Transcript Stress: Symptom Recognition & Management Techniques

Stress: Symptom Recognition
& Management Techniques
Dr Emma Robertson Blackmore
Carol Ferro, MSW
Suzanne Coglitore, BS
University of Rochester, Department of Psychiatry.
Breaking Down Anxiety
Feelings in my body
What I do
Dr Jill Ehrenreich.
What I think
Learning to Recognize
Anxiety
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Identifying feelings and triggers through selfobservation 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.
Common internal causes of stress
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Inability to accept uncertainty
Pessimism
Negative self-talk
Unrealistic expectations
Perfectionism
Lack of assertiveness
Things that influence stress
tolerance level
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Support network
(family, friends,
coworkers)
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Sense of control (internal vs external)
Attitude and outlook
Ability to deal with your emotions
(recognition and recovery)
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Knowledge and preparation
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Cognitive
Symptoms
Memory problems
Inability to
concentrate
Poor judgment
Seeing only the
negative
Anxious or racing
thoughts
Constant worrying
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Emotional Symptoms
Moodiness
Irritability or short
temper
Agitation, inability to
relax
Feeling overwhelmed
Sense of loneliness and
isolation
Depression or general
unhappiness
Behavioral
Symptoms
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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
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Aches and pains
Diarrhea or constipation
Nausea, dizziness
Chest pain, rapid
heartbeat
Loss of sex drive
Frequent colds
Screening for Symptoms
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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.
Solutions?
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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.
Physical & Mental Relaxation
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Exercise, exercise, exercise.
Aerobic activity
Stretching / walking (even at work)
removing
yourself from the situation
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Deep breathing
Yoga / meditation
Hobbies – gardening, pets, reading, tv.
Setting aside 15 mins a day to do something
on your own that you enjoy.
Change your Thoughts
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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
Thoughts – Part 2
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Sense of control (internal vs external)
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What can you actually change?
That’s where to focus your energy.
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Knowledge and preparation
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The more you know about a situation the more
realistic your expectations and goals
Avoiding Perfectionism
Realistic goals, thinking through outcomes, decatastrophizing – what’s the worst that could happen?
Break down the chain of thoughts
Change your Behavior
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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 it’s not the end of
the world.
Asking for Help
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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.
Self-care for moms
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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.
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.
Long -Term
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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 you’ve come periodically.