Transcript File
WHAT IS STRESS? WHEN A PERSON CAN NO LONGER COPE WITH A NUMBER OF THINGS TO DO AND THEREFORE BECOME PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY UNHEALTHY. THIS USUALLY OCCURS OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME TYPE 1 STRESS: BAD STRESS • An overload of the hormone adrenaline caused by emotions like fear, anger and frustration • This has a physical, mental and emotional effect on us • This has become a problem among teenagers health WHAT CAUSES BAD STRESS: STRESSORS ♦ Changes due to puberty ♦ Complications in relationships ♦ Demands from school ♦ Changing/moving schools ♦ Safety and security ♦ Responsibilities ♦ Divorce ♦ Death of a loved one ♦ Financial problems ♦ Chronic illness ♦ Negative thoughts and feelings BAD STRESS? TOO MUCH CAUSES: Tenseness Distress Anger Unhappiness Frustration GOOD STRESS also known as eustress gets you started Offers you a challenge Keeps you going After a project you feel a great sense of achievement WHY DO WE NEED SOME GOOD STRESS? It comes from exciting experiences and stops us from getting bored TYPE 2 STRESS: POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER Is an anxiety disorder based on how a person responds in the long term to a traumatic event You start to suffer from PTSD after three months after the traumatic experience PTSD can last for a few months to a few years depending on the person SYMPTOMS OF PTSD Continually re-experiencing the traumatic event Forgetting the event all together Feeling disinterested and detached from everyday life Severe depression Severe anxiety Extreme helplessness Compulsions and obsessions Insomnia Panic attacks Angry out bursts MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS Become jittery Confused most of the time Become angry and moody Skin can start to break out Stop eating healthily but eat junk to keep yourself going Tend to pick up weight or lose too much weight SYMPTOMS OF STRESS? FIRST STAGE: Constant irritation with people Difficulty making decisions Have hardly any sense of humour Cannot concentrate Lack of interest (in any hobbies or activities outside work) Feel tired (even after an early night) Find it increasingly difficult to wake up in the morning SYMPTOMS OF STRESS? SECOND STAGE: ♣ Lack of appetite ♣ Crave food when under pressure ♣ Chronic insomnia (wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 AM and cannot resume sleep for over several hours) ♣ Biting of nails ♣ Nervous twitches ♣ Headaches and migraines ♣ Eczema and asthma ♣ Sweat for no apparent reason SYMPTOMS OF STRESS? THIRD STAGE: o Change in appetite and weight o Change in sleep patterns o Restlessness o Inactivity o Fatigue o Loss of energy o On-going feeling of guilt and worthlessness o Depressed mood and feeling down IMPACTS STRESS HAS ON THE BODY: ANOREXIA Stress can cause one’s appetite to change drastically causing one to not eat healthy or even at all. OBESITY Stress can cause one’s appetite to change drastically causing one to over eat the wrong foods to keep their energy levels up to cope with the amount of work to do DEPRESSION This can be caused because one’s moods are constantly changing and the high levels of stress can causes one’s moods to drop so low that they become depressed. Depressed people tend to think of suicide and in some way harming themselves which can cause a serious problem. INSOMNIA Insomnia can be a problem because the less one sleeps the more stressed they become because their bodies are over exhausted and they start to get serious mood swings and then start having problems sleeping DANGERS OF STRESS Self mutilation can develop hypertension Can be prone to injury much easier Can cause a nervous breakdown resulting in one not being able to cope with day-to-day problems Can cause impotence Immune system can crash and becomes weakened MANAGING STRESS o Relaxation o Empowerment o Positive thinking o Avoid self medication EMPOWERMENT STRATEGIES • One can pray • Read • Go soul searching • Meditate • Write poetry • Write in a journal/diary RELAXATION TECHNIQUES ♠ Deep breathing ♠ Listening to classical music ♠ Muscle relaxation ♠ Visualisation ♠ Yoga ♠ Sleeping ♠ Singing ♠ Body massage ♠ Acupuncture THE ROAD TO RECOVERY TALKING Talking to loved ones, peers and/or professionals can help one to understand why what happened, happened. It can also help to seal the wound and torment of the traumatic event TEARS Through crying one can release all the pain and grief that they are going through. Tears are like the rain putting out the forest fire but only in our hearts. “it is sweet to mingle tears with fears, grief's, where they wound in solitude, wound more deeply” - Seneca, Roman Philosopher, Political Leader and author of tragedies TIME Time heals all wounds. Time is the most important aspect of recovery. It takes time for one to feel comfortable and it provides an opportunity for reflection. It allows people to look back on the challenges they have overcome and it makes them realise their strength and perseverance to push through the hard times.