Millions of people are affected by stresses they don’t fully recognize. According to David D. Clarke, MD, a clinical professor at Oregon Health & Science University. There are five types of hidden stresses:
1. Stress in life at the moment
2. Prolonged effects of stress from childhood
3. Depression
4. Post-Traumatic Stress
5. Anxiety Disorder Clarke say, "in 50-60% of patients seeing a primary care clinician, no cause for their symptoms can be found with diagnostic tests. Most of these illnesses are due to hidden stresses in the patient’s life.
Identification and understanding of the hidden forces that conspire to undermine progress is fundamental to reaching a person’s full potential." The following is a list of clues to the presence of one or more of these Hidden Stresses. The numbers that follow each item indicate the type of hidden stress that may be connected.
* You have an illness not explained by medical tests. Physical symptoms may include pain almost anywhere, fatigue, bowel problems, difficulty breathing, dizziness and many others. (1,2,3,4,5) * You would feel sorry for a friend who was facing the same stresses you are struggling with. (1) * You care for everyone else in your world but rarely take time for yourself. (1,2) * You would never want an innocent child to grow up experiencing what you did as a child. (2) * You have lost interest or pleasure in activity you previously enjoyed. (3) * You feel depressed, down or sad much of the time. (3) * You are unable to control or stop feeling anxious, worried, on edge or nervous. (5) * You are bothered by unwanted memories from a traumatic, terrifying or horrifying personal experience. (2,4) * You have a low general energy level. (3) * You have an addiction or an eating disorder. (1,2) * You cut, burn or otherwise deliberately injure yourself. (1,2) * You always seem to find yourself in relationships where you are treated disrespectfully. (2) According to Clarke, the good news is that effective treatment is available for nearly all of these problems. Here is the list of hidden stresses again and measures that may help.
1. Stress in life at the moment
* Make a list of all the current stresses, then work on reducing some of them
* Take a few hours every week and do something fun and relaxing.
* Meditation, yoga 2. Prolonged effects of stress from childhood
* Appreciate the heroism it took to survive
* Consider writing a letter to the abuser(s), not to be mailed
* Seek counseling with a Mental Health professional experienced in this area 3. Depression
* Mental Health counseling with or without medication 4. Post-Traumatic Stress
* Mental Health counseling with or without medication 5. Anxiety Disorder
* Mental Health counseling with or without medication For more information on hidden stresses, visit Clarke's website at http://www.stressillness.com | 