Stress - do you suffer?

I have always thought I understood stress until recently. It seems obvious what it is and we all get what we refer to casually as "a bit stressed" when we get too busy or have a difficult situation to deal with...

However it's only in the last few months I have really come to understand a bit more about what I now think of as "real stress". 

I won't go into details other than to say that I have experienced actual physical problems which it seems are down to being too stressed - has anyone else any experience of this kind of thing, and what do you do to get through it?

Biggie wrote:I have always thought I understood stress until recently. It seems obvious what it is and we all get what we refer to casually as "a bit stressed" when we get too busy or have a difficult situation to deal with...

However it's only in the last few months I have really come to understand a bit more about what I now think of as "real stress". 

I won't go into details other than to say that I have experienced actual physical problems which it seems are down to being too stressed - has anyone else any experience of this kind of thing, and what do you do to get through it?

Yes.

And it scared the shit out of me.

I've never taken life too seriously, it's too short for that and I've always been pretty laid back about things but after having a load of shit dropped on me in quick succession about two years ago, I suddenly started having (as I found out later) panic attacks.

The first time it happened I was sitting at the lights in Farnworth and suddenly, out of the blue, I couldn't breathe properly, I got tunnel vision and my right arm locked up and I couldn't open my fist.

Fucking terrifying and I thought I was having a stroke. I managed to limp the car home, crawled in bed and didn't get up for twenty four hours.

And I was fine for a couple of days until I had to get behind the wheel again and it triggered another one.

When I eventually told the wife, she made me go to the doctors straight away and he said it was stress.

Long story short, I'm ok now because I now know it was all in my head and that's the key: knowing that there's nothing physically wrong with you and you're in control, not your body.

Deep breaths, try and relax and you should be ok - regulating your breathing's key because it's the hyper-ventilating that can cause a lot of the physical symptoms.

If you want to chat any more about it, PM me and I'll go through some of the other stuff the Doc said because it really helped me.

Don't bottle it up, mate - that's the worst thing you can do. Talk to your family and friends and you will be fine.

No but ever since i had to have an emergency cardioversion due to going on a ridiculus drinking session mixing all sorts of drinks and waking up in hospital and being told i was lucky after that much alchohol in such a short time i'm aware of mortality and i have occasions when i panic at the memory of that my wife and kids at the hospital but i seem to be able to shrug it off after a couple of minutes. I have had a panic attack its not pleasant usually a churning of the stomach and a dash to the bog caused by the fear of flying the only thing that scares me.

One of my jobs is as a stress management consultant. I'd be happy to help if you like.

One word about Bread's well-meaning, friendly advice above: DEEP breaths are not necessarily the best thing, as they can actually CAUSE hyperventilation, which is definitely to be avoided; instead they set up the fight or flight response signalling perceived danger and all the physical and mental trauma associated with this.

Do seek professional advice, otherwise symptoms can return at other key moments. Learning how to combat stress at any given moment in time is extremely valuable.

Incidentally, the procedures I recommend lend themselves to improving sports performance too, so that heartbeat, breathing, muscle relaxation, positive imagery are controlled to allow optimum performance.

Oops, sorry!

A little knowledge and all that.....

For me it was all about getting control of my breathing back, as it used to get faster and faster.

The last thing I wanted to do was make it worse, so it's a good job Okocha's here.

(Cheers for stepping in, mate - genuine now, not taking the piss.)

I have no words of advice, Biggie, cos I don't know much about it,not have I any personal direct experience,  but big big respect to you for seeking help, dealing with it, and not being all reticent about something a lot of people have, and I would go so far as to say, even if they have been personally spared, most everyone knows someone for whom stress/depression leaches the joy from their life...wishing you a fast, and sustainable recovery mate, and all others who suffer.

Since I have left full time permanent work and became a contractor were I choose where to work and when I want to work, stress has almost disappeared.

When I was in a permanent job it was bad, which led on to other problems.

So yes, been there and done that

I find it stressful when I see half a dozen hand pumps lined up in a good ale house and deciding which to start with. Needless to say I try to do the full card.

How stressed are you? - QUIZ

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24756311





Not stressed at all me!

I scored 10. Bit worried about that.

No disrespect but that quiz proves nowt.

I scored (an honest) 11 and would have recorded a similar score back when I was having the panic attacks.

I can only speak from personal experience but I didn't see it coming and that's why it was such a shock - I wasn't irritable (I've checked with the wife), work was going ok and not suffering and everything felt normal.

Then whallop!

Seriously, if it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody and you can't see it coming.

Breadman wrote:

I can only speak from personal experience but I didn't see it coming and that's why it was such a shock - I wasn't irritable (I've checked with the wife), work was going ok and not suffering and everything felt normal.

Then whallop!

Seriously, if it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody and you can't see it coming.

I've had a few over the years and I am a worrier for many reasons and stressed with anxiety to the point I cannot sleep and pace up and down with many other symptoms.

I'm glad that there is a lot more publicity and a lot more understanding (or more people starting to understand I should say) with regards to mental health issues.

It affects more people than you think!

I hope your doing ok with it all Biggie.

This.

My only experience with panic attacks came in the early 90's, when my Dad was diagnosed with cancer.
I thought I was holding up pretty well. Keeping busy,getting things done,sorting his appointments out etc.
Then one day,sat in the kitchen having a coffee,I started to feel short of breath,and found my hands were shaking quite violently. I started gulping for air and was quite convinced I was about to pass out,but it subsided. It left me quite terrified.
I had six or seven of these attacks over the next 12 months,and didn't say a dickie bird to anyone.
Should have talked about it,and got it out in the open. Would have been better for everyone.
I'm fine now,but,as Bread has already said,it can come on from nowhere.
Tell someone.

There's obviously more of us in that boat than you'd think.

Just shows, doesn't it?

There's no shame in it and it doesn't mean you're mentally weak.

Made up disease by attention seekers.

Give it a rest Nat.

bwfc1874 wrote:Give it a rest Nat.

I was only joking, I lead a very stressful life. It's not easy being me.

Thanks everyone for your constructive words, it actually feels helpful to have support from strangers - except Nat.

I'm feeling generally stressed every day but certain recent events have caused me to have a reaction like I never expected. I have always been relaxed, unflustered, un-bothered about difficult situations.

Quite bad chest pains which increase when something difficult to deal with happens is one of my most concerning symptoms. Think I'll see the doctor. Feel like a lot of things happened at once and found it almost impossible to cope.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

bwfc1874 wrote:Give it a rest Nat.

I was only joking, I lead a very stressful life. It's not easy being me.

You're telling me