What is an expert or a doctor regarding stress called? Is anyone here one?

Well I’m not a doctor nor an expert, but I can tell you that stress can physically manifest itself in probably hundreds of ways.

My digestive tract gets really screwed up when I stress out.

Stress-related symptoms are often headaches, GI related problems (irritable bowel, colitis, constipation, cramps, diarrhea), lower back pain, neck pain and either a need to overeat or lack of appetite.

The doctors or therapists who treat psychosomatic illnesses are called psychiatrists and therapists (psychologists, social workers).

Due to congenital scoliosis, my weakest link is lower back.

Prolonged stress has a huge impact on disease formation, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Psychologists have identified certain key stressors among the top 5 or so in severeity.

Death of a loved one
Divorce
Job loss
Moving
illness
trauma

Most of us get a double or tripe whammy at one point or another.

I experienced several years of stress some years back now.
A divorce, moving twice, the death of a family member and job changes. All within a 2 year period.

Just take the best care of yourself as possible, try not to dwell on your problems, reframe the word ‘problem’ to ‘situation.’

Eat well, rest well, exercise and get into some therapy if you feel overwhelmed, and remember…this too shall pass.

They are know as Cruiser. Ask me anything about stress…

Do you shut down where you can’t do anything at all??
Have trouble sleeping or eating?
Sudden bouts of sheer anger?
You are questioning every element of your current life or carreer?
Your MIL is over?
Money or SO issues?
You have kids?
You work for the Government?
You don’t have a job?
You want to pummel someone anyone?

Any of the above and you are stressed. Learn to meditate and learn to value what good things you do have in your life and forget about the rest and things will be better….I promise!

@Cruiser

I can always tell when I am stressed because my normally easy going self starts bitching at other drivers. lol

When I catch myself exclaiming out loud ” Really? You’re a moron! ” I know I need to defrag. haha

The stress mechanism in the body is related to the fight-or-flight response and the Sympathetic nervous system. Life stressors can have profound impacts on your physical health.

@Coloma, u know I have to try and meet or beat your level of stress: I experienced a divorce, I moved away and remarried, my mother’s strokes and nursing home confinement, my best friend got stage 4 cancer, my father had a stroke and was in the same nursing home room as mom, my friend died near the same time as my mother and they put my dad in a mental institution 3 times; he took me to court thinking I robbed him, he tried to commit suicide, he died as did my FIL, and my daughter was too late for the funeral and was on drugs. Maybe I should have been on drugs too. lol I actually left out some of the bad stuff.
Now do all things work together for good? Am I stronger from all this? Anything but.

@Aster

Wow…yes, you ought to write a book! Jeez, crazy! :-?

I don’t know that it’s a specialty. I mean, there’s probably a couple doctors out there who do specialize in it, but not as a specialty that would have a wikipedia page like cardiology or oncology. Psychiatry and neurology would probably focus quite a bit on it, and know what it does to the central nervous system and other physical manifestations.

I do know that even 5 minutes of stress lowers your immune system for 48 hours (although you can counteract it with laughter and mirth).

Start with a check up from an internist. You may find the help you need there or you may need a referral to a psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, or MFCC (family counselor), each of whom is a counselor for people with severe stress problems. Good luck.

What do you guys think about the following symptoms?
-Having a constant feeling to throw up
-Feeling so stressed you end up saying the very first thing that comes to your mind…even if it makes no sense.
-At times you can’t really recall things from the past. Like an event or memory from last week.
-You feel your mind is going blank.

@Coloma Now I am catching on to your brownie routine! XD

@raven860 Been there, done that – it’s unpleasant at the very least, and harmful at worst. If you can do anything to reduce your stress soon, I’d highly recommend doing so. Nothing is worth risking your health over.

@raven860 those sound like potentially neurological symptoms and are serious enough to bring up with your GP. She may think it’s nothing, or may interpret as potentially worth having a specialist take a look at. I would make an appointment this week, it might turn out to be something you can alleviate with breathing exercises, or it might be much more serious which is why it makes sense to have a doctor give you a real examination.

Safe > sorry.

@Mariah, This scenario was something in the past that to some extent impaired my handling of the situation. I tried to beat the stress by taking the car out for a drive and by trying to sleep
( the sleeping didn’t work however because…part of my worries was that I had lost so much time and I had no time to waste…and so I’d get up after 20..30 mins and start stressing again). Nothing else worked, I was in a panic and frenzy mode…I am not even sure how much of it all makes sense.

Never really discussed this with anyone before and wanted to know if anyone has had a similar experience or knows what it was.

@raven860 It sounds like you could possibly have an anxiety disorder, but it would probably be best to have your GP rule out other physiological causes. They can refer you to a mental health specialist in your area that deals with anxiety.

@gorillapaws Yeah possibly…although it was only a one time thing. However, to say that I felt overstressed during that period would be an understatement.

@Coloma Yeah I def did get a Triple whammy or more but my sources were bit more personal as in it pertained with myself.