what can stress cause?

When we are feeling stressed, we wonder what is happening to us. Sometimes the easier answer is what isn’t happening. Many things cause and contribute to the stress in our lives; at times, the number feels infinite. All these things take a toll on our health, relationships, and well-being overall. 

STRESS

Stress is a tense feeling that causes us to feel out of sorts, emotionally and physically. It is our body’s reaction to a change or challenge. Again, this can cause havoc on every aspect of our lives. Our bodies give us many warning signs that we are under stress; unfortunately, we tend to ignore them or allow ourselves to believe that we have it under control. Some warning signs are:

• Body aches and pains, i.e., headaches, back pain, muscle aches, and more
• Feeling anxious, depressed, or emotional
• Dizziness with shortness of breath
• Changes in eating and sleeping habits
• Cognitive difficulties, i.e., poor memory, poor decisions, unable to concentrate

We can’t ignore the signs and expect to have a healthy life. 

HEALTH PROBLEMS

Stress is poison to our body, specifically our medical health. It has been said that chronic stress will take us out of here, meaning it can kill us. Stress can have a negative impact on our eating habits, such as causing emotional overeating. When we eat when we are not hungry, we can become obese. Obesity causes problems with our heart, blood pressure, gastrointestinal system, and so much more. Stress affects a woman's menstruation which can cause problems with fertility. It affects men’s sexual functioning as well. If left untreated, stress can lead to numerous problems in our body that can lead to worse case scenarios; disability, hospitalizations, or death. 

MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

Stress can also mess with or even destroy our minds. If there is already a mental illness present, chronic stress will exacerbate those symptoms leaving us with little to no relief. It can play games with our self-esteem. Stress hurts our memory, concentration, problem-solving skills, decision-making, and cognitive functioning as a whole. We rely heavily on our minds to guide us through life, but what do we do when we can’t trust it anymore. Stress can leave us lost, confused, and uncertain. We have to be designers of the path for our lives, not our stress. 

LIFESTYLE PROBLEMS

All of the above leads to problems in all the other areas of our life. Due to the stress in our lives, we can’t function at work, we are causing troubles at home, and we can’t decide what is best for us. Dysfunction in these areas leads to feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, and hopelessness. Once we get here, stress again can lead to death. 

We don’t have to fight stress alone. We can get help from loved ones and professionals. Our stress levels are always in our control to change.