Killer stress signs

There is much more practical data on the effects of stress that cannot only help you perform better, but help you sidestep any major health issues that may cause permanent damage to your body. Sometimes, we think that our body can take anything, and we ignore all the warning signs to our peril.

Stress impairs the immune system and triggers our fight or flight response, which causes your heart rate to increase and your blood pressure to rise. An extreme example of stress is the loss of a loved one. Elisabeth Kubler Ross originally proposed the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These emotions may run deeper than you realize, and can be triggered for up to months after. All it takes is any simple reminder of the person lost or the circumstances of their passing.

Stress can reach such dangerous levels that one may start to experience any or a combination of the warning signs of a heart attack. These include discomfort, heaviness or a burning sensation in the chest; shortness of breath, excessive sweating even in cool conditions, and regular nausea or dizziness. Other symptoms could be numbness or a drifting sensation in the arms, numbness or lack of response in the shoulders, arms, back of the neck or other areas and slurring. These manifestations should not be taken lightly. See a doctor right away to determine the real cause. Better safe than sorry. 

In the original Stress Inventory published by Thomas H. Holmes and Richard Rahe in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, you are given a list of the 30 most stressful life events, each with a corresponding value. You are asked to check off all the events on the list that occurred in your life within the last year and total the value. For example, death of a spouse is on top of the list with a value of 100 points. This is followed by divorce, marital separation, death of a close family member and so on, all the way down to minor violation of the law, which carries a corresponding value of 11 points.

If you total over 300 points on the index, you are under major stress and have an 80 percent chance of illness or health change. From 200 to 299 points, you have moderate stress and a 50 percent chance of your health suffering. A decade ago, I took this test and registered over 500 points. That awareness probably saved my life.

The worst thing one can do when under extreme stress or loss is to keep it to yourself and withdraw from friends and family. 

“Spend some time alone if you must – wanting private time to grieve is understandable – but don’t lose touch with the social and spiritual connections that can be so pivotal to recovery,” advises Dr. Jeff Brown of Harvard Medical School. “Though it may feel like going through the motions when you stick to your routine, do it anyway. Go to work, attend classes and have dinner with friends, these are the things that will help you find your groove again.”

Brown has also compiled a list of symptoms of workplace stress. These range from having sleeping problems to general feelings of anxiousness, irritability and depression to loss of sex drive, grinding of teeth and use of drugs or alcohol as an escape. If you are experiencing any of these or more, it would be best to take a moment to understand what is causing the stress at work. You could isolate the problem to a troublesome boss or co-worker or even your own attitude. Knowing the root cause of the stress is half the battle won.

The American Institute of Stress lists the 50 most common signs and symptoms of stress. At the top of the list are frequent headaches, jaw clenching and physical pain. Dry mouth, cold or sweaty hands, rashes and other allergies are also among the symptoms. Fidgeting and a whole host of compulsive habits also may emerge. We all show stress in different ways. But once there are physical manifestations, it’s past time to do something about it. You could even consider something as extreme as changing jobs entirely.

As the saying goes, nobody on his deathbed said he wished he spent more time at work.

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