Modern society is full of drama. From real dramas that play out, at times in real-life, across the twitter/news/podcasts or simply with the family to fake plays on the television or at the cinemas, we are saturated in things that trigger our emotional distress symptoms. Similarly, there is drama all over social media as well. And then, there are the close to home dramas of family, children, work stress, and deadlines. We are like the frog that is boiling to death slowly in a container whose temperature is increasing so slowly that the frog does not notice it until it is dead. The people, like our close friends or family members, around us, notice when we start getting short with friends, bite people’s heads off for no apparent reasons, and drag around the home or work with little energy.
WHAT IS EMOTIONAL DISTRESS?
So basically, what is emotional distress, and how is this different from the everyday feelings that people experience? Emotional distress includes the negative psychological consequences a person suffers after an accident. This can comprise pain from your injuries, uneasiness related to driving or dealing with problems related to that particular accident, and many other indications.
While the law might make slight distinctions between pain and suffering, psychological injuries, and mental anguish, all of these effects can be loosely gathered together as emotional distress.
WHAT IS CONSIDERED EMOTIONAL DISTRESS?
Think of a time when you felt unhappiness. Possibly it was after losing a close friend or family member or losing your job. How did you react to the situation? While some of the people may have no difficulty facing these events, they may trigger uncomfortable feelings that make it difficult to cope and carry on with regular activities in others. For those of us who suffer these unpleasant feelings and face difficulty in coping, we are experiencing emotional stress.
Emotional distress is a general term used to define emotions or unpleasant feelings that affect your level of functioning. In other words, it is an emotional discomfort that affects your daily activities. Emotional distress can result in conflicting views of the environment, others, and the self. Anxiety, Sadness, distraction, and symptoms of mental illness are manifestations of emotional distress.
So, no two people experience one event in the same way. Emotional distress is a personal experience. That is, the severity of emotional distress is dependent upon the circumstances and how we perceive it. We can think of emotional distress as a continuum with ‘mental illness’ and ‘mental health’ at opposing ends. As we continue to face different things, we travel back and forth on the scale at various times throughout our lives.
5 EMOTIONAL SIGNS OF STRESS?
Stress, defined as mental strain or emotional tension, is all too common of a feeling for most of us. As per the study, the average stress level of adults in the U.S. in the year 2016 was 5.5 on a scale of 1-10.
A lot of stress can produce both emotional and physical symptoms. Let’s consider a few of the emotional symptoms of stress.
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Depression
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America describes depression as a mental illness in which a person suffers a tenacious and severe low mood. The study suggests a link between the onset of depression and high levels of stress. During the research work, the researchers found that both acute and chronic stress events contributed to a higher incidence of depression in women.
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Anxiety
Anxiety is different from depression. It’s described as feelings of overwhelming dread, instead of just feelings of unhappiness.
Though, like depression, studies have suggested that emotional stress may be linked to anxiety and anxiety disorders.
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Irritability
Irritability and anger can turn out to be common traits in people who are stressed. Higher levels of irritability and anger were linked with both emotional stress and the possibility of a stress-related heart attack.
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Low sex drive
In a number of people, a lot of stress can have an adverse impact on sex drive and the desire to be close to someone. Chronic stress levels had a negative effect on sexual arousal. The study suggested that both a higher chance of being distracted and high levels of cortisol led to lower levels of arousal.
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Concentration and Memory problems
In case you find yourself having trouble with memory and concentration, stress may be a part of the problem. As per the study, adolescent rats exposed to acute stress suffered more memory performance problems than their non-stressed counterparts.
HOW DO YOU RELIEVE EMOTIONAL STRESS?
Reducing the warning signs of stress starts with minimizing the sources of emotional stress in your life.
The American Institute of Stress defines that while there are a variety of stress-reducing techniques, finding ones that best for you is essential.
- Physical activities such as jogging, running, and aerobics are a great way to relieve tension and stress physically.
- Calming physical activities such as “tai chi” or yoga can help to work your body while comforting your mind.
- Mindfulness methods, such as meditation can reinforce your emotional responses to emotional stress.
- Mobile applications may calm your mind and offer tips to help you eliminate signs of emotional distress.
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
Finding the stress-reducing methods that work for you is a vital step in reducing the emotional symptoms of stress. Over time, you may figure out that your resolve against emotional stress becomes stronger and that your symptoms for stress improve. But in case you find that you’re still suffering to handle the psychological aspects of everyday or chronic stress, it may be wise to get a consultation from a mental health professional. Remember that emotional stress can similarly have adverse effects on your physical health. It’s essential to get help to stay in your best shape, both physically and emotionally.
