In this post I would shed some light on the stress management therapy techniques used to combat stress in one’s life. The techniques involved in curbing stress are commonly known as Stress Management Therapy. Stress management is not done by ordinary people but it is done by professionals like Doctors, Psychiatrists and qualified therapists. Further on I would explain the basics and slowly moving to complex topics which will clearly help you in the time to come.
Let us start from the basics What is Stress? Now, the most commonly known definition of stress (mainly credited to Richard S Lazarus) is that “stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize”. Different people behave differently when presented with the same problem. This means that stress has a different affect on each individual. The symptoms which are visible and show that a person is under stress are also important and help to diagnose a problem before it enhances itself into a bigger challenge. Some of the symptoms are given below:
• High blood pressure.
• Palpitation.
• Sweaty hands.
• Becoming prone to illnesses.
• Headaches.
• Anger.
• Eating disorder
• Insomnia.
These symptoms are the tell tale signs of stress and should never be ignored and should be tackled effectively before things get out of hand. Stress when left untreated is one of the major causes of serious diseases and disorders. Some of them are:
• Depression and anxiety.
• Drug abuse.
• Heart diseases.
This would give you a brief insight into what stress means and what harmful effects it can have on a person’s life. Moving on to the treatment and cure of this problem, one can firstly help themselves and if they can’t handle it then move on to therapy which would be done by professionals. The simple things or techniques one should adopt to reduce stress are given below:
• Break down every big job into small parts so you are not overwhelmed.
• Do neck rolls frequently throughout the day to relieve the stiffness in neck
• Avoid being a perfectionist. Just do your best
• Take time out from your work. Schedule regular vacations.
• Exercise regularly and moderately
• Maintain a reasonable diet.
• Develop outside interests and activities.
• Talk it out. Confide to someone close
• Listen to soothing sounds or music.
• Participate in hobbies, sports, games, reading.
• Build friendships, join a social group or society
• Most importantly become an optimist.
If things are still getting out of hand then one must without any hesitation seek professional advice. This is called Stress Management Therapy. Let us explore the therapy part of stress treatment. Stress Therapy exists to help individuals out and is used to free people of stress so they can lead a happy life. As mentioned earlier the first step to stress therapy is identification of the conditions in which a person feels stress. In stress management the counselors or psychiatrists gain the person’s confidence and start to probe their lives to identify the root causes of stress. The counselor then moves on to treating this issue by either eliminating the cause of it or secondly decreasing the fear of those situations where stress is generally felt by their patients. This second technique will teach the patient to adapt to those situations. An example is in order so let me explain a situation we all have felt one time or the other. The problem I am referring to is ‘stage fright’ or the inability to speak in front of an audience. We all have experienced sweaty palms and dizziness when we go on stage, in this situation the first treatment of eliminating similar situations is virtually impossible so the second treatment is more suitable and effective i.e. overcoming this fear and learning to adapt to this problem. Some treatments have been given above in the above section.
Stress Therapy programs employ different techniques and therapies for relaxing an individual. Some of these therapies are mentioned below:
• Hypnotherapy
• Pharmaceutical Therapy
• Rational emotive behavior therapy.
Now I will give some information regarding these therapies.
Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy is used to combat stress related issues, it involves treating the issue by putting the patient in a semi conscious state. Hypnotherapy is a natural state of deep relaxation and concentration. Hypnosis releases stress, tension, pressure and removes negative thoughts. Behavior therapy aids in overcoming undesired behavior and reduces stress. Problem solving therapy enables the patients to identify current problems in their life and learn to counter them. This therapy has two parts:
• Emotional aspect of the problem.
• Practical aspect of the problem.
The most important part of hypnotherapy is the willingness of the patient, without a person’s consent complete hypnosis is impossible
Pharmaceutical Therapy
This type therapy is brought into work for treating very high stress conditions. Benzodiazepines and Buspirone are the most common medications given to the patients for treatment. All the antidepressant medications are given to lower stress created by muscle tension. Aromatherapy is also a part of pharmaceutical therapy for stress in which concentrated aromatic oils or candles are used. The aromas are inhaled and carried to the nervous system of the brain for creating good effects. Crystal therapy, color therapy and reiki treatments and are also used for better management of stress. These therapies keep you stress free by refreshing the mind, body and spirit.
Rational Emotive behavior therapy: Rational emotive behavior therapy is a result oriented therapy. Rational emotive behavior therapy helps individuals to handle the problems and situations of life. It enables individuals to identify their own self defeating thoughts, beliefs and actions, and teaches them to entertain more effective and constructive thoughts. Stress management massage therapies help to release stress and strain. These involve holistic and neuromuscular treatment. The massage therapies help to overcome emotional exhaustion and overtiredness due to stress and reduce the muscle tension due to work stress. Light relaxation therapies reduce headaches, anxiety and worry. Deep relaxation therapies are used to overcome severe stress conditions like insomnia and shock.
All the above stress management therapy techniques are effective and are used for different levels of stress affecting a person. You must be ready to ask for help any time, do not feel shy or let your ego dictate you because these stresses left untreated will eventually lead you to a miserable life. Try to act on the different therapy techniques prescribed in this post and God willing you will lead a happy and stress free life
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