Stress: Symptom Recognition & Management Techniques

1
Stress Symptom Recognition Management
Techniques

• Dr Emma Robertson Blackmore
• Carol Ferro, MSW
• Suzanne Coglitore, BS
• University of Rochester, Department of Psychiatry.

2
Breaking Down Anxiety
Feelings in my body
What I think

• What I do

Dr Jill Ehrenreich.
3
Learning to Recognize Anxiety

• Identifying feelings and triggers through
  self-observation and monitoring (write these
  down)
• What do I do when I worry?
• Describe the worry words, feelings and
  behaviors
• Are there certain times or situations that
  exacerbate these feelings? i.e. triggers
• Review common themes health, loved ones, work
  and school, finances and daily chores.

4
Common internal causes of stress

• Inability to accept uncertainty
• Pessimism
• Negative self-talk
• Unrealistic expectations
• Perfectionism
• Lack of assertiveness

5
Things that influence stress tolerance level

• Support network (family, friends, coworkers)
• Sense of control (internal vs external)
• Attitude and outlook
• Ability to deal with your emotions (recognition
  and recovery)
• Knowledge and preparation

6

• Cognitive Symptoms
• Memory problems
• Inability to concentrate
• Poor judgment
• Seeing only the negative
• Anxious or racing thoughts
• Constant worrying

• Emotional Symptoms
• Moodiness
• Irritability or short temper
• Agitation, inability to relax
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of loneliness and isolation
• Depression or general unhappiness

7

• Behavioral Symptoms
• Eating more or less
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Isolating yourself from others
• Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
• Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

• Physical Symptoms
• Aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Nausea, dizziness
• Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
• Loss of sex drive
• Frequent colds

8
Screening for Symptoms

• Huge variation in symptom presentation
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Worry
• Physical rating
• Somatization of symptoms
• Could use a general screening tool for any of the
  above and use it to start a conversation about
  causes of symptoms.

9
Solutions?

• Write down stress responses and triggers to
  monitor your progress
• Physical relaxation
• Mental relaxation
• Change Your Thoughts, Change your Behavior
• Time management Organizational skills
• Sharing problems and asking for help.

10
Physical Mental Relaxation

• Exercise, exercise, exercise.
• Aerobic activity
• Stretching / walking (even at work) removing
  yourself from the situation
• Deep breathing
• Yoga / meditation
• Hobbies gardening, pets, reading, tv.
• Setting aside 15 mins a day to do something on
  your own that you enjoy.

11
Change your Thoughts

• Cognitive restructuring (probability
  estimation)
• Objective probability of the event (pie chart)
• Previous worry, avoidance and perfectionism may
  have prevented one from experiencing another
  outcome a positive one
• Catastrophizing- thinking the worst
• So what approach what if the worst did
  happen?
• Ignoring positive information

12
Thoughts Part 2

• Sense of control (internal vs external)
• What can you actually change?
• Thats where to focus your energy.
• Knowledge and preparation
• The more you know about a situation the more
  realistic your expectations and goals
• Avoiding Perfectionism
• Realistic goals, thinking through outcomes,
  de-catastrophizing whats the worst that could
  happen?
• Break down the chain of thoughts

13
Change your Behavior

• Practice relaxation techniques
• Time Management Skills delegation, saying no,
  sticking to an agenda, avoiding perfectionism.
• Daily goal setting activities A, B and C tasks
• A must be done today, has consequences
• B would like it to be done, but not by the end
  of the day
• C would like them to be done, but its not the
  end of the world.

14
Asking for Help

• Make yourself a priority.
• Share problems with your support network. If they
  are unhelpful ask someone else.
• Problem solve with others, or alone, to identify
  things that would reduce triggers or stressors or
  help to modify your response.
• Other people bring a different perspective good
  or bad.
• Professional help counseling, problem solving,
  financial aid, mental health supports.

15
Self-care for moms

• Exercise stand outside in the fresh air, get
  someone to go for a walk with you (with or
  without the baby), dance with the kids, play at
  the playground.
• Walk around the nearest shopping mall (with or
  without the baby).
• Library free dvds for exercise, yoga,
  relaxation.
• Y classes financial help and childcare
  available.
• Cable has FitTV with a variety of classes on it.

16
Calming activities

• If feeling overwhelmed
• Take a shower or bath
• Breathe deeply, focus on your breathing rather
  than on negative thoughts
• Telephone a support person
• Tell yourself It will be alright. I am doing the
  best I can at the moment
• Remind yourself that you are not alone others
  are in the same situation and many more have got
  through it.

17
Long -Term

• Monitor progress and what works
• Organization through to do lists, time management
  
• Realistic expectations of events occurring, and
  what the outcome should be
• Use all support networks and tools available
• Reassess how far youve come periodically.