Psychological symptoms
There are both physical and psychologic effects of stress and anxiety. The psychological effects can be more difficult to detect, but continued anxiety is likely to escalate and if not treated can fester and manifest itself as a severe deterioration in the individual's psychological well-being. Someone who is suffering from anxiety and stress may well tend towards poor temper and become quick to anger. He or she can begin to show a loss of interest in other aspects of their life. When we are under stress and suffering from anxiety we can find it difficult to make reasoned decisions and think logically.
These psychological effects of anxiety are not unrelated to the physical effects. The brain releases hormones, which in turn stimulate the adrenal gland, which releases cortisol into the body.During the body's 'flight or fight' response, discussed elsewhere, increased levels of cortisol are released. When our stress response is triggered too frequently we can suffer as a result because our body is not given enough time to recover from the increase in cortisol. In contrast, the normal levels of cortisol, in an individual who is not suffering from anxiety, will rise and fall during an average day but always allow the body adequate recovery time.
High levels of anxiety will likely result in decreased memory function, lead to a shorter attention span, sinking ability to think objectively and other deterioration of our intellectual abilities. Once catastophic thinking styles take a grip on our brain, our ability to deal with everyday problems in a rational manner can slide. This will lead to frustration, a sense of injustice, a depressed mood and other negative emotions.
Stress and anxiety can often lead to this deterioration in an individual's mental well-being; they often result in depression, increase our fear of failure and push us towards the view that our destiny is bleak. These outcomes are, of course, extreme and should in no way be viewed as inevitable.
We can shift our focus towards the root cause of our stress and anxiety, evaluate the contributing factors realistically and maintain perspective and a balanced viewpoint surrounding the possible consequences. By doing this we can reduce our anxiety before it reaches a chronic stage. For example, you may find that the stress of your workplace is taking an unreasonable toll on your family life. In this case, maybe you can gain a sense of perspective about your situation. You cab find another job but your health and family life might not be so easy to regain if your anxiety levels reach critical mass.
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