Stress Management Therapy

Steps Recovery Center recognizes how vital the mind, body, and spirit are in their connection to the whole person. We take a holistic approach to treating stress and the disorders that accompany it–that includes treating the whole person–and find that it tends to be more successful, especially since addiction affects every aspect of a person’s life. With a customized and individualized program that includes family therapy, a holistic approach just makes sense. It affords an opportunity to meet the patient’s physical and psychological needs and allows them to engage physically, emotionally, and mentally.

What is Stress?

Stress is a bodily response to the demands and challenges of life. In other words, stress is defined as an internal conditioned response to external pressures. There are mental and emotional elements of stress that can be expressed through thought and feeling, as well as in the body. The American Institute of Stress calls stress “America’s leading health problem.” In ancient times, stress was running away from real dangers in the wild, such as a saber tooth tiger or fearing not being able to eat. Now, it’s more a response to psychological threats.

These threats could manifest as losing your job, a loved one, or relationship problems. It could also include environmental worries. When one or more of these challenges occur, it can exacerbate stress and the stress response, leading to a stress illness. The way the brain handles stress is by sending out the fight or flight response as a way to protect you from perceived dangers. Adrenaline and cortisol releases into the bloodstream, which causes increased blood flow, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

Symptoms of Stress

Stress can affect your physical, mental, emotional health, and it can affect people differently. Depending on their genetics, personality traits, traumas, and the like, stress can have disabling effects on an individual.

Physical symptoms

Mental symptoms

Emotional symptoms

Causes of Stress

There are a plethora of causes of stress. Still, some of the most common includes, losing a job or starting a new one, getting divorced or going through a breakup, getting married, having a child, moving, being bullied or discriminated against, being diagnosed with a serious illness, even following the news or politics.

For many people, this is a normal part of life, but not everyone will experience even half of these. Some will react calmly, and others will develop anxiety and panic disorders, depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Good stress can affect someone significantly, just as bad stress can. Weddings are particularly stressful, so is having a new baby.

Stress Management Therapy

For many people, stress can cause serious problems, even illness. When someone is going through withdrawal, the stress can increase significantly and is why stress management therapy is usually included in a person’s recovery plan. Stress management therapy can involve various elements, including counseling, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and even medication, if necessary.

A qualified therapist will usually uncover major stressors that are affecting you and then teach you tools in which to manage your stress levels and response. The treatment may involve processing traumas or retraining your brain to not overreact to stress. They will sort out issues and find better ways of helping you learn to cope with life’s challenges. Some other modalities a therapist may use include:

Journalin – Writing things down and getting them out of your mind is a great way to process your experiences through expressing thoughts, emotions, and worries onto a page. It can help people gain greater insight into how stress affects you and allows you emotional holding space for life’s challenges.

Being in nature –Getting out in the sun, whether it’s warm or cold, boosts your Vitamin D levels, which in turn makes you feel happier. Spending time in nature while meditating or being mindful (being present) helps people release tension and let go of daily stresses.

Social media fast –Being connected continuously can adversely affect your health. Depending on what you do with your time online, it can amp up your stress levels, particularly if it’s about politics, natural disasters, or other worrisome topics. Getting off social media and enjoying being in the now can help you distress and allows you to focus on things that matter.

Revisiting your diet– For those going through detox, the stressful symptoms and emotional toll can leave you not wanting to eat or eating junk food that’s not healthy. Eating healthy foods in the right amounts can help lower your stress levels. Caffeine is a stimulant, so reducing how much you take can help lower cortisol levels. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as water, feeds your body right.

Stress can be managed with the right therapy protocol. When you learn to manage your stress response, it won’t affect you as much. Your health will improve, and your overall wellness enhanced.