Long-term psychological stress from violence and trauma can cause severe mental health issues. Research shows fear, worry, and hopelessness are strongly associated with experiencing stress for a long time.
Signs and symptoms
- Intense and unpredictable feelings: with severe mood fluctuation, the individual may feel irritable and then suddenly calm.
- Recurrent thoughts: Past memories tend to haunt you. These memories occur for no apparent reason, and my cause is an increase in heart rate, sweating, feeling nauseous, and changes in sleep and appetite.
- Hyperventilation and hypersensitivity: Loud noises, sudden taps on the shoulder, or other environmental sensations can trigger memories and cause anxiety. For example, a sudden, loud noise can increase a person’s heart rate. The loud noise is associated with past stressful events.
- Issues in interpersonal relationships include increased conflict, issues adjusting and adapting to each other, isolation from social gatherings, or being passive.
- Stress-related physiological symptoms include headaches, nausea, chest pain, feeling nauseous, abdominal discomfort, and body pain, and in some situations, they will require medical attention.
- Shock, denial, or disbelief—which becomes a hindrance to coping with or managing the stress.
- Confusion and difficulty concentrating.
How can you cope with prolonged stress?
Waiting and enduring through a stressful situation can be overwhelming and worsen the state of our emotional and mental well-being. However, there are few ways to cope and manage oneself when dealing with a stressful situation.
- Lean on trustworthy loved ones.
Look for and recognize friends or family members with whom you can talk and seek support. Talk and discuss with them. Research studies have indicated that social support plays a significant role in lessening fear, stress, and worry. You can ask others for help in doing some of the work, like getting you food or staying with you for a day or two.
- Prioritize self-care
Deliberately engage in things to take care of yourself. Eat nutritiously; get regular exercise, sleep, leisure activities, spending time for yourself, etc.
- In control, out of control
In stressful situations, think about the things that are within your control and the things that are out of your control. Direct your attention to things that you can take care of and change.
- Conscious effort to distract yourself
We cannot control the memories of traumatic events that pop into our brains, but we can consciously make an effort to distract ourselves by reading a book, watching a movie, or doing some hobby activities.
- Talk to a mental health professional.
Talking to a psychologist can give clarity on how to cope with and manage the situation. Talking to a professional can provide some sense of social support. Counseling can be a professional, safe, confidential, non-judgmental, and secure place for you to confide.
In dealing with stress, not everyone requires treatment. Most people recover on their own time. When distress is interfering with your social, occupational, and other areas of life and causing dysfunction, it is an indication of acute stress disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder. In this case, you need to seek help from a mental health professional.
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