Stress Disorders and Panic Attacks

StephenPBarrett

I personally do not have any issues with stress. Sure I have stress at times but I'm always able to handle it pretty well. I understand that people have things called panic attacks and other stress disorders. I want to know more about these things because it is foreign to me. I know plenty of people who suffer from stress related disorders and panic attacks and have spoken with them on numberous occasions and have thus been able to gather a lot of information from their personal experiences as well as from various internet sources, however I would like to know about the experiences of Totse members. I'd also like to know what you do to real with stress.

blamehoffman

So, basically everyone has stressors in their lives, stress is a response to threats but also to changes in one's life (weddings for example are highly stressful). Alternatively there are also relievers from stress that people have to balance things out, things like sports, sex, video games, hobbies, social lives, etc. When the amount/sources of stress outweigh one's capacity to deal with stress via what I've termed "relievers" anxiety occurs. There are also cognitive factors that effect stress as well, mostly in the way of negative world view such as:

catastrophizing ("everything bad will only get worse and worse")
disqualifying the positive ("that complement was not sincere")
affirming the negative ("everyone really does hate me")
external locus of control (seeing oneself as at the mercy of the world)
assuming things are static or unchangeable

obviously these cognitive defecits are going to make one more susceptible to stress, so that when even minor things occur they may take them very hard, and this can make it difficult to devellop healthy living habits (i.e. those with alot of the aforementioned "relievers") and so it becomes a vicious cycle.

also, "minor" stressors such as fighting with friends/family/spouse or a shitty work/school environment that one might have to put up with, dont just go away, they build up overtime, so instead of saying "dont sweat the small stuff" maybe think about putting the effort into adressing those little things.

Thats what I can remember from school, personally I grew up in an abusive/stressful household which lead to poor coping strategies for stress (escapism) and by extension I was fucking up at school alot. because I would often get scapegoated with my family I develloped whats called "learned helplessness" so I would feel as if it never really mattered what I did or didnt do, so I never put the effort into developing "relievers". so without anywhere really to turn I learned to withdraw into myself, Im a real introvert and thinker so it was easy for me to jsut put up layers of protection, and eventually when highschool rolled around it became really hard to socialize and identify with other people because I always felt like if i let my guard down id just get humiliated/intimidated all over again like always. It wasnt until late highschool and university that I started to really adress the problems I was having, here are some tips:

- the brain feeds on novelty, so if you get stuck in a rut of routine it can help to try something new, even just exploring a new part of the city you havent been to or trying a creative medium
- dont be afraid to ask for help, if there are resources available to you, take them
-take initiative, the only thing that makes you helpless is thinking that you're helpless
- dont perpetuate the cycles of abuse, you might be feeling angry about the way you were treated but behaving in that way to someone else means that you wont adress the real problem, whats more is you'll become addicted to the power/security victimizing someone else gives you so the real source of your problems becomes more and more obscured to your vision. its a sliperey slope.
- try meditation

StephenPBarrett

That was a really good post sir. I actually learned a little about stress from you. As I stated before, I've never had problems with it my whole life. Hopefully I won't ever. However, if/when the day comes that I do I don't want to be caught off guard. By being able to recognize it soon and knowing more about it I can take care of the problem(s) causing the stress. Knowledge about the subject will also enable me to help those I know who have problems with stress and anxiety. To be honest I didn't really understand what anxiety was until now.

Smokingheavenly

Good comment. It reminds me a whole lot of my self. Meditating is something everyone should look into

RemadE

Cracking post there blamehoffman. I frequently go and explore new parts of the City I live in as well as utilise help from those who can offer it - even if it is on a mutual basis.
Will look into methods to initiate meditation. I managed to reach that state once and it was pure bliss. A real elevation above mortal goings-on. I reached that point in my life which no drug, emotion or activity short of meditation could allow me to.

Which is odd as I almost had a panic attack yesterday. Thank fuck for valium