STRESS – THE MALADY OF OUR TIMES
“I am really stressed out and I feel like killing myself” This was the shocking statement given to me by one of my patients while on teleconsultation recently. Well, who is not stressed out today? In the journey of life, everybody faces tough times sometime or another. Nobody is spared of the bitter experiences of want for eternal bliss and contentment. Covid-19 has brought a huge challenge to the healthcare industry and high-stress levels and burnout are topping the charts.
As per the National Crime Records Bureau, the total number of suicides is about 164,033 cases in 2021 in India alone. This is an alarming increase of 7.2% from previous years.
Another report from www.globalwire.com , the current world market size of antidepressants and mood enhancers, is estimated at around 15 billion US dollars and expected to reach 21 Bn USD by 2030 and the demand is ever-growing. Now, it seems it will be rising exponentially with the economic recession that has already hit certain parts of the world already.
Symptomatically, people may exhibit various types of characteristics that may be solitary or multiple. Many times, stress is also multi-layered just like the leaves of a cabbage, superficial and or deep-rooted.
Some of the most common ones are as below:
Getting easily agitated, frustrated, mood swings, feeling of worthlessness, poor judgment & impulsive behavior.
Palpitations, sweating, panic attacks, high blood pressure.
Headaches, lack of sleep.
Gastrointestinal issues like hyperacidity, reflux, and Irritable bowel syndrome.
Weight gain, binge eating disorders (anorexia nervosa & bulimia nervosa)
Deranged glucose metabolism, weakened liver, weak thyroid.
Weak immunity, recurrent cold & cough, asthma.
Hormonal disturbances, loss of libido.
Lack of energy, low concentration & memory issues.
Hyper-pigmentation of skin, allergies.
Persistent and prolonged stress can cause more harm than good. It can cause conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, sexual dysfunctions & even infertility, and untimely death.
What are the main causes of stress?
Now, let’s see some of the most common reasons for stress induced in our day-to-day