Listening to the Signs of Overwhelming Stress
Overwhelming stress can quietly take a toll on us long before we realize what’s happening. We often become obsessed with the things we can no longer control. We find ourselves in a never-ending spiral, unsure of how to pull ourselves out of it. Our health and our enjoyment of life are often hurt or lost. We lose hope.
Becoming aware of stress early, before it begins to shape our health, relationships, and sense of hope, is an important step in caring for ourselves. There are many ways people react to overwhelming stress, which generally fall into three categories: emotional reactions, behavioral reactions, and physical reactions.
Emotional Reactions
Emotional reactions may not always be easy to see, but they impact almost every moment of our lives. They can show up as situational stress, increased anxiety or depressive symptoms.
Situational Stress
Situational Stress is an emotional response to a real or perceived threat. It occurs when we think “I have to solve this problem or something bad is going to happen”. These types of situations usually have an ending. We find a solution to the problem and the stress disappears. Situational stress can cause short-term health problems.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. It is typically about an upcoming event or an unknown outcome. It can sometimes lead to compulsive behaviors or panic attacks.
Some signs of Anxiety are:
Excessive worry
Sleep problems: Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep or waking up feeling wired with your mind racing without being able to calm yourself down.
Irrational fears: These may not always be obvious. In fact, they may not surface until we face a specific situation and discover we are incapable of overcoming our fear.
Muscle tension: Near constant muscle tension like clenching your jaw or balling your fists
Chronic indigestion: Irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and/or diarrhea
Self-consciousness
Panic Attacks
Compulsive behaviors: Either mental (like telling ourselves “It’ll be alright” over and over again), or physical (like constantly straightening things over and over again).
Depression
Depression is a feeling of deep, deep sadness, despondency, and dejection. It negatively affects how we feel, the way we think, and how we act. It causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in things we used to enjoy. It is especially common among people facing chronic illness or major life stressors.
Some signs of depression are:
Always feeling sad
Loss of interest or pleasure in things we once enjoyed
Changes in appetite: Weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Loss of energy or increased fatigue
Increase in purposeless physical activity like hand-wringing and pacing or slowed movements and speech
Feeling worthless or guilty
Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
Thoughts of death or suicide
Behavioral Reactions
Behavioral reactions are often easier to notice. They are often noticed by our family, friends, and those closest to us.
Addiction: To alcohol, drug, cigarettes, overeating, gambling, etc. This list is endless.
Aggression: This can be minor and temporary, or it can evolve into frequent volatile mood swings. It can be abusive toward others or toward ourselves.
Insomnia: Our thoughts may spiral out of control in the quiet of night.
Inability to Stay Awake: Stress and tension cause our brains to work overtime and may create excessive fatigue, especially during the day.
Withdrawal: Our self-esteem and confidence take a hit. We may no longer believe in our ability to cope with social situations and begin to shut down and isolate.
Physical Responses
Many of us don’t realize how strongly anxiety and depression can affect the body. Because our nervous systems are already in a weakened state, this damage can be more severe on us than on those who are not on dialysis. There are a lot of overlapping issues involved with anxiety and depression.
Some physical responses that are often experienced are:
Headaches
Muscle Aches: Pain and/or decreased range of motion
Bodily Damage: Both internal and external
Stomach issues
Changes in vision
Loss of our ability to breathe naturally
Damage to our hearts
Damage to our nervous system
Damage to our reproductive system
Increased risk of certain cancers
Stress responses are not signs of weakness or failure, they are signals from the nervous system that something needs attention, support, or care. Becoming aware of how stress shows up emotionally, behaviorally, and physically allows us to respond with more compassion rather than self-criticism.
The goal is not to eliminate stress entirely, but to notice it earlier, listen to what it’s communicating, and seek support before it becomes overwhelming.