The Dangers of Stress

Caption: The Stressors of Life

URL: http://aulonimagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/stress.jpg

We live in a world that is increasingly fast-paced and demanding. Deadlines, relational issues, and tensions of life wear an individual down and create immeasurable stress. Many individuals will seek help from a counselor to reduce the stress that is in their lives. Therapists can help their clients learn time-management skills, develop beneficial self-care habits, establish a workout routine and good nutrition, and cultivate a healthier outlook on life (Young, 2017). Furthermore, systematic desensitization, relaxation, coping skills training, meditation, enhancing social support, and a variety of other techniques may be used to reach a life with limited stress (Young, 2017).

            While many counselors may assume that utilizing these stress-management techniques will simply help an individual reduce their stress, they may actually be reducing one’s chances of developing certain diseases throughout life. Furthermore, the process of expressing one’s emotions is also beneficial in reducing stress. Those who repress emotions are left in a state of chronic stress which creates a multitude of unnatural biochemical reactions in the body (Mate, 2003). For example, emotional stress has been shown to be a major contributing cause of breast malignancy because it creates greater physiological stress (Stewart et al., 2001). While there are a multitude of other diseases that are associated with stress, it would take a great amount of time to explain each one. Nevertheless, counselors should understand that the work they do is beneficial in creating a state of mental wellness as well as physical wellness in their clients.

            However, counselors must ensure that they take care of themselves and utilize stress-reducing resources (Lawson & Myers, 2011). By managing their own stress, they will be able to adequately help others. If stress is ignored, counselors might experience burnout and could potentially harm their clients.

References:

Lawson, G., & Myers, J. E. (2011). Wellness, professional quality of life, and career-sustaining behaviors: What keeps us well?. Journal of Counseling and Development: JCD, 89(2), 163.

Maté, G. (2003). When the body says no: Exploring the stress-disease connection. Hoboken.

Stewart, D. E., Cheung, A. M., Duff, S., Wong, F., McQuestion, M., Cheng, T., ... & Bunston, T. (2001). Attributions of cause and recurrence in long‐term breast cancer survivors. Psycho‐Oncology, 10(2), 179-183.

Young, M. E. (2017). Learning the art of helping: Building blocks and techniques. Pearson Higher Ed.