If you're feeling under stress, the first step is to talk to someone.
Stress: It's Okay to Seek Help
What could happen if I don’t seek help?
For many people, stress will naturally subside as circumstances settle without any clear intervention. If stress does persist though, it’s important to identify what’s causing you stress and take steps to try to combat it. Anxiety is less likely to go away without help, and there are some risks associating associated with not getting help as early as possible. Anxiety could worsen and in severe cases, this could start to have a significant impact on someone’s ability to work. In these situations, the consequences of undetected and untreated anxiety can impact a person and their family.
There are several reasons why men in particular may not seek help if they are struggling to deal with stress or anxiety. They could be worried that letting people know that they are struggling with anxiety could have an impact on their work or career progression. Other men may feel ashamed and concerned that they are letting down their families. In these cases, some people might turn to substances to help them cope with symptoms of anxiety. This can include using alcohol or drugs as a way of numbing or masking some of the symptoms of anxiety. Although this might provide some relief in the short term, neither of these solutions is helpful over the long term and could pose a risk to a person's physical and mental health.
Anxiety is a 24-hour condition, and if left untreated for long enough it could interfere with a person's sleep to the extent that they develop insomnia. Consequently, they may struggle to get enough sleep, and the sleep they do get is poor quality and unrefreshing. This could result in exhaustion during the day which makes dealing with stress and anxiety even more challenging. Poor sleep combined with anxiety puts people at significant risk of developing depression, and suicidal thoughts, and this can trigger a vicious downward cycle in terms of a person's mental health.
What's the outlook?
Thankfully stress is something that can be managed, and anxiety is a condition that can be successfully treated. This is something that an experienced mental health professional can support you with. A thorough assessment can pinpoint the problem, and a comprehensive, detailed, and personalised treatment plan can help you overcome anxiety.
If you are experiencing stress or anxiety, don’t worry because there’s lots of help available. The first step is by reaching out and talking to someone.
Need support? We're here to help.
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Dr. Dipesh Mistry
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Written in collaboration with Dr. Dipesh Mistry.