Mental Stress, Depression, Mental Tension,Treatment remedies and Ayurveda cure

MENTAL STRESS, Depression, Mental Tension,

Stress, in everyday terms, is a feeling that people have when they are overloaded and struggling to cope with demands.

These demands can be related to finances, work, relationships, and other situations, but anything that poses a real or perceived challenge or threat to a person's well-being can cause stress.

Stress can be a motivator. It can be essential to survival. The "fight-or-flight" mechanism can tell us when and how to respond to danger. However, if this mechanism is triggered too easily, or when there are too many stressors at one time, it can undermine a person's mental and physical health and become harmful.

According to the annual stress survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA), average stress levels in the United States (U.S.) rose from 4.9 to 5.1 on a scale from 1 to 10 in 2015. The main reasons given are employment and money.

Fast facts on stress:

Here are some key points about stress. More detail is in the main article.

Stress helps the body prepare to face danger.

The symptoms can be both physical and psychological.

Short-term stress can be helpful, but long-term stress is linked to various health conditions.

We can prepare for stress by learning some self-management tips.

What is stress?

Each person responds to stress in a different way, but too much stress can lead to health problems.

Each person responds to stress in a different way, but too much stress can lead to health problems.

Stress is the body's natural defense against predators and danger. It flushes the body with hormones to prepare systems to evade or confront danger. This is known as the "fight-or-flight" mechanism.

When we are faced with a challenge, part of our response is physical. The body activates resources to protect us by preparing us either to stay and fight or to get away as fast as possible.

The body produces larger quantities of the chemicals cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. These trigger an increased heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, sweating, and alertness. All these factors improve the ability to respond to a hazardous or challenging situation.

Factors of the environment that trigger this reaction are called stressors. Examples include noises, aggressive behavior, a speeding car, scary moments in movies, or even going out on a first date. The more stressors we experience, the more stressed we tend to feel.

Changes to the body

Stress slows normal bodily functions, such as the digestive and immune systems. All resources can then be concentrated on rapid breathing, blood flow, alertness, and muscle use.

The body changes in the following ways during stress:

blood pressure and pulse rate rise

breathing is faster

the digestive system slows down

immune activity decreases

the muscles become tense

a heightened state of alertness prevents sleep

How we react to a difficult situation will affect how stress affects us and our health?. 

A person who feels they do not have enough resources to cope will be more likely to have a stronger reaction, and one that can trigger health problems. Stressors affect individuals in different ways.

Some experiences that are generally considered positive can lead to stress, such as having a baby, going on a trip, moving to a nicer house, and being promoted.

This is because they often involve a major change, extra effort, new responsibilities, and a need for adaptation. They are also steps into the unknown. The person wonders if they will cope.

A persistently negative response to challenges can have a detrimental effect on health and happiness. However, being aware of how you react to stressors can help reduce the negative feelings and effects of stress, and to manage it more effectively.

Types of Stress

The APA recognizes three different types of stress that require different levels of management.

Acute stress

This type of stress is short-term and is the most common way that stress occurs. Acute stress is often caused by thinking about the pressures of events that have recently occurred, or upcoming demands in the near future.

For example, if you have recently been involved in an argument that has caused upset or have an upcoming deadline, you may feel stress about these triggers. However, the stress will be reduced or removed once these are resolved.

It does not cause the same amount of damage as long-term, chronic stress. Short-term effects include tension headaches and an upset stomach, as well as a moderate amount of distress.

However, repeated instances of acute stress over a long period can become chronic and harmful.

Episodic acute stress

People who frequently experience acute stress, or whose lives present frequent triggers of stress, have episodic acute stress.

A person with too many commitments and poor organization can find themselves displaying episodic stress symptoms. These include a tendency to be irritable and tense, and this irritability can affect relationships. Individuals that worry too much on a constant basis can also find themselves facing this type of stress.

This type of stress can also lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Chronic stress

This is the most harmful type of stress and grinds away over a long period.

Ongoing poverty, a dysfunctional family, or an unhappy marriage can cause chronic stress. It occurs when a person never sees an escape from the cause of stress and stops seeking solutions. Sometimes, it can be caused by a traumatic experience early in life.

Chronic stress can continue unnoticed, as people can become used to it, unlike acute stress that is new and often has an immediate solution. It can become part of an individual's personality, making them constantly prone to the effects of stress regardless of the scenarios they come up against.

People with chronic stress are likely to have a final breakdown that can lead to suicide, violent actions, heart attacks, and strokes.

Causes

We all react differently to stressful situations. What is stressful to one person may not be stressful to another. Almost anything can cause stress. For some people, just thinking about something or several small things can cause stress.

