Stress Therapy

Stress is a common reason to seek therapy

Maybe you are someone who usually feels confident about your ability to cope with life’s challenges, but you were just thrown a curve ball. Maybe it is one major problem, or many smaller problems happening at the same time. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, and you notice your sleep, appetite, routines, and relationships are suffering, it may be time to seek therapy for stress relief.

“Adjustment Disorders” are what we call these temporary, stress induced mental health conditions. Many people seek therapy due to stressful changes in their lives that disrupt their ability to cope. Common examples of stressors that could cause an adjustment disorder include:

*moving

*going through a divorce or breakup

*intense job stress or unexpected job loss

*serious conflict with a close friend or co-worker

*loss of a loved one

*unexpected illness of a loved one

*going through a serious medical condition yourself

During these stressful times, you might be forced to deal with the fact that your life is not going according to plan. For example, you may feel powerless and confused. Your stress management counselor will give you a safe place to talk through your complicated feelings. They will also help with redefining your expectations, and learning to cope with these changes.

How do I know if I need Stress Counseling?

If you are experiencing symptoms like the ones listed below, it may be time to seek counseling services

Depressed Mood due to stress:

You may be experiencing some kind of grief due to the unexpected changes in your life. Symptoms could include crying spells, fatigue, isolation, weight loss or gain, feelings of loss or hopelessness, and even suicidal thoughts. 

Anxiety due to stress:

You may be having a fearful reaction to the unexpected changes in your life. Symptoms could include panic attacks, feeling edgy or “keyed up”, difficulty falling or staying asleep, feelings of powerlessness, and excessive worry.

Behavioral issues due to stress:

You may be having a reaction of anger to the unexpected changes in your life. Symptoms could include lashing out verbally, isolating, damaging to property, aggression towards others, or getting into physical fights.

People can also have symptoms from more than one of these categories. It is not uncommon to feel sad, afraid, and angry when going through unexpected changes. Our counselors at Shift Counseling, PC are not focused on judging how anyone experiences their emotions. Our stress therapists are interested in listening, understanding, and helping each client find ways to make the changes they seek.

Will this ever get better? Can stress relief therapy help?

One piece of good news about stress induced disorders is the issues that cause symptoms are often temporary. Therefore, symptoms are generally expected to resolve. What that timeline looks like can vary depending on the nature of the stressors, and how long the stressors last. But not all issues that cause stress related illnesses resolve on their own.

However, a you can expect to feel better if you feel supported and learn improved coping skills. Seeking counseling for a Stress related issue can help prevent the condition from becoming more serious. Potential conditions such as Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can occur if you don’t receive the right kind of support during a difficult time. 

Stress Treatment can help your relationship with yourself

Your stress counselor can help you learn to see yourself in a healthier light. They can also help teach you skills that will improve your life long after your stressor has resolved. Your life after seeking stress therapy could look even better than it did before your recent stressor started

 Begin Stress Reduction Therapy in North Riverside, IL

All of our counselors at Shift Counseling, PC work with stress related conditions and we have appointments available. We are in network with BCBS PPO, Blue Choice PPO, many commercial Aetna plans, and Cigna/Evernorth. Use the link below to see if we have appointments available that work for your schedule. We may be able to start your first appointment within a week! Our office is convenient to multiple areas of Chicagoland including Riverside, La Grange Park, Brookfield, Broadview, and more. If you’re ready to begin, just click below: