What symptoms are suggestive of chronic stress?
Feeling tense or on edge Having excessive muscular tension/chronic pain (e.g., headache) Being unusually hyper-reactive, irritable, or angry Having difficulty sleeping Feeling chronic physical fatigue Feeling “burned-out,” overwhelmed, or mentally exhausted Diminished ability to think, concentrate, or remember information Feeling depressed or anxious Of course, these symptoms may well represent a more specific medical or mental illness and should be checked by a medical professional. If you choose to see a psychologist, for example, she/he may well recommend that you also have an exam by your physician to rule out a specific medical illness. Even if a specific illness or disorder does exist, chronic stress may also be present and may make the symptoms of the illness worse. In fact, illness itself can be a significant stressor. What are some causes of stress? Working too hard without breaks. This applies to almost any time scale. That is, stress can be caused by working for many months
