Stress

You may find your thinking is affected by prolonged or intense levels of stress. You may find it harder to make decisions, get more easily confused, have difficulty concentrating, or notice that your memory is uncharacteristically poor. If you are stressed, you may find yourself worrying about things constantly and going ‘over and over’ situations in your head. You may also feel great disappointment with yourself for not feeling able to effectively cope, and notice a loss in motivation, commitment and confidence.

Unhealthy stress levels can also lead to marked changes in behaviour. Some common signs of stress include changes in your eating habits (eating more or less than usual), increased smoking, drinking or drug taking as a means of coping with your stress, changes in sleep patterns, and twitchy ‘nervous’ behaviours.

Physically, your body may respond with headaches, muscle tension and pain, digestive problems, sweating, feeling dizzy, bowel or bladder problems, breathlessness, dry mouth and sexual difficulties.

If you believe that you are experiencing problematic stress, please contact Altum. Stress is a common reason why clients come to see us. We are skilled at helping clients understand the causes of their stress and helping them to develop techniques and coping strategies to manage or reduce stress symptoms.