The term “stress” is heard by all people, many can even describe it in detail and admit that they have experienced it more than once. But few people have heard about distress. How do you react if I say that this is just one of the stages of stress? More precisely, distress is exactly what people usually seek help with and call stress. Interesting? Read on.
What is distress
Hans Selye, the founder of the theory of stress, called distress a condition in which the body’s defenses are depleted. The author called the moment of tension and mobilization of forces stress, and the moment of exhaustion – distress. Although in his theory, exhaustion is the third stage of stress. Thus, stress can turn into distress.
Distress is a form of stress that is dangerous for a person, while the author considered stress to be useful. Distress is a condition that occurs when the body is unable to adapt to new conditions. In fact, it is the fight against distress that is meant when we talk about coping with stress.
An analogy can be drawn between stress and distress and temperature. Doctors do not recommend bringing down the temperature below 38 degrees, until this moment the immune system itself fights bacteria, medications will only interfere with it. So it is with stress. Up to 38 degrees – stress, which a person struggles with himself. After 38 degrees – distress, in which the body’s strength is not enough, help is required.
Causes of distress
Distress develops both against the background of a short-term but strong impact, psychotrauma, and with a systematic, but insignificant influence of an irritant or stimuli.
The cause of distress is psychological trauma, but there is no single list of situations that harm the psyche. What for one person will be a reason for laughter, for another will turn out to be a tragedy of a universal scale. Even to such serious difficulties as the loss of a job or the death of a loved one, people react in different ways: some bravely endure, remain steadfast and rationally, others are completely disoriented.
Thus, the source of distress, the determining factor is the level of sensitivity:
- People with low sensitivity are resistant to stress factors. The higher the stability, the more equanimous and cold-blooded a person is. People who have undergone a lot of trauma and stress often become insensitive, “thick-skinned”. The level of stability is largely determined by personal experience, but the innate characteristics of a person also play a role.
- People with a high level of sensitivity, that is, low resistance to stressors, react violently to the slightest changes in life. Such people are conservative, emotional, often do not give an account of their reactions and consequences of behavior. In unfamiliar conditions, it is difficult for them to be collected. These people do not want and are afraid of changes in their lives.
Attitude towards life, system of values and beliefs, interpretation of current events are the basis for the emergence of distress or adequate overcoming of stress. So, for one person, a poor appetite of a pet will become a traumatic situation, while another will not pay attention to it, but give up when he learns about his own illness. And the third person will react calmly to his illness, without falling into distress.
The most common distressing situations include:
- death of a relative (especially a child and parents), a close friend;
- breakup or divorce;
- imprisonment, imprisonment;
- disease;
- physical injuries, fractures, other injuries;
- wedding, marriage;
- unemployment, bankruptcy, dismissal;
- forced care of someone;
- financial difficulties;
- pregnancy, childbirth;
- problems in the intimate sphere;
- relocation, change of place of work or study, profession, etc .;
- the beginning of training, work;
- restructuring and failure of the daily routine, sleep, work and rest, change in diet (diet), work schedule;
- getting rid of bad habits and addictions, changing lifestyle;
- dissatisfaction with needs;
- change in social activity, forced passivity, or vice versa, hyperactivity;
- rejection of oneself and life;
- a sense of meaninglessness and joylessness in life.
Thus, emotional and psychophysiological overload traumatizes. And if traumatic situations differ from one person to another, then there is a common feature for all people that causes the development of distress. Experts note that it is easier to endure one large-scale tragedy than many minor injuries at the same time.
Types of distress
Distress can be physiological, psychological and emotional, chronic, short-term. Each of these types is hazardous to health:
- Psychological and emotional distress occurs against the background of experiencing emotions that arise from problems in the social sphere, but at the same time psychological and emotional stress worsens the relationship between the individual and the environment.
- Physiological distress occurs against the background of the influence of negative external conditions or the dissatisfaction of physiological needs: thirst, hunger, cold, lack of love, etc. Such deprivations and influences entail disturbances in the work of internal organs, problems with sleep and other disturbances. Even if it seems to a person that he has eliminated a harmful factor, for example, the girl has stopped dieting, the body will remain in distress for a long time. This will not be eliminated without rehabilitation measures.
