What is the Influence of Stress On Your Mental Health and Physical Well-being?

Stress is a silent killer nationwide. From financial stress to the high demands of one's career, it's no wonder people are so stressed. It's also no wonder that we have such a high rate of mental and physical health illnesses throughout the country. However, one might ask, what actually is the connection here? How does stress influence our overall well-being? With International Stress Awareness Day taking place this November, it's an excellent time to educate and spread awareness. The influence of stress on one's mental and physical well-being is a serious risk and a great way to deal is to be proactive.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for people to abuse substances in the hopes of managing stress. However, this can quickly lead to dependency. It can also lead to the development of further mental health concerns. If untreated, substance use, stress, and mental illness will wreak havoc, but treatment can help. Contact us at West Coast Recovery Centers to learn more about determining your recovery path and starting a new life of sobriety today. 

What Is Stress?

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes stress as a “state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation.” We all have an inherent response to stressful situations. The natural response prompts us to “address challenges and threats in our lives.” While we all experience stress in our lives, we all respond differently. Earlier, we referred to stress as a silent killer. However, if we're being technical, how we react to stress has more influence on our overall well-being than the stress itself. 

As a natural reaction to changes or challenges, you'd think we'd all respond the same, but that's not the case. Responses and coping skills vary from person to person. Several factors can influence how a person reacts to stress. That includes: 

• Personality traits 
• Risk tolerance 
• Attitudes and beliefs 
• Social support 
• Traumatic experiences 

Additionally, stress can manifest in a variety of physical and mental symptoms, such as:

• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Head and body aches 
• Digestive problems 
• Erratic emotional changes 
• Behavioral problem 
• Cognitive impairments 
• Hypertension 
• Appetite changes

So, we all experience stress, and a variety of factors affect how we respond to it, but what about chronic stress? Is that also something we all experience? 

Chronic Stress

Anyone can experience chronic stress but not everyone does. Chronic stress is a prolonged sense of feeling pressured, stressed, and overwhelmed. Like regular stress, chronic stress can cause symptoms like body aches and sleep disturbances. It can also cause people to self-isolate and experience serious mental health concerns. 

Many factors can lead to someone's risk of developing chronic stress. That may include already present mental health conditions, high-pressure environments, traumatic experiences, or someone's inherent personality traits. 

Stress vs. Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are sometimes misconstrued because of the similarities in symptoms. However, while stress is a natural physical or mental response to challenging situations, anxiety is more of a stress reaction, even when there's no threat present. Additionally, anxiety generally persists even when the source is gone, but both can cause: 

• Muscle tension 
• Increased heart rate 
• Trouble breathing 
• Difficult concentration 
• Insomnia 
• Irritability 
• Head and body aches 
• high blood pressure 

What Is the Connection Between Stress and Addiction?

We briefly mentioned that individuals trying to cope with stress sometimes turn to substance use. Self-medicating like this is extremely risky. Not only can it lead to dependency but it can also cause the development of other mental and physical health conditions. The best way to deal with stress is to find healthy coping techniques. 

Influence of Stress on Mental and Physical Health

We mentioned some of the symptoms stress can cause. Leaving stress unmanaged can be extremely dangerous. It can cause people to feel hopeless or helpless and often leads to the development of depression and anxiety. 

Unmanaged stress also influences our physical health. Some physical influences of stress may include the following: 

• Cardiovascular issues that increase chances of stroke and heart disease 
• A weakened immense system, which makes the body more vulnerable to sickness
• Chances in reproduction health, like irregular menstrual cycles, reduced sperm production, or sexual dysfunction 
• Cognitive impairments that make it harder to concentrate, solve problems, and remember things  
• Obesity caused by hormonal imbalances and increases in food consumption as a stress response 

Tips and Tricks for Managing the Influence of Stress Without Substance Use

Avoiding these influences of stress on the body is possible but involves learning healthy ways to manage stress. Thankfully, there are tips and tricks to help you do that, which consist of: 

• Mindfulness and meditation practices to help clear the mind and stay calm 
• Taking on hobbies that help distract you from stress, triggers, and cravings 
• Exercising to release endorphins and improve mental and physical health 
• Eating healthy foods helps improve mood and reduce stress 
• Prioritizing quality sleep to allow your mind and body time to heal 

The influence of stress can cause harm to our mental and physical well-being. Taking care of yourself is the most effective way to counteract these negative effects. Take the first step toward caring for yourself by learning more about stress and seeking treatment at West Coast Recovery Centers today! 

We all have a natural response to change and challenging situations. That natural response is called stress. Though we all experience it, everyone responds to it differently. Unfortunately, many of us struggle with managing stress, which can sometimes lead to chronic stress and the development of mental health conditions like anxiety. Stress can also lead to the development of physical health conditions if unmanaged. Some people turn to substance use to cope. However, this quickly leads to dependency. The best way to counteract the negative influence of stress is to learn healthy ways to cope with it. West Coast Recovery Centers can help you do that while helping you heal from active addiction. Call (760) 492-6509 to begin healing today!