Adult
Stress
Adult Stress
Overview
Adult stress is a normal part of living. We feel increased stress due to adverse events, such as divorce, job loss, or traumatic events like a bad accident or a natural disaster. Stress is a natural response to a change or a challenge. And even though it feels trying at the moment, it can be a positive reaction under certain circumstances.
There is a difference between anxiety and stress. While both are emotional responses, stress usually originates from an external factor. In contrast, anxiety is defined by pervasive and excessive worry that does not go away despite the absence of stressors.
Stress is twofold — it is both the pressure that life places on us and the way that it makes us feel. Because no two people experience stress the same way, what is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another. At its most fundamental level, stress is a physical response, called the “fight or flight” response, that helps our body face situations in which we feel vulnerable. Many people can deal with a certain amount of stress and experience no adverse effects. However, severe and chronic stress can develop into a vicious cycle where you may find it hard to relax even after the stressor has passed.
When you need stress counseling near Midtown East, New York, or Greenwich, Connecticut, Greenwich Psychology Group can help. Our expert clinicians provide stress therapy for adults.
Different Types of Stress
Stress is a complex variable. It comes in all forms and is not defined as the ultimate maladaptor standing in the way of our success. It is an integral part of living and may even be the driving force of our growth. There are three different types of stress: positive stress, mild stress, or toxic stress. Understanding your stress level can help you know when you need help.
Level 1: Positive Stress
Good stress serves as a mild stimulator, producing physiological changes and behavior to embrace the challenge. Good stress is characterized by an unfamiliar or demanding situation that results in a positive outcome. The nerves you feel before delivering an important presentation is an example of good stress. In this case, stress can result in growth where you feel more confident in future public speaking presentations. This type of stress keeps us motivated and ensures future resilience.
Level 2: Tolerable Stress
Tolerable stress is more severe and prolonged, but it can generally be weathered when the right internal and external resources are in place. Tolerable stress activates the body’s alert systems more than good stress. Examples of situations that could trigger tolerable stress include a natural disaster, the loss of a loved one, or a frightening illness or injury.
What serves as a buffer to the stressful exposure is the ability to enlist others’ help and healthy coping skills. The protection provided by supportive relationships enhances our sense of control and power to cope. Cut the cord to the adequate support system and healthy coping skills; a tolerable stressful event can grow toxic.
Level 3: Toxic Stress
Toxic stress occurs when an adverse event happens, and we do not have the internal resources or social support to cope. Many situations, both personal and global, can trigger a toxic stress response, such as losing a job during an economic downturn, divorce, chronic illness, and emotional, physical, or financial abuse. Toxic stress can lead to the weakening of cognitive processes — like problem-solving, attention control, memory — and depression, anxiety, and physical illness like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, insomnia, skin conditions, and other inflammatory diseases.
Symptoms of Stress
Stress can lead to physical, emotional, and mental symptoms that can drain your body of energy. Whether you experience a stressful event or chronic stress, the same symptoms can appear, such as:
- Chest pain.
- Headaches.
- Muscle tension.
- Stomach issues.
- Anxiety or irritability.
- Trouble sleeping.
High achievers and busy people often feel more stressed because they are always on the move. Many stress symptoms can lead to a decline in health if individuals forget to take care of themselves. Stress management for high achievers and busy individuals can help them learn to let go of some of their responsibilities to focus on taking care of themselves.
What Is Stress Management Therapy?
When you suffer from chronic stress or have difficulty getting through a stressful situation, it’s essential to have healthy coping mechanisms. Stress management therapy can help you learn new ways to cope. A professional will have the tools and resources to find the best solutions for you.
Treatments your clinician may use are:
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): The primary goal of DBT is to help patients learn how to better cope with stress and develop skills to manage intense emotion, relationship issues, and assertiveness. It uses techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy and Zen practice to help you improve your life.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on changing and addressing negative mindsets to be more positive. You’ll develop healthy coping skills to get through stressful situations.
- Mindfulness-based therapy: Mindfulness helps patients learn to focus on the present and pay attention to what is currently happening. It uses relaxation and stress management techniques to effectively help you respond to difficult emotions and situations.
You could have exposure to one or all types of treatments to help you manage your stress. At Greenwich Psychology Group, we offer stress therapy in Midtown East and Greenwich to help adults handle their stress.
Benefits of Counseling for Stress
Stress management counseling can help you reclaim control over your life. Your clinician lets you process your thoughts and feelings regarding stressful situations through therapy sessions. Once you can understand why you're feeling stressed, you can work on ways to reduce it. Stress counseling offers many benefits, like:
1. Providing a Healthy Outlet for Releasing Emotions
Counseling sessions provide a safe space for individuals to release their emotions. Talk therapy is a big part of expressing your concerns and helping your therapist know what to address. You’ll be in a nonjudgmental environment where you are free to talk about whatever makes you stressed or sad.
2. Bringing Awareness to Your Stressors
Your therapist will help you identify the major stressors in your life. While talking about your emotions, you could discover causes of stress you weren’t aware of before. Therapy can help individuals work through their reactions to stressful events and create appropriate boundaries and responses when they have something else that needs to take precedence.
3. Helping You Create Effective Coping and Self-Care Skills
When stress runs your life, having healthy coping mechanisms and practicing self-care are vital to your well-being. While you work through your stressors and learn to change your perspective and mindset, your therapist will also help you find coping mechanisms and self-care activities to reduce stress. Different coping skills can help you calm yourself during times of high stress.
Self-care after a stressful situation is also important because it can help you focus on something you love and make you feel physically better.
Stress Counseling Services
Learning good ways to cope with stress is an essential milestone in development. We encourage you to remember that moments of crisis can also be moments of growth. The transition from toxic stress to a productive form of stress is tied to the development of resilience. Think of resilience like a muscle — it must be strengthened through active, focused attention. Building resilience isn’t always an enjoyable activity, but the rewards for doing so are profound. As you become more resilient, your ability to overcome and grow from difficult circumstances expands, empowering you to thrive in the future. Resilient individuals find a greater sense of internal strength, confidence, and appreciation for life.
Typically, clients who come to Greenwich Psychology Group are high-functioning and ambitious people who work hard and search for a sense of tranquility through stress and anxiety treatment. Together we look into your life to find the sources of your stressor, which may involve your work, your family, or other areas of your personal life. Once we have learned about your stressors, we work on increasing resilience. Therapy for stress at work and in your personal life is focused on connection, healthy thinking, and meaning in your life, which can empower you to withstand future stressful experiences. If you feel stressed out, you should know that life doesn’t have to be this way. By committing to getting stress help, you can build a powerful foundation to respond better to ongoing stressors.
Let Greenwich Psychology Group clinicians help you attain inner peace and decrease the stress in your life. You may also want to learn more about GPG anxiety management skills. We offer stress and anxiety counseling services in Greenwich, CT and New York City.
Stress Counseling in Greenwich and Manhattan
Greenwich Psychology Group offers stress therapy in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Manhattan, New York. Learn how to manage your stress today when you request a consultation.
Take the GPG Symptom Checker
At Greenwich Psychology Group, our symptom checker helps clients track their symptoms of depression or anxiety. Taking the assessment doesn't provide a formal diagnosis, but it can help you determine what next steps you may need to take. The evaluation uses a series of questions to review the feelings and symptoms you've experienced over the past two weeks. The results will help you distinguish if professional help is the best next step.
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