Stress Management
Learn how to keep your stress at bay – no matter what the world throws at you.
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415-310-5652 ● andrea@andreachilton.com
Contrary to popular opinion, stress is NOT a symptom!
Stress is actually a symptom antagonist. In other words, when we experience stress we tend to develop symptoms such as sadness, anger, worry, paranoia, exhaustion and much more.
Stressors add up, and as we try juggle multiple stressors they feed into deep and distressing emotional problems. Here is another way to think about it.
We do not go to the doctor because of the heat from the sun, we go because our body becomes dehydrated or burned. Just like heat from the sun, stress is a normal part of everyday life.
The key to managing stress is similar to avoiding a sunburn when you have to work outside all day. You might employ some boundaries with the sun, such as applying sunblock or wearing protective clothing.
You might start out slow and only spend a few hours at a time, slowly building up a tan or tolerance. You might even make adjustments to your schedule to minimize the amount of sun exposure you deal with each day.
Stress management is a lifestyle practice, one that requires effective self-care, boundaries, and tolerance.
However, many of us fail to notice the effects of stress until we are already burned. Sometimes we can recover on our own, and sometimes we need professional help when things get out of hand.
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People who are overwhelmed with stress tend to notice the symptoms it generates
- Feeling constantly on edge, anxious or uncertain
- Mood swings or frequent bouts of strong emotions
- Overeating or under-eating
- Significant changes in weight without intent
- Fertility problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue or bodily tension
- Thoughts of suicide
- Loss of motivation or sex drive
- Obsession or rumination
- Difficulty relaxing or being present
- Reliance on drinking or other drugs to reduce stress
Do I have too much stress?
These reactions to brief stress are fairly normal. However, many of these behaviors tend to stick, particularly when the stress continues to apply pressure your life.
For example, people who have highly stressful work environments tend to notice these symptoms crop up because the stressor is ongoing, and they lack the awareness and skill to cope healthily.
As we continue to be overwhelmed and unable to manage, the stress multiplies and we begin to rely on anything that makes us feel better.
Drugs and alcohol are a common crutch to temporarily relieve stress, but when they become habitual, they generate their own problems, such as health issues, decreased energy and mobility, loss of relationships and loss of employment.
This common attempt to relieve stress then becomes its own new source, transforming temporary relief to dramatic stress increase.
If you have begun to notice stress interfering with your life, do not wait. Contact me today and learn how to manage life’s challenges and return to a healthy baseline.
Aaaah! I can’t take it. This is all too much for me to handle.
How does therapy help with stress?
As common stressors are woven into the fabric of our lives (work, family, relationships, health challenges), many feel stuck and experience hopelessness. Fortunately, psychotherapy is the first and most effective treatment option for people who are overwhelmed with stress.
Therapy provides a safe space for us to meet individually in a safe, completely confidential environment as we collaboratively explore most effective ways to manage your stressors.
Many find it amazing how powerful the simple act of sharing and being understood in the face of our burdens can be. In therapy, as I come to deeply understand you and how you respond your circumstances, I am able to provide empathic insights, shed light on your blind-spots, offer practical advice, and discover what most immediately needs to be addressed to help you regain a sense of control and peace in your life.
Even the most severe stressors, such as terminal illness or facing legal prosecution, can be managed with the support psychotherapy provides. Therapists just like me are professionally trained and licensed to help you get through this. You might feel overwhelmed, but I am here to help shoulder your burdens and find ways of lightening your load.
If you or a loved one is struggling under the heat of stress, do not wait. Contact me today to get your life back on track.
I feel overwhelmed all the time and I don’t know what to do about it.
How can I help?
As a Relational Depth Psychotherapist, I provide a unique combination of relational warmth, interpersonal attachment, and deep psychological insight for my clients. I have helped so many people work through their stress – and I know that I can help you too!
My treatment will help you learn to:
- Pinpoint causes of stress
- Set healthy and effective boundaries
- Identify and process emotions that come with stress
- Disrupt unhealthy patterns that feed the problem
- Access inner strengths
- Breathe easy and find peace
To accomplish those goals, we will:
- Establish a safe, mutually respectful relationship
- Employ gentle curiosity to help you open up in ways that you haven’t before
- Explore your current experience of yourself and your circumstances
- Observe elements of your life that hinder you and jointly work toward change
- Shed light on your blind spots and challenge self-defeating patterns
- Examine relevant life experiences that have impacted you
- Process and heal wounds, historic or recent, that hold you back
- Develop self-compassion and improve your understanding of yourself
I firmly believe that together, we can work through your struggles. Do not let stress get in the way of a happy and healthy existence. Contact me today and learn how I can help improve your life.
Work. Family. Relationships. There’s just so much to deal with in life that I want to run away and hide … forever.