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Choosing the Right Provider
If you or a loved one have struggles with stress, it is important for you to know that many treatment options are available.
We connect you with Licensed clinicians who match your needs and goals.
Your clinician performs a thorough evaluation of your symptoms and develops a personalized treatment plan.
Your clinician maintains a proper level of care through therapy sessions while staying connected with your support system. If appropriate, your clinician can refer you to a psychiatric clinician at LifeStance for evaluation and medication management.
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What Is Stress?
Stress is a normal part of even the healthiest people’s lives. It can, however, become so intense that it interferes with someone’s quality of life. Patients with an unhealthy amount of stress benefit from learning coping mechanisms treatment focused on stress management.
Stress is natural and even useful in many circumstances. After all, stress is an evolutionary trait that served as a protective strategy for our early ancestors. Today, we do not face the same dangers as ancient humans, but we still have many of the same psychological responses, including stress.
Stress today is triggered by things such as relationships, jobs, or money. Stress can also occur in highly traumatic environments, first serving to protect the individual but then, in some cases, leading to mental disorders such as PTSD.
What are the Different Types of Stress?
Stress can be acute, chronic or episodic, and patients can experience multiple forms of this disorder, with the stress being so intense that it interferes with the person’s quality of life. Any type of stress can lead to physical distress, as well, including weight loss, insomnia, and other physiological responses.
Long-term challenges such as jobs or relationships can cause Chronic Stress Disorder. A patient with this type of stress experiences it frequently for extended periods of time. It also elevates the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in the body. This physical reaction can leave the patient unable to relax or even sleep. Eventually, the patient may also develop an anxiety disorder.
Sometimes an unexpected event can cause a stress disorder. The sudden loss of a job or loved one, for example, can lead to what is known as Acute Stress Disorder. In acute stress disorder, the trigger is a single, relatively brief event. The stress reaction to this, however, continues long after the inciting trauma. Acute stress can last for days or weeks but is not long-term like chronic stress.
Stress hormones in the patient can rise for several days after the trauma. Anything less than three days may simply be a normal stress response to that trauma. When acute stress continues for longer than a month, the patient may have an anxiety disorder.
Episodic Acute Stress Disorder occurs when an individual experiences recurrent episodes of acute stress reactions triggered by various stressors over time. Unlike Acute Stress Disorder, where the response is tied to a single event, episodic acute stress can arise from multiple, often unpredictable incidents, such as repeated job losses, relationship breakdowns, or ongoing life pressures. Each episode may involve intense symptoms such as flashbacks, anxiety, and hypervigilance, lasting for days or weeks, yet the individual may not experience these symptoms continuously.
Treatment Options for Stress Management
Treatment options for unhealthy stress include a range of approaches to support healthier coping, from therapy and lifestyle changes to, when needed, medication.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, commonly referred to as CBT, is one of the most popular interventions for unhealthy stress. In CBT, patients learn to alter their negative thought patterns so that they can experience more balanced and healthier lives.
Patients can also make changes to their lifestyles that help with unhealthy levels of stress. An overworked individual, for example, might learn to delegate. Introducing exercise into one’s life can also be an effective way to create change when it comes to stress. A therapist can help a patient identify the best techniques for the individual.
In severe cases, a psychiatric clinician may consider prescribing anti-anxiety medications. While these can be effective, there can also be negative side effects. A patient and his or her clinician must weigh the risks and benefits in considering medication for stress.
Online Treatment Options for Stress Management
Online appointments are an additional way for therapists and psychiatric clinicians to provide mental health services to those suffering with stress who cannot come into an office for in-person appointments.
The interactions during an online appointment are essentially the same as when done in-person; the only difference is that it is being conducted online via your computer, phone, or tablet. There are many benefits to offering this option to patients, including convenience, cost, and the opportunity for family members or other professionals to participate, if appropriate.
Stress Management FAQs
Stress elevates the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in your body. This physical reaction can make you feel unable to calm down. If stress goes untreated for a long time, an anxiety disorder can be developed in some cases.
It can. The stress hormones your body releases can speed up your metabolism, causing you to burn calories faster. In some cases, prolonged stress may lead to depression, which can also cause unhealthy weight loss.
Stress can lead to developing physical symptoms such as chest pain, headaches, or an upset stomach. Everyone feels stress, but the way you respond to it can make a big difference in your overall well-being.
Sudden stress can cause a quick, steep rise in blood pressure, while frequent spikes in blood pressure due to chronic, ongoing stress can permanently damage your blood vessels, heart, and kidneys over time.
