Psychotherapy and coping with stress. How to reduce the negative effects of stress? [WE EXPLAIN]

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Stress is a psychophysical reaction that occurs in response to stressful situations – divorce, death of a loved one or problems at work. It can be caused not only by psychological but also physical factors. The way you deal with stress determines whether it will have a positive or negative effect on the body. How does psychotherapy help with stress?

The influence of stress on the body

Stress is the body’s natural response to threats and external factors that disturb its balance. The tension accompanying the feeling of stress is to mobilize the body to deal with a specific situation. From a biological point of view, stressful situations are accompanied by an adrenaline rush, which may turn out to be positive for overcoming a specific difficulty. Frequent or chronic stress however, it is a negative phenomenon, reflecting on the physiology and psyche of an individual.

Healthy coping with stress is key to alleviating the emotional states associated with mentally stressful situations. Anxiety and tension often accompany the way of life that is common today. Stressful work, rush, lack of sleep, and relationship problems, which are sometimes overlapped by traumatic experiences, are harmful factors that affect your health.

People prone to stress who fail to develop an effective and healthy form of coping with problems are at risk of:

1. decline in immunity and exhaustion;
2. digestive problems, including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, as well as stomach and duodenal ulcers;
3. increase in blood pressure;
4. Heart arythmia;
5. psychological problems, including neurosis, anxiety, a sense of danger, depression;
6. irritability and aggressive behavior;
7. insomnia;
8. menstrual disorders;
9. migraine headaches;
10. lowering libido;
11. backaches.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is particularly destructive to mental and physical health. It is a state that results from events with a very strong emotional charge, which are often life-threatening. PTSD can suffer victims of mental, physical and sexual abuse, as well as participants in accidents, disasters, and other types of tragedy.

Treatment of post-traumatic stress symptoms and other ailments caused by everyday stressful situations is based on psychotherapy, and sometimes also pharmacological treatment.

1. Check: What are the types of psychotherapy and indications for visiting a psychotherapist?

Stress and the effectiveness of psychotherapy

In psychological terms, stress is a state of emotional tension that causes discomfort and stands in the way of proper functioning. Feeling stressed is an individual matter, therefore certain situations may be a source of stress for one person, and for another they may be associated with other emotions and not cause strong tensions. A lot also depends on the individual’s ability to deal with stress. If we observe psychosomatic symptoms that may be the result of stress, it is worth going to a psychological consultation.

Usually, working with people struggling with the problem of acute stress response requires short-term psychotherapy. During a series of individual meetings, the causes of problems are analyzed, as well as the methods of coping with stress that have been used so far. The task of the psychotherapist is to show the patient which reactions to stressful situations are ineffective and unfavorable for his health. The next step is to work out alternative ways of behaving.

If the patient’s situation so requires, he or she can take advantage of family therapy based on the techniques of systemic psychotherapy. This form of treatment takes into account family relationships, roles played by individual family members and the resulting conflicts and stressful situations. There are benefits to being aware of the nature of your problems and gaining new coping skills, and you can get it from stress psychotherapy.

The effectiveness of psychotherapy depends on the individual case. A patient who completes the therapy has a good chance of alleviating symptoms resulting from excessive stress and improving the comfort of everyday life. In more difficult cases, the therapist may suggest visiting a specialist who will additionally prescribe sedatives or antidepressants. Properly selected pharmaceuticals will help in combating the most troublesome symptoms and facilitate therapeutic work.

1. Also read: The course of psychotherapy – contracts, goals, methodology, duration

Ways to deal with stress

Managing stress is an activity we take to restore a balance that has been disturbed by specific circumstances. Safe and beneficial to health methods of coping with stress can be developed on your own or with the help of a psychotherapist. Deciding to get help from an outsider is especially advisable when we do not deal with stress in a healthy way. The abuse of alcohol or psychoactive substances in order to relax is particularly worrying. Also, eating stress, i.e. reaching for chocolate, fatty or processed products, can lead to negative consequences, including overweight, obesity and eating disorders (e.g. bulimia nervosa).

Stress is also associated with aggressive behavior, which may be an unconscious form of discharging negative emotions. Such reactions to stress lead to deepening conflicts with the environment and may affect relationships with relatives. Certain defensive reactions, such as displacement of the problem or its displacement, may also prove unfavorable for the patient’s health and situation – in the case of such actions, the probability that we will not take the necessary actions aimed at adaptation and coping with problems increases.

1. Also read: Psychotherapy for depression – what form of help should you choose?

During psychotherapy, a patient struggling with stress has a chance to learn to control his reactions more effectively and find a better outlet for negative emotions. The specialist will suggest solutions tailored to the patient’s situation. Reducing the tension associated with stressful situations is possible thanks to relaxation techniques and activities that have a positive effect on the mood:

1. relaxation exercises;
2. doing sports;
3. a healthy diet;
4. leisure;
5. getting enough sleep.

Such practical methods of coping with stress should be complemented by skills developed during psychotherapy. Sometimes it is necessary to change the way you think about stressful situations and work on constructive behavior. Dealing with severe stress can also be made easier by focusing on a specific task. During meetings with a psychotherapist, it is easiest to determine which strategies bring the desired effect, reduce stress symptoms and improve the comfort of everyday life.

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