- Chronic distress is usually not recognized by the person himself, as it is fed on a daily basis and is perceived as a norm of life. This type of distress is dangerous by the development of depression, suicide and a nervous breakdown.
Signs of distress
During distress, a person experiences a whole range of emotions and feelings. But all of them can be divided into three stages:
- Distress begins with pronounced feelings of anxiety, fear, and anxiety. All experiences and thoughts are associated with a specific event (cause of distress).
- A person begins to deny his emotions, thoughts and the very fact that causes feelings.
- A person accepts what happened, but admits his powerlessness and psycho-emotional, adaptive exhaustion. Draws up a plan to overcome a difficult situation on his own or with the help of other people.
Other signs of distress include:
- fatigue;
- irritability;
- outbursts of aggression;
- inappropriate reactions (laughter or tears);
- apathy;
- a change in appetite or taste preferences;
- changing hobbies;
- decreased attraction;
- indifference to your life;
- fussiness;
- forgetfulness;
- nervousness;
- somatic disorders (headaches, nausea, tremors, sweating, pain, muscle aches);
- changes in consciousness and speech (interjections, confused speech, difficulty in formulating thoughts);
- decreased libido.
Unfortunately, people on their own often make erroneous decisions, which further exacerbates the situation: they go into illness and addiction, anxiety disorders and depression. Neuroses and psychosis are frequent consequences of distress.
Poor strategies for dealing with distress include:
- anxiety that prevents you from acting rationally, consistently and confidently;
- aggression and autoaggression, conflict, anger;
- primitive and childish reactions;
- fixation of attention on the problem, which interferes with a full understanding of the situation and the search for solutions;
- dependencies.
Correct behavioral strategy – changing unsatisfactory conditions or changing your attitude to the situation.
Prophylaxis
Prevention involves identifying the causes of distress and eliminating them. The most popular reasons are conflicts, unmet needs, unrealized potential. It is important to analyze the reasons, divide them into those that are subject to the individual, and those that are not. For example, a crisis in a country cannot be changed by one person. This means that this fact must be accepted and devalued, but if a person is worried about frequent conflicts in the family, then he may well learn to overcome and solve them.
Prevention, like dealing with distress, requires an individual approach. The causes of stress are subjective; therefore, it is impossible to draw up a general and universal plan for all people.
According to statistics, the workplace is the main source of stress. Follow these guidelines to prevent distress at work:
- If you are not satisfied with the working conditions, then think about whether there are prospects for changing them, whether it is worth fighting for this place.
- Discuss problems with colleagues and management. Don’t complain or blame, discuss rationally.
- Correctly assess your capabilities and abilities, do not take too much on yourself, do not be afraid to tactfully refuse back-breaking assignments. Give reasons for refusal.
- Do not hesitate to clarify the information, ask again. Strive for certainty and clarity.
- Don’t create situations of failure for yourself. In case of a conflict of roles (work assignments), immediately discuss this, do not bring the situation to the point where you cannot cope and find yourself to be guilty.
- Take rest and breaks when working hard. Two breaks of 10-15 minutes a day are enough.
- Learn to accept your mistakes and take them as experiences. Work out the reasons, do not dwell on failures.
- Learn to vent your emotions. Deal with anger, aggression, and irritation in a socially acceptable way.
- Don’t mix personal and work relationships.
Self-pity, blaming circumstances or other people, and resentment are ineffective methods of coping and preventing stress. Very often, family or friends are doing the person a disservice by reassuring him by inappropriately blaming others. It is important to rationally understand the situation and accept your responsibility.
Regular deloading, relieving stress is a very good idea to prevent distress. Methods for relieving stress are selected individually: sports, walking, sex, massage, reading, watching a movie, bathing with aromatic oils, watching a movie, etc. The more senses are simultaneously involved, the better. General relaxation methods are good sleep and nutrition, and taking vitamins. The purpose of the activities is to restore resources, prepare the body for new loads.
