9781422272435

that demands exceed the personal resources the individual can mobilize… Stress is ubiquitous and follows us everywhere. Since there is simply no avoiding it, the task for mental health professionals has become to further our understanding to improve management in our patients and in ourselves. 2 Stress in and of itself does not carry any type of diagnosis of a mental disorder, but it is closely linked to mental health in a number of key ways. Stress also can be an indicator that another condition may be at play. Pay Attention to Stress Even though stress is common and is somewhat of a natural part of life that we all experience, it is important to learn all we can about stress and its impact on our lives. Events that occur naturally can be hazardous and harmful, like hurricanes, arsenic, and snake venom. Likewise, stress can be harmful to us in certain situations. Stress is not something to ignore. Instead, we need to learn how stress affects us and adapt to it. Stress is something we cannot escape. In fact, turning a blind eye to stress could prove dangerous. “Stress can cause mental health problems and make existing problems worse. For example, when a person struggles to manage feelings of stress, he or she might develop a mental health problem like anxiety or depression. Mental health problems can cause stress. You might find coping with the day-to-day symptoms of your mental health problem, managing medication, and scheduling healthcare appointments or treatments become extra sources of stress. This can start to feel like a vicious circle, and it might be hard to see where stress ends and your mental health problem begins.” 3 This is the basic cycle that stress can lead to. Ignoring the causes and impacts of stress only make the symptoms worse. The only way to deal with stress in a healthy and constructive way is to face it,

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Behavioral Disorders: Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders