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According to Lifetrack, stress
is not a disease or the cause of suffering but a natural and inevitable
consequence of the interaction between your personality and life's
challenges. Stress signals that your ways of thinking, feeling and
acting -- your personality -- is inadequate to handle the challenges
you currently face. The symptoms of stress may persist and escalate
until you are forced to pay attention. When faced with physical symptoms,
you should first consult a physician to rule out physical illnesses.
Next, take a close look at how you are choosing to live your life.
Is there room for improvement in your sense of self? Close relationships?
Work?
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A Closer Look at the Hierarchy of Stress:
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At different stages in his life, Bruce has been plagued with waves
of alternating symptoms. He has experienced anxiety, anger, physical
symptoms, depression and psychosis -- the works. All these signals
have the same mission: to force Bruce to reach out for help.
It is important to recognize that regardless of how bright, strong
and resilient you may be, if the challenges you face are more than
you can handle at one time, any of the five symptoms Bruce experienced
may manifest. Which symptoms you experience depends on your innate
characteristics, vulnerabilities, and earlier experiences of successful
or unsuccessful coping.
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Anxiety can mobilize you to do what needs
to get done. However, when you are constantly anxious, you may be
getting a signal that something is wrong.
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If you are forced to do what you feel too
difficult or uncomfortable, irritability and anger may join or replace
anxiety. While anger can mobilize you to take action, when out of
control it becomes counter-productive.
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If you are unwilling or unable
to accept that you are under stress, physical symptoms may be the
only way to force you to slow down. Even if you believe that your
illness is psychologically induced, it is always important to seek
medical advice.
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A depressed mind shuts down, protecting
itself much like a fuse designed to blow when overloaded. Depression
usually forces people to reach out. Efforts to achieve "the impossible"
are replaced by preoccupations with the distressful symptoms of depression.
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When other distress signals
such as depression are ignored or not tolerated, psychosis (or manic
symptoms) may be triggered. Thoughts, feelings and actions become
incoherent, confused, inappropriate, ambivalent or paralyzed. Medications
are usually essential to control psychotic symptoms.
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For more on how to deal effectively with
stress in your daily life, see my forthcoming book, "Hierarchy of
Defense".
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