STRESS MANAGEMENT By: Patty Levell

Certainly for most, dealing with mental illness can be quite stress provoking . The uncertainty over what is wrong and how to help; the myriad of difficult emotions: .; the sense of isolation; the frustration over the lack of a tangible solution to the situation are all significant sources of psychological stress.

Preoccupation with helping may leave you detached from your own physical/psychological well-being. If you are experiencing elevated stress levels, especially on an ongoing basis, it is important to become aware of it and take steps to maintain your own health. The symptoms of stress that you may be aware of are physical, mental and emotional in nature. They include: muscle tension, headaches, elevated heart rate, indigestion, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, preoccupied thoughts, forgetfulness, difficulty problem solving, irritability, sadness, impatience. These symptoms of stress are rooted in the physical changes your body undergoes to deal with a stressor. This reaction, known as the fight or flight response, was effective in the days when most stressors were physical in nature (when your body geared up to fight or run very quickly from the sabertooth tiger). In order to survive one's heart rate quickened, hormones were excreted into one's system, one's digestion slowed, blood sugars were released, muscles tensed, etc. all to improve one's physical performance. Unfortunately in the face of psychological challenges these physical changes are not only unnecessary but lead to difficult symptoms at the moment and can prove to be damaging in the long run if not addressed.

By taking inventory of your stress symptoms you can utilize them as helpful indicators that a change needs to happen. Just as the sun announces the arrival of the new day, stress symptoms announce the need for you to focus on self care. When faced with the reality of a chronically stressful situation, and if you see yourself experiencing the common symptoms of stress, how can you help yourself? Ideally you can address the stress from two directions: try to deal with the stress at its source and work to protect yourself from any negative impact.

Proactively reducing stress at the source involves dealing with your thoughts and emotions with regard to the stress provoking situation. In the case of coping with mental illness developing and maintaining a positive attitude of hope is a key to reducing distress and involves addressing many realms. Actively seeking support and education about mental illness and resources as well as ideas for dealing with your particular challenge. Thus reducing your feelings of isolation and empowering you to create change. Acknowledging and dealing with the difficult emotions that accompany having a mentally ill loved one, may not be easy but can be more doable with help from understanding supporters. Eventually stress levels are further reduced when you have learned to better accept the individual and their illness (situation) for who they are, and yourself for your capacities to deal with the challenges. Certainly all of this does not happen overnight but efforts to move the situation or your experience of it along will be helpful.

The other tactic for dealing with stress is to actively protect yourself from the impact of stress. Given the journey involved in dealing with mental illness, with its ups and downs, it is wise to take precautions to minimize the potential impact chronic stress can play on your well-being. It is important to ensure that the illness and caregiving do not eclipse other aspects of your life and to pay special attention to diet, sleep, exercise and relaxation as they can be especially helpful to both counter stress and fortify yourself against it.

Having exercise as part of your routine has positive impact in ways that you can both easily see and in terms of the longer term health of your body. Exercise works to reduces muscle tension, release toxins that build up within your body and thus minimizes the damage caused by excessive stress. Physical exercise also can have a direct positive impact on your mood and energy level.

We know that when experiencing stress, the digestion of food slows down (hence the stomach upset, heart burn.), and nutrients are not absorbed as efficiently (contributing to a lowered immune response and energy level). To make matters worse, under stress many people will not eat adequately for even normal living, leaving them physically even more susceptible to illness and less able to function. It is in your best interest to be extra mindful of your diet when dealing with a chronically stressful situation.

Paying attention to your sleep is also very important when facing stress. You may be prone to laying awake trying to solve your problems or from anxiety thus losing sleep. Your body is operating in an "aroused" state, which leaves your energy reserves depleted. It may be challenging, but it is important to do your best to ensure that you get adequate sleep to help you to restore your body and better enable you to problem solve and be emotionally stable. For some short term use of sleeping medication may be advisable.

The final aspect to consider is relaxation. The Stress Response is incompatible with the Relaxation Response, so any time spent relaxing means your body and mind have a break from the demands of stress. When relaxing you are trying to achieve a period of time where your mind is not preoccupied with worried thoughts. This state can be achieved through deep breathing, meditation, yoga as well as through pursuing enjoyable and stimulating activities that are personally satisfying. It is difficult to be aware of your concerns while dancing, gardening, building hobby trains, painting, reading a stimulating book, watching a funny movie.

It is a great gift to yourself and those you love that you take time to take care of yourself.