September October 2021 web

7 SIGNS THAT
STRESS IS
CAUSING A
CHALLENGE
by Denise Aden, MSW LISW Quad Cities Counseling
I want to introduce you to Sarah.
(Sarah is not her real name).
Sarah is 43 years old, married
and has 3 children. She is also a
professional and very important in
her company. Sarah has worked
extremely hard to get where she is not
only in her career but in her personal
life. She has a great marriage, her
kids do well and school and activities
and the family life is not perfect, but
it is a good life. Sarah is blessed and
loves her family and career.
However, recently, she has been
feeling a shift in her life and is
concerned as it seems to be affecting
both her home and work life. She
hasn’t said anything to anyone yet,
not even her husband. But things are
not getting better, in fact, they seem
to be progressing in the direction
she is not liking to well.
Sarah finally decided to talk
with her husband and with his
encouragement, she has reached
out to go to counseling. Turns out,
Sarah has been dealing with some
extreme stress in her life.
Identifying signs of stress can
seem complicated —
Mostly because we don’t always
associate certain signs with stress at
all.
The reality is that you might have
14 September/October 2021 I QC Family Focus
been struggling with one or more of
these issues for years. Yet, you didn’t
make the association between the
problem and stress.
If you’re like most people,
you try to get through each day.
Sometimes, it feels like you have
blinders over your eyes to block
out the distractions (aka problems),
metaphorically speaking.
Although blinders might keep
us looking forward, they also create
huge blind spots when it comes to
our health and well-being...and that
can be a huge problem if not solved.
If you think stress might be an
issue for you, consider these seven
signs.
1. TENSE MUSCLES
Have you noticed lately that
the muscles in your shoulders and
back seem to be tight and achy?
At the same time, though, it’s not
like you have been doing anything
strenuous enough to warrant the
pain. Those tense muscles might
be due to stress. We often hold that
stress in our muscles, which contract
more often. The result is pain and
achiness because the muscles have
been under tension for so long.
2. TEETH GRINDING
Also known as bruxism. This is
another sign of stress that you
might not have thought about.
Just like with muscle tension, people
under stress will clench their jaws.
The result is that your teeth grind
together and wear down. Not to
mention why your jaw may be feeling
extremely sore! If you think this has
been happening to you, take note of
what your dentist says at your next
appointment.
3. DIGESTIVE ISSUES
Have you had frequent
episodes of upset stomach or
diarrhea?
Yep! Could be due to stress.
One of the effects of stress is the
release of cortisol in your body.
Cortisol is a hormone that can harm
your stomach. It can cause you to
have an upset stomach, nausea, or
diarrhea. Even if you get treatment
for these stomach issues, you won’t
be directly addressing the source of
the problem — stress.
4. HAVING A SHORT FUSE
Did you notice the other day,
when you felt so on edge, that
when someone started talking,
you snapped at them? Was it
someone whom you regretted
lashing out at, such as your
partner or even your child?
When you feel stressed out,
all you can think about is what’s