your colleague annoying? Find out what problems he has and try to look at his behavior from a new point of view, learn to sympathize with him. Are you afraid of losing your job? Try to focus on performing your duties well, and at the same time look for backup ways in case you do get fired.

Some people will find this advice useless and annoying, because the point is that the ideal cannot be achieved. Many people want to control every minute of their life, present and future. Well, if this path works for you, good luck. Those who cannot get rid of stress in any way should give up the race for a distant and unrealistic dream and concentrate on what is happening here and now, open your heart to everything new and unexpected, be interested, and not judge.

After all, life is wonderful.