Stress and Anxiety
While the two concepts of stress and anxiety are often used interchangeably, they are in fact two separate disorders. It is true that one can cause a rise in the other. Stress is a psychological response to stimuli and events that can overwhelm the natural defensive mechanisms that control behavior and develop into physiological problems. Overwork or emotional upheaval are prime causes of stress within an individual.
Anxiety on the other hand, is usually an unnatural fear or panic brought on by irrational or illogical psychological stimuli. Quite often anxiety rises from phobias that traumatic experiences have ingrained into out response mechanisms. The illogical response patterns associated with anxiety must be dealt with in an aggressive manner. The greater the anxiety, the more the levels of stress will cause the patient to be incapacitated by their fears. The physiological manifestations of anxiety can increase the level of stress the patient undergoes until the body itself can sicken from the imbalance of bodily functions caused by the continued "fight or flight" emergency reaction systems.
While stress and anxiety are two separate forms of mental manifestation, the symptoms of both can be treated in much the same way. Psychologist H. Benson codified this method of stress and anxiety reduction as "The Five R's, or core concepts of identifying and eradicating the primary causes of the disorder. Recognition of the cause of the disorder is paramount to its treatment. Relationships are made to develop support for the
patient or, if they are the reason for the problem, Removal of the originator of the stress or anxiety. Relaxation therapy in the form of meditation or massage will lower stress levels and fear factors to the point the patient can be brought before his fears and over come them in Re-engagement.
