Treatment for Stress

Feeling Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone.

Stress can creep up on you in ways that are hard to notice until it’s too late. It feels like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders and then some more. You get tired easily, little things make you snap, and even when you’re supposed to be having fun, it’s like there’s this cloud hanging over you.

Stress is usually caused by work, personal life issues, or any unpredictable event. Unless you are able to fix that event, you’ll continue to feel stuck. That’s where therapy comes in and helps you to first, accept your current mood and mental health, then organize thoughts, create an action plan, and employ coping strategies.

It shows up differently for everyone, but common symptoms include persistent headaches or migraines, fatigue even after a full night’s sleep, trouble concentrating or remembering things, increased irritability or mood swings, and physical symptoms like stomach issues or muscle tension.

Types of Stress

Always leave the diagnosis to a professional, but knowing the kind of stress you’re experiencing is the first step toward healing. Here are some common types of stress:

Acute Stress

The most common form of stress, acute stress is often short-lived. It’s usually a response to immediate pressures, a deadline, a job interview, or an argument. While it can be intense, you feel better immediately after the situation resolves. However, if you have too many stressors in life, you’ll always feel stressed.

Chronic Stress

Unlike acute stress, chronic stress is ongoing and can last for weeks, months, or even years. It’s linked to long-term stressors like an unhappy relationship, kids with special needs, being unable to earn enough for monthly expenses, or a toxic workplace. Not controlling or resolving chronic stress can lead to anxiety, depression, or heart disease.

Episodic Acute Stress

If you frequently experience acute stress, then you are most likely experiencing episodic acute stress. You live in a state of constant worry or chaos. It feels like you’re always rushing, always late, and never able to meet life’s demands. It can have a negative impact on your family and work life.

Traumatic Stress

Traumatic stress occurs after experiencing a traumatic event, such as an accident, natural disaster, or personal assault. It is caused by accidents, natural disasters, and personal assaults. Traumatic stress shakes your sense of security and makes you feel vulnerable and powerless. If not managed right away, it can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), where you relive the trauma through flashbacks or nightmares.

Therapies for Stress

Stress management is about more than just relaxation techniques. Each therapy serves a purpose and is often used together.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT operates on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. Your mind creates negative thought patterns and creates more stressful situations. For example, if you constantly think, "I’ll never get everything done," CBT helps you change it to "I can tackle one thing at a time." It also helps you to bravely face situations that you avoided or lead to stress in the past.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

ACT helps you to accept your thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them. Stress is part of what makes us human and once you accept that, you get a better view into how different situations and stressors affect you. ACT is usually 10-12 sessions long as it focuses on helping you with the biggest issues first and equips you with tools to handle others.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

MBSR is a mix of therapy and mindfulness practices with yoga and meditation. It teaches you to focus on the "here and now," and pulls you away from active negative thoughts. You’ll also learn to recognize stress triggers and how to respond to them differently.

Interpersonal Therapy

A lot of stress stems from relationship conflicts and communication issues.Whether you’ve had a fight with your parents or partner, are dealing with a toxic workplace, or are experiencing tension among friends or a break up, all of these situations can contribute to stress. IPT helps you change how you handle each of these relationships, the patterns behind them, and either fix them or distance yourself.

Take back control of your life. I’m here to help you.