Stress and Anxiety

Stress and Anxiety. How can counselling help?

You will see a lot of overlap from the symptoms of stress versus anxiety, but to be clear, they are different in that, remove the stressors, and the stress disappears. In contrast, anxiety is a bit deeper in its origins.

What is Stress?

Stress is an overwhelm of your system, a feeling of being unable to cope with daily life pressures. For some, stress is linked to the endless to-do list, for others intrusion from others into your life, such as a nagging boss or unhelpful family member. The effects of stress are both physical and mental, as you will see from the listed symptoms below:

Physical

Upset Stomach
Diarrhoea
Stomach Ulcers
High Blood Pressure
Headaches – Migraines
Backache
Muscle pain
Exhaustion

Emotional

Depression
Racing thoughts
Poor Concentration
Anxiety
Loneliness
Irritability
Restless

Anxiety

Anxiety is different from stress in that, in the absence of stressors; a person is still tormented by excessive worrying, feelings of constant unease and coupled with the inability to find a cause (sometimes referred to as a trigger).

Physical

Insomnia
Appetite Issues
Hyper-arousal
Upset Stomach
Diarrhoea
Headaches – Migraines
Muscle pain
Racing Heart
Rapid breathing (Panic Attack)
Exhaustion

Emotional

Depression
Racing thoughts
Poor Concentration
Over Thinking
Feeling on edge all the time
Irritability
Sense of impending doom

How do I treat stress and anxiety?

As you can see from the symptom list of anxiety and stress, there are many similarities. You might have noticed that there are emotional or mental symptoms and physical symptoms, so I believe in taking a mind-body approach. What positively impacts the mind will have a positive effect on the body and vice versa.

In treating stress and anxiety, I look to identify its effects physically, mentally and emotionally. In looking at these areas, it helps to find the root causes of stress and anxiety. I will be inviting you to look compassionately at your life and to work collaboratively with me to find ways to alleviate your stress and anxiety symptoms.

Remember you are the expert in your life, and together we can find new ways of being, that are more in line with the life you want to live.

Get in touch today if you would like to discuss how counselling can help you.