Stress presents in many forms
If the circumstances of your life have induced thoughts relating to higher levels of anxiety about the future, then higher levels of Adrenalin are produced everywhere in the body at the same time creating a number of responses as the body tries to cope with the “abnormal” biochemical imbalance.
In normal circumstances the stimulus for the anxiety would dissipate quickly and thus the physical reaction. But when you place yourself in an environment which induces continuous anxiety, perhaps about your future or your family, then the body must modify the way it handled that anxiety. In doing so it will change the way it uses energy, chemicals from food, how it manufactures essential components of the hormones and neurotransmitters and the kind of food that you need to cope. If you have been under stress inducing circumstances for some time then you are now likely to be aware of some of these physiological reactions beginning to appear, and perhaps getting worse. Symptoms include the following.
Stress Symptoms resulting from long term high anxiety levels
- Lack of energy – lethargy. Do you find it difficult to get
- out of bed in the morning and/or are you always tired?
- Poor balance or episodes of dizziness. Do you sometimes
- feel unstable on your feet?
- Poor concentration – do you sometimes feel you are trying
- to “think through a fog”?
- Poor memory – and probably getting worse!
- Poor perceptions – visual and/or auditory distortions. Having
- trouble reading or do shapes seem to change for you? Does the world
- seem to get brighter or darker at times without reason?
- High anxiety levels – panic attacks
- Large swings in moods – depression is common
- Cravings for sweet foods – often resulting in feeling better
- for a while, followed by a headache or depression.
Such symptoms in themselves tend to increase anxiety levels because you notice them and think that something “may be wrong”, or if they are bad enough, that you are going mad. Sometimes suicidal ideation surfaces and creates more worry, and of course, the higher the anxiety the more symptoms are produced. The anxiety cycle has begun, locking you into an emotional and physical downward spiral. Fortunately it is relatively easy to correct, even after twenty or thirty years with these high levels of anxiety.