Excellent Stress Info Sites

Samaritans : Information on the signs of stress, how to manage stress best, exam stress and workplace stress

HSE Executive:  Guidelines and advice on workplace stress

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Royal College of Psychiatrists

What is Stress? 

Well - that depends on the context the term is being used in. The word "stress" suggests pressure exerted, tension and failure of materials in some contexts.

So how would you describe stress? Perhaps you'd describe it as

  • a normal set of physiological responses to hostile or dangerous circumstances
  • being overloaded with more work that you can cope with
  • being emotionally pressured or otherwise bullied
  • feeling powerless in your day to day life
  • .........

In general what would be thought of as a perfectly normal, even desirable set of reactions if faced with a temporary life-threatening situation can become a problem if they occur frequently or for a prolonged period causing all sorts of nasty symptoms affecting all aspects of normal day-to-day living.

Causes of stress.

There are many different causes of stress -

Any life changing event or even potentially life changing event can cause a stress response.

marriage   divorce   childbirth   death of a loved one   new job    redundancy
children leave the nest  moving home   puberty  exam stress   family expectations
menopause   assault    ....... and many more

From the list above it's obvious that life is full of stressful events. So it is to be expected that we will all experience the symptoms of stress at some time in life.

Then of course there are common sources of stress not necessarily relating to family life:-   

workplace bullying   redundancy   unrealistic deadlines  new job    lack of training
aggressive customers  verbal abuse  loneliness  road rage  feeling powerless
debt   health worries     ....... and many more 


If you are lucky enough to have supportive family and friends then make the most of their help.

Try to make sure you take some time for yourself each day - if you are lonely see if there are any classes locally which will allow you to meet people.   Be kind to yourself. 

Debt problems - try not to panic - if it's too much for you - make an appointment with Citizen's Advice Bureau - take their advice.  

If you feel severely stressed then make sure you do something about it - speak to a counsellor, your GP or the Samaritans for help and assistance.

Some traumatic events can trigger stress symptoms many weeks after the initial trauma. This can last many months and symptoms can crop up at any time. This is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Police, and emergency services workers and those who by the nature of their work are attending horrific accidents and may often feel powerless to help are more likely to be affected by this disorder although it can affect anyone.  The Royal College of Psychiatrists has some excellent guidance on PSTD. Click  here to find out more.