Stress is the physical, mental, and emotional reactions you experience as the result of changes and demands in your life. Stress is part and parcel of common life events, both large and small.

What causes stress disorder

The main causes of mental stress are life's daily has- sles, traffic jams, long lines, petty arguments, and other relatively small irritations. Stress also comes with crises and life-changing events, such as illness or disability, marriage problems or divorce, loss of a spouse or other family member, retirement, children leaving home, stress in the workplace and care- giving responsibilities.

All of these events may force you to adjust, whether you are ready to or not. Unless you can regularly release the tension that comes with stress, it can increase your risks for physical and mental illness.

Stress and Depression
The mentally ill occupy more than a third of all NHS beds.Our society seems to be driving people mad on an unprecedented scale. Giving people tranquilisers merely attacks the symptoms. It does nothing to change the cause of the suffering. Factors which increase the likelihood of depression are isolation, not having a close confidant, not going out to work, bad housing and financial problems, looking after toddlers at home full time and losing your mother when you were a child.

Yet depression can be greatly alleviated by purposeful activity. Samuel Jhonson, who was a depressive, found action was the key to triumphing over it. Such action didn't, in his opinion, necessarily have to be stenuous. He recommended chemistry or a course of rope dancing or a course of anything. The main thing was participating ,risking, daring, doing. It's not lack of ability which results in life's failures. It's lack of courage. So get out and get involved. Don't get hidebound with routine. Don't give up. Take plenty of daily exercise and make sure it's something you enjoy. Say what you mean. Don't be afraid to show your feelings. Don't procrastinate. Enjoy the pleasure of achievement . When working with depressives I find it necessary to point out that we are all vulnerable, physically and mentally, otherwise they to hang onto their pain and loneliness like some sort of secret talisman, behaving as if their condition were unique.Depressives have to realise that our strength comes from our ability to acknowledge , too respect that vulnerability and be taught the difference between respect and indulgence.

Because many major life events are beyond your control, take charge of those aspects of your life that you can manage. One major change doesn't mean that all areas of your life must change. Continue to participate in the same activities you did before the event happened.

Not all stress is bad. Positive stress (eustress) is a motivator, challenging you to act in creative and resourceful ways. When changes and demands overwhelm you, negative stress (distress) sets in. Some specific techniques that you can use to cope with stress in your life.

Effects of Stressed Mind

Mental stress strongly affects body health. At the first sign of alarm, chemicals released by the body automatically trigger the physical reactions. The physical reactions to stress are universal:The effects of mental stress are

Heart rate increases to move blood to the muscles and brain.

• Blood pressure goes up.
• Breathing rate increases.
Perspiration increases.
• Digestion slows down.
• Pupils dilate.
• You feel a rush of strength.

Your body is tense, alert, and ready for action. For primitive people, these reactions were an advantage in the face of sudden danger, preparing them for survival by "fightor-flight." Today, our bodies still react the same way, but it is not as acceptable to fight or run away from our stressors (although we often wish we could).

After the natural ""alarm" reaction to a real or perceived threat, our bodies stay on alert until we feel that the danger has passed. When the stressor is gone, the brain signals an "'all clear" sign to the body, which stops producing the chemicals that caused the physical reaction. The body then returns to normal.

Problems with stress occur when the brain fails to give the "'all clear" signal. If the alarm state lasts too long, you begin to suffer from the consequences of constant stress.

Unrelieved stress disorder can lead to health problems, such as headaches, sleep problems, fatigue, heartburn, and colds. It has also been linked to other serious conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression.These are health effects of Stressed Mind