Are You Too Stressed? Watch Out For These Emotional Signs

Stress. We all experience it at some point in our lives and these have emotional signs. Stress is more common than you want it too—sometimes, more so than others, and often, too often than we can handle. Still, it’s all too common for many of us.

What we may not realize is, too much stress have both physical and emotional symptoms. In this article, we’d take a look at some of the emotional signs of stress and what we can do to manage them.

Signs of Emotional Signs of Stress

Here are the signs of emotional signs of stress:

1. Depression. Depression is defined by an illness in which a person experiences persistent and severe low mood. Studies show that both chronic and acute stress contribute to an increased incidence of depression in women. This is true also among the working age population, where depression is more common among people with higher levels of stress.
   
2. Anxiety. This is characterized by an overwhelming feeling of dread, not just sadness. However, similar to depression, anxiety is also associated with high levels of stress. A study showed that those who have high levels of stress at work experience more symptoms of depression and anxiety.
   
3. Irritability. Irritability and anger are common traits in people who commonly encounter high-stress situations. There are studies that link high levels to increased risks of stress-related heart attack. Anger management techniques can help reduce stress-related feelings that leave you tense, frustrated, irritable, and angry.
   
4. Low sex drive. Too much stress can have a negative impact on a person’s sex drive. This can also cause intimacy issues. In a study in 2014, it’s been found that chronic stress levels has a negative effect on sexual arousal. Stress can leave you at a higher chance of easily being distracted as well, leading to lower levels of arousal.
   
5. Memory and concentration problems. If you find yourself having a hard time focusing, stress may be a factor. Researchers found that there are certain hormones that follow a stressful or traumatic event in a person’s life, which can have the ability to impair memory.
   
6. Compulsive behavior. There’s a strong link between stress and addictive behaviors. Many people tend to resort to substances, such as alcohol and illicit drugs, in order to cope with stressful situations. Studies have shown how chronic stress can cause changes in the brain, which then results in in being more prone to habit- and addiction-forming behaviors.
   
7. Mood swings. Stress can have a big, lasting impact on a person’s well-being and mood. Serious mood swings can also be a red flag that you need professional help.

Stress in inevitable. It’s important for you to learn health coping mechanisms as well as stress-reducing techniques to help decrease the emotional symptoms of stress. This will also help avoid addiction-forming behavior, such as resorting to drugs or alcohol.

It’s important to stay in shape, both emotionally and physically.

And if you’re already dependent on substances, know that there’s help. You can speak with our team at Bridges of Hope.