EVIDENCE-BASED COUNSELLING AND HELP FOR STRESS

Stress is our normal reaction to threat or danger. Often triggering what is commonly known as the fight or flight response, stress releases hormones that raise our heartbeat and increase our vigilance or alertness. The stress response is itself a desirable and necessary part of human survival.

It becomes a problem, however, when the on and off button for our stress response gets stuck in the on position. We experience the heightened vigilance and physiological symptoms even when there is no objective danger. The constant flood of hormones that make us feel tense, alert, and on edge keeps coming, despite our best efforts to turn the switch off.

Stress can manifest itself in many ways, and often affect people in very different ways. It mainly affects us physically, emotionally, cognitively, and behaviourally.

Some of the physical symptoms of stress are muscular tension, aches and pains, rapid heartbeat, digestive ailments such as constipation or diarrhoea, or problems with sexual libido or functioning.

Emotional symptoms include irritability, being quick to anger, lashing out, being moody or agitated, being unable to relax, or feeling lonely, isolated, or overwhelmed.

Symptoms of stress also affect how our brains work: we may find ourselves worrying to the point of distraction, ruminating on past or future events, showing unclear or poor judgment, forgetfulness, or whirling thoughts.

Stress can lead to behavioural changes. Some use or abuse alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes; some binge on food while others have no appetite; some sleep more than usual, some experience insomnia. Other symptoms of stress include isolating yourself, procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities, overworking, or engaging in nervous habits such as nail biting, pacing, or even picking at one’s skin or hair.

Although work, relationship and all kinds of stress seem to be built into our lives these days, there are ways to manage or get relief from your stress. Stress management is largely a matter of making small changes in our daily habits and in the way we think.

Though the stressors we experience are undoubtedly real, it is easy to lose a sense of perspective. Our minds tend toward catastrophic thinking (assuming the worst); all or nothing thinking (I have to get everything done; otherwise nothing will get done); perfectionism (if I don’t do everything for my child, I’m a failure as a parent); and so on.

Dealing with stress is often a matter of shifting our minds from these extremes to accepting the grey areas in which we can accept the uncertainties of life, our lack of complete control, the good enough parenting.

These are admittedly difficult habits to break since our environment seems to encourage us to think in extremes. At Angus Munro Psychology our therapists work with many clients struggling with finding a realistic and manageable balance where they don’t have to compromise performance and efficiency for more comfort. We practice a wide range of techniques and different forms of psychotherapies to help you control your chronic stress level, for the purpose of improving your daily life functioning.

Thankfully, yes. Some of the short- and long-term treatments we provide, for example, include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and Schema Therapy, to name just a few.

These are evidence-based treatments that have proven to be extremely effective in providing relief—for work stress, personal issues, emotional difficulties, and life changes. Our Sydney-based practice is known for its cutting-edge psychological treatments, and our psychologists work with each individual to find a treatment that will address their immediate needs and that will help them make changes in their mental and physical habits.

Many people think that because stress is a part of life, they should be able to deal with it on their own. We believe that stress is a psychological condition that, like depression and anxiety, is complex and multi-faceted. Asking for help from a psychologist or therapist can provide immediate relief, and treatments are long lasting because they give you the skills to deal with challenges large and small. Treatment not only provides relief; it also positively affects your future quality of life and your happiness.