Stress - do you suffer?

Thanks for the stress test Sluffy but it didn't work and I felt like the questions were very general and I didn't relate to them at all. I came out as having "low stress" but actually think it should have come out at very bloody high!

Biggie wrote:Thanks for the stress test Sluffy but it didn't work and I felt like the questions were very general and I didn't relate to them at all. I came out as having "low stress" but actually think it should have come out at very bloody high!

Wish I'd gone to see someone at the time.
Trying to muddle my way through it was a big mistake.
I felt like I was clinging to a ledge by my fingertips,and the inevitable was about to happen.
Get some talking therapy,I'm sure you won't regret it.
I wish you well.

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

I'll probably be in touch - thanks for the gesture Okocha!

boltonbonce wrote:

Get some talking therapy,I'm sure you won't regret it.
I wish you well.

What if you feel like you are stressed for a reason - how does talking help?

For example, if I had 15 jobs to do, but only time for 10, and if I failed to do the full 15 it would mean I didn't get paid then I would be stressed and rightly so - surely?

Probably a bad example but it's the best I can think of right now.

It does help,believe me. Although I got help late on,it was a big help.
I thought very much like you,which is why I left it late,but it's the best thing I ever did.

Stress is not really a disease so much as a condition that leaves us open to disease, because one of its effects is to weaken the immune system.

 We all need a certain amount of stress in order to function but the trick is to be able to recognise the danger signs and be able to do something about it when it is getting out of control. Unfortunately we all have different tolerance levels and, worse still, these can change. Ideally, we should become accustomed to tuning in to our body  to check its wellbeing. Whilst some folk revel in theme park rides, others get sick and dizzy on a playground swing!

Too little stress is also a problem, leading to possible listlessness and depression. Imagine a guitar string:- perfectly strung, it makes a beautiful  sound; too tight and it will snap; too loose and a horrid, discordant noise twangs loud. We need to find the perfect pitch for our "strings", be able to listen to our bodies, minds and emotions, and to have learnt how to adapt correctly through practised techniques.

 Otherwise we will be wide open to heart attacks, nausea, headaches, migraine, dizzyness, aching limbs and joints, inappropriate emotional responses such as irritability, temper, unreasonable expectations of others, ibs, insomnia, bp, coping disorders, hyperventilation.... to name but a few.

Typically, and ironically, stress tends to attack those who have always thought they were fine, for the very reason that these folk do not check themselves for such simple warning signs as furrowed brow, clenched, tight hands (when driving?), laboured breathing, restlessness, tapping feet, aching muscles etc.

Become aware, check with a professional and learn how to cope and adapt.

Better that than rely on tablets and prescription remedies.

I scored 24.

Sleep has always been my weakness. Even when I was at school I only usually got 6 hours a night. Now that I work 9-5, I average about 4 or 5 hours a night. Even when I'm absolutely knackered I just can't bring myself to go to bed at a sensible time.
Supposedly Margaret Thatcher only used to sleep 4 hours a day. I'm not sure how much comfort I should take from that.

Anyway credit to Biggie for having the balls to start this thread. All the best with your struggles.

Just took the test and scored 7 out of 32

If I had taken that test about 3 years ago that would have been well different!

Amazing how a change in lifestyle can have an effect on how one is.

Thanks chaps - think I'm safe to start with a bath? 

And do I just need a routine appointment or shall I push for an "emergency" slot?

I only ask because when I ring the docs they ask if it's routine. If I say yes they offer me one in about 2 weeks. If I say no they ask me what the problem is so they can give me an emergency appointment. This happened when I phoned on the 6th March they offered me an appointment for 24th. A few days later I felt fine and cancelled it. So I called today to say I need to come in and they said it's not an emergency - but it feels like it is when your chest is exploding. Which added to the stress.

If you mention the chest pain, they'll send an ambulance and you'll be off to A&E immediately.

Seriously, that's how it works.

Your call, mate.

I'd say phone your GP, mention that chest pain is a transient symptom when you feel an episode coming on and, if they know what they're doing, they'll get you in the same day.

Good luck.

PS: Having just read your emails above, Biggie, I suggest you definitely see your GP asap and get referred to an expert. Time management is crucial and a good professional will help you prioritise and get things in perspective.
Talking is useful, as in consultation with a counsellor, but their expertise lies in encouraging a patient to talk things through so that he/she gradually come to a helpful conclusion  pretty much by himself/herself. And yes you are right, Biggie, there is no point replacing one stressor with another.

Serious stress-related problems need a practitioner who is more interventionist and provides a course of therapy for you to follow under guidance. 

A healthy lifestyle involving diet, exercise, no smoking....and yes, no excessive alcohol (!) are all very important if you are serious about getting well and enjoying life, pain-free.

Thanks again all. Feel dumb really bringing it up to random folk on the internet but I'm kind of not wanting to bring it up in real life at the moment - if that makes sense.

okocha wrote:PS: Having just read your emails above, Biggie, I suggest you definitely see your GP asap and get referred to an expert. Time management is crucial and a good professional will help you prioritise and get things in perspective.
Talking is useful, as in consultation with a counsellor, but their expertise lies in encouraging a patient to talk things through so that he/she gradually come to a helpful conclusion  pretty much by himself/herself. And yes you are right, Biggie, there is no point replacing one stressor with another.

Serious stress-related problems need a practitioner who is more interventionist and provides a course of therapy for you to follow under guidance. 

A healthy lifestyle involving diet, exercise, no smoking....and yes, no excessive alcohol (!) are all very important if you are serious about getting well and enjoying life, pain-free.

Thanks for the tips.

I play footy, walk the dogs, do yoga, dont smoke, dont drink and I eat pretty healthily. I also believe I am pretty rational and tend to think things through to a logical conclusion. I don't feel as though I get worked up about things - I sort of intend to deal with them in some sort of order with an end goal in mind. But for some reason my body is saying whhhoooaaa - you're stressed and need to get chilled! I'll work on it though!

doffcocker wrote:I scored 24.

Sleep has always been my weakness. Even when I was at school I only usually got 6 hours a night. Now that I work 9-5, I average about 4 or 5 hours a night. Even when I'm absolutely knackered I just can't bring myself to go to bed at a sensible time.
Supposedly Margaret Thatcher only used to sleep 4 hours a day. I'm not sure how much comfort I should take from that.

Anyway credit to Biggie for having the balls to start this thread. All the best with your struggles.

To be fair the amount of sleep is not the problem but the quality of the sleep.  During my dark period I was averaging same as now - about 5.5 hours but my quality was terrible from being constantly restless, keep waking up, difficulty in getting to sleep, not wanting to get up next morning (an I don' just mean the normal "not wanting to get up") and falling asleep at work both during work and at breaktimes

I live too far away from you to be much help personally, Biggie, but if you tick all those healthy lifestyle boxes, it would be a good idea to consult your GP to make sure that there isn't some actual physical problem within. Good wishes.

Biggie wrote:Thanks again all. Feel dumb really bringing it up to random folk on the internet but I'm kind of not wanting to bring it up in real life at the moment - if that makes sense.

It makes sense, and know we want the best for you

Cheers Okocha and Manda. Night night.

Stay away from negative people, they have a problem for every solution.

i'm thankful that god has made me come through all the stressful things in my life.

What sort of things Scott? Have you had hard times with stress?