Common major life events that can trigger stress include:

job issues or retirement

lack of time or money

bereavement

family problems

illness

moving home

relationships, marriage, and divorce

Other commonly reported causes of stress are:

Different situations can trigger stress for different people.

Different situations can trigger stress for different people.

abortion or miscarriage

driving in heavy traffic or fear of an accident

fear of crime or problems with neighbors

pregnancy and becoming a parent

excessive noise, overcrowding, and pollution

uncertainty or waiting for an important outcome

Some situations will affect some people and not others. Past experience can impact how a person will react.

Sometimes, there is no identifiable cause. Mental health issues, such as depression, or an accumulated sense of frustration and anxiety, can make some people feel stressed more easily than others.

Some people experience ongoing stress after a traumatic event, such as an accident or some kind of abuse. This is known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those who work in stressful jobs, such as the military or the emergency services, will have a debriefing session following a major incident, and they will be monitored for PTSD.

Symptoms

The physical effects of stress include:

sweating

pain in the back or chest

cramps or muscle spasms

erectile dysfunction and loss of libido

fainting

headache

heart disease

high blood pressure

lower immunity against diseases

muscular aches

nervous twitches

pins and needles

sleeping difficulties

stomach upset

A 2012 study suggested that the stressors experienced by parents, such as financial troubles or managing a single-parent household, can lead to obesity in their children.

Emotional reactions can include:

anger

anxiety

burnout

concentration issues

depression

fatigue

a feeling of insecurity

forgetfulness

irritability

nail biting

restlessness

sadness

Behaviors linked to stress include:

food cravings and eating too much or too little

sudden angry outbursts

drug and alcohol abuse

higher tobacco consumption

social withdrawal

frequent crying

relationship problems

stress affect the skin

stress can lead to a skin rash

Diagnosis

A doctor will normally diagnose stress by asking the patient about symptoms and life events.

Diagnosis is complex. It depends on many factors. Questionnaires, biochemical measures, and physiological techniques have been used, but these may not be objective or effective.

The most direct way to diagnose stress and its effects on a person is through a comprehensive, stress-oriented, face-to-face interview.

Treatment

Treatment includes self-help and, in instances where the stress is caused by an underlying condition, certain medications.

Therapies that may help to induce relaxation include aromatherapy or reflexology.

Some insurance providers cover this type of treatment, but be sure to check before pursuing this treatment.

Medicines

Doctors will not usually prescribe medications for coping with stress, unless the patient has an underlying illness, such as depression or a type of anxiety.

In that case, the doctor is treating a mental illness and not the stress.

In such cases, an antidepressant may be prescribed. However, there is a risk that the medication will only mask the stress, rather than help you deal and cope with it. Antidepressants can also have adverse effects.

Developing some coping strategies before stress hits can help an individual manage new situations and maintain physical and mental health. If you are already experiencing overwhelming stress, seek medical help.

Management

Here are a few lifestyle choices you can take to manage or prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Masssage, yoga, or listening to music can help destress or prevent stress from building up.

Exercise: Studies have shown that exercise can benefit a person's mental and physical state.

Reducing intake of alcohol, drugs, and caffeine: These substances will not help prevent stress, and they can make it worse. They should be cut out or reduced.

Nutrition: A healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables helps maintain the immune system at times of stress. A poor diet will lead to ill health and additional stress.

Prioritizing:  Spend a little time organizing your to-do list to see what is most important. Then focus of what you have completed or accomplished for the day, rather than what you are yet to finish.

Time:  Set aside some time each day just for yourself. Use it to organize your life, relax, and pursue your own interests.

Breathing and relaxation: Meditation, massage, and yoga can help. Breathing and relaxation techniques can slow down the system and help you relax. Breathing is also a central part of mindfulness meditation.

Talking: Talking to family, friends, work colleagues, and your boss about your thoughts and worries will help you "let off steam." You may be comforted to find that you are "not the only one." You may even find there is an easy solution that you had not thought of.

Acknowledging the signs: A person can be so anxious about the problem that is causing the stress that they do not notice the effects on their body.

Noticing symptoms is the first step to taking action. People who experience work stress due to long hours may need to "take a step back." It may be time to review their own working practice or to talk to a supervisor about reducing the load.

Find your own de-stressor: Most people have something that helps them relax, such as reading a book, going for a walk, listening to music, or spending time with a friend or a pet. Joining a choir or a gym helps some people.

Establishing support networks: The APA encourage people to develop networks of social support, for example, by talking to neighbors and others in the local community, or joining a club, charity, or religious organization.

Even if you are not feeling stressed now, being part of a group can prevent stress from developing and provide support and practical help when hard times come.

Online social networking can help, as long as it does not replace face-to-face contact. It can allow you to stay in touch with friends and family who are far away, and this can reduce anxiety.

If the stress is affecting your daily life, you should seek professional help. A doctor or psychiatric specialist can often help, for example, through stress management training.

Stress management techniques

Stress management can help to:

remove or change the source of stress

alter the way you view a stressful event

lower the impact that stress might have on your body

learn alternative ways of coping

Stress management therapy pursues one or more of these approaches.

Techniques for stress management can be gained from self-help books, online resources, or by attending a stress management course. A counselor or psychotherapist can connect an individual who has stress with personal development courses or individual and group therapy sessions.

For your treatment need write us to drkkcure@gmail.com 

How Ayurveda Explains Stress

Stress, in ayurvedic terms, is intimately related to the balance of our three vital energies, or doshas — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. To a very great extent, our daily habits determine how harmoniously these doshas function. Maintaining them in good balance, especially in the face of everyday stresses, is like constantly fine-tuning a radio in bad weather to be able to get a clear signal.

Stress and its related problems crop up when we fail to "tune" our radios. But this "tuning" is easier — and more fun — to do, if we think about the instant and ample benefits it yields. For instance, if you stay warm in cold weather, you will make your Vata dosha feel balanced. If you avoid eating rice every day, you will make your Kapha dosha calmer. If you drink water throughout the day, your Pitta dosha will be happy. If you take the time to eat a good lunch, you will calm down all your doshas.

What to Do About Everyday Stress

Besides reading more about your doshas, there are some simple things you can do to sweep away daily stress. To begin with, take a good look at where your stresses are originating. Are the factors more external or internal?

External factors include things such as work pressures, financial problems, too small or too big a home, a nagging spouse or interfering in-laws.

Internal factors such as lack of sleep, loss of appetite, bad digestion, low self-esteem, or a pessimistic attitude toward life are no less stress-generating.

Good news. All of these factors are perfectly controllable. Nature offers us two basic options: fight, or flight. For most of us, flight is not really an option.

The challenge is to stay and play. Here is how you can do it:

Communicate: A great deal of stress piles up when we refuse to talk about it — even to ourselves. Each time we suppress stress, it piles up like a toxin inside our minds, and slowly seeps into our psyche. The deeper it filters into our consciousness, the more difficult it seems to get rid of it.

But even if you have so far been unwilling to admit to your stresses, you can improve the situation. Talk to someone you can confide in. Or take the time to write a journal and pour out your feelings to yourself. Learn Transcendental Meditation®. Sign up for yoga. Being among other people who are trying to find similar answers will make you feel you are not alone. You'll start thinking and feeling more positive.

Make a Checklist: At any time during your day, there are little jobs that require attention. When you are swamped with other, more important work, the little "things-to-do" start gnawing at your mind, often subconsciously. You would feel much better if you went ahead and did those things — for example, calling up your dentist to schedule an appointment, sending off an e-mail you've been meaning to write for three days, renewing a library book.

Each time you complete a small task, check it off your list. There's something very comforting about checking a "DONE" box! Break larger projects into smaller ones so they're not so overwhelming. Each time you do this, you will free up your mind so it can relax for a while.

Turn to Nature: Bring more herbs into your life. Grow them on your windowsill, or start an herb garden — most herbs grow wonderfully well in containers. Brew herbal beverages, or try Dr.K.K'S range of gourmet mind-body teas such as Be Trim Tea, Worry Free Tea, and Sniffle Free Tea. Made from the purest, most healing herbs available today, these teas are not only flavorful but also wonderfully calming. Take a bath using such relaxation-inducing essential oils as lavender, chamomile or jasmine.

Eat meals that are high in fresh, natural ingredients. It's amazing what a big difference your choice of food can make in helping you cope with stress. A morning cup of coffee may be a habit you cannot seem to give up, but caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to release the stress neurotransmitters, which, over time, tires them. Also, those refined carbs you eat for breakfast — bagel, donut, rolls — and the sugar in your coffee affect your blood-sugar levels, which can cause your emotions to swing like a pendulum.

Therefore, don't start your day with coffee. Start with a stewed apple. Replace store-bought ready-to-eat pasta with whole grains. Eat less of yeast-based bread; make more fresh bread. Avoid hard, aged cheeses — eat fresh homemade cottage cheese or paneer. Don't buy pre-sliced or canned fruit and veggies. Buy them from a local farmer's market, process them fresh, and cook them the same day. Don't buy vegetable oil; bring home a jar of ghee or cook in sunflower oil. Give your health a boost with herbal supplement made from herbs and fruits. It strengthens the immune system, soothes the nerves, and increases ojas — or essential energy.

In these simple ways, you will slowly throw out stress and bring more bliss into your life.

For best treatment and guidance write to drkkcure@gmail.com