Chapter 4

This chapter's topic will be anxiety and stressors vs triggers. Anxiety can be extremely tough to deal with, especially when it impacts how we function. It can range from simply being a little extra nervous to having panic attacks to needing medication. But no matter how simple or complex, or bad or not so bad it is for you, it's still very important. Now we all know what stress is, but what many people don't know is that there is a difference between anxiety and stress. According to www.apa.org, "People under stress experience mental and physical symptoms, such as irritability, anger, fatigue, muscle pain, digestive troubles, and difficulty sleeping. Anxiety, on the other hand, is defined by persistent, excessive worries that don't go away even in the absence of a stressor." A stressor, which we'll spend more time on later, is a long term environment or situation that causes strain or tension. But going back to the original topic, anxiety is a disorder, stress is something most people experience. Stress is necessary but not pleasant, but anxiety is not necessary or pleasant. Anxiety can cause stress, strain, challenges doing ordinary things, and panic attacks. Panic attacks are awful and if, like me, you experience them I am so sorry, no one deserves that. But some ways you can get through them are the 5,4,3,2,1 countdown where you list 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you smell, and one thing you can taste, or box breathing, where you imagine a box and a dot going around the box. You breathe in while going up one side, hold your breath for the next side, breathe out for the side after that, then hold it again for the next side. Then you repeat. Now onto triggers vs stressors. As I said earlier a stressor is a long term environment or situation that causes strain or tension, but a trigger is something in the moment that causes distress. So the difference is one is more long term, and one is more sudden, and that is the difference between a trigger and a stressor. According to catalystcenterllc.com, Signs you are triggered are sudden changes, more changes than usual. Ex: Low mood, feeling blue, intense sadness, grief. Hypomania – seeking disruption, novelty, or change. Hopelessness, feeling or belief that the future is doomed in some way. Thoughts/feelings of worthlessness. In the next chapter I will be talking about Opposite action and anti self harm ideas. Thank you for reading My Journey Through Mental Health, Going Through it Together.