What are the Stress Treatments?

SStress Treatments

Self-help

Here are some ways you can help yourself to deal better with stress:

• take regular exercise – even if you are not sporty, brisk walking for 30 minutes every day can be a very effective stress buster
• delegate or share your responsibilities at work – making yourself indispensable can be a major source of problems
• learn to be more assertive – for example, not agreeing to things you know you can’t do well or know shouldn’t be your responsibility
• don’t drink too much alcohol or take drugs – these will not help you to cope better and may make you ill
• don’t drink too much caffeine
• try to eat a healthy, balanced diet, rich in fruit and vegetables
• set aside some time to organise yourself
• find some quiet time to listen to music or relaxation tapes
• learn breathing techniques – this can help you to “centre” yourself and slow down

A good way to tackle stress is to talk to your friends or family – sharing your thoughts and worries can help It’s important to talk directly to your manager if you are suffering from work-related stress. Your manager has a duty to take reasonable steps to try to resolve the problem.

If stress is causing physical symptoms, severe distress or making it difficult for you to function as normal, it’s worth seeing your doctor. It’s important to remember that although stress is a usual part of life, extreme or prolonged stress can be harmful and needs treatment.

Your doctor will be able to spot the physical symptoms of stress. In case there are physical reasons for your symptoms, the doctor may also want to do some tests to exclude certain conditions. He or she may also help you identify the things that are causing your stress and give advice on learning techniques to help you relax.

Medicines

Only in exceptional circumstances is your doctor likely to prescribe medication to help you cope with stress, although some types of anxiety can be treated with antidepressants.

Anti-anxiety drugs such as diazepam (eg Valium) aren’t suitable for treating stress. They won’t help you learn to cope better with the stresses you face, just make you less aware of them. You may also become dependent on this type of drug.

Rather than relying on medicine, it’s usually far better to try and identify the things in your life that are causing stress and try to deal with them.