Stress, anxiety and tension
Submitted by Michael 1 on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 22:50.
I think that it is worth adding tension, 'mental or emotional strain'.
I have created my own theory that because of AS I am always suffering one or more of;
Stress & anxiety = tension (muscle strain, back ache,etc.)
Stress & tension = anxiety (uncontrolled shaking, pooing/weeing, sweating)
anxiety & tension = stress (being 'down', 'slow', 'on edge'(depression?)).
(I put it in a triangle)
Stress,anxiety,tension
each can lead but two combined lead to the third.
My Physical Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress
For me this can vary a lot. Sometimes when I'm anxious and/or stressed I get a little nauseaous, I lose my appetite, I get a little shaky, I get a slight feeling of shortness of breath, I get like a lump in my throat and esophagus, my stomach gets a little upset and I just feel funny. At times I don't get any of these symptoms (except the non-physical symptoms) or don't get all of them at once.
Mental Exertion
I rarely have a problem with physical symptoms.
With me its the mental pressure that emanates from uncertainty. I am experiencing it now because of my work situation (see blog shortly).
I am trying to condition myself not to worry and get on and on things to do things to ease this. They say that the best defence against stress is physical exercise so I am hoping that this is a variant.
As I get older I have become more adept at dealing with this, but I think that there will always be an element of it if you have AS.
(No subject)
Ah, I lost what I originally
Ah, I lost what I originally posted here but think the gist of it was that I suffer most from stiff shoulders and neck and feelings of anxiety. Even when I feel quite calm and good about how things are going, I still have the stiff shoulders.
Since as far back as I remember, anxiety was always like a black shadow dogging my footsteps but in some ways, it has receded into the background (not all the time though - I still panic sometimes but at least it isn't there all the time)
I have found that my state
I have found that my state of mind really affects my work. If I am stressed out or anixious, I am not feeling well which in turn affects my ability to focus or concentrate well here.
Coping Mechanisms
Would be good to hear what coping mechanisms people have adopted here ans what they have found useful?
I think that its vitally important that we try to identify solutions as part of the forums as this is the way we can all grow.
In the above situation I try to take time out. However, if it becomes highly pressurised I feel the only option is to seek assistance from a colleague who can look at the scenario objectively.
Identifying supportivr and trusted colleagues initially is, of course, highly important!
Mechanisms of Coping
This can be difficult to find sometimes. For me there are times that many coping mechanisms just don't work that well. It also depends on the situation at hand and the surrounding issues. After a while one just don't know what to do to cope.
I do agree it's really essential to find fellow colleagues that will support you, understand you and most importantly are trustworthy. I do agree if there are coping mechanisms (ones that work for you) at hand they can help and aid you.
During a work crisis about 4
During a work crisis about 4 years ago, I got into trouble for not using "my strategies" to cope. The truth of the matter was I was having a mild nervous breakdown which meant that the few coping mechanisms I would otherwise have had were shot.
I was having to take painkillers to get to sleep at the time as I was in an agitated depression (which I find is the worst type to have - slowed down depression can be dealt with more easily by resting up).
My manager was trying to tell the director that I couldn't use strategies until I got better.
The strategies in any case were imposed upon me rather than ones I had devised myself so I didn't "own" them and didn't feel the same commitment level as I otherwise would